Data Structures
Data Structures
C/C++ arrays allow you to define variables that combine several data items of the same kind but
structure is another user defined data type which allows you to combine data items of different
kinds.
Structures are used to represent a record, suppose you want to keep track of your books in a
library. You might want to track the following attributes about each book:
Title
Author
Subject
Book ID
Defining a Structure:
To define a structure, you must use the struct statement. The struct statement defines a new data
type, with more than one member, for your program. The format of the struct statement is this:
struct [structure tag]
{
member definition;
member definition;
...
member definition;
} [one or more structure variables];
The structure tag is optional and each member definition is a normal variable definition, such as
int i; or float f; or any other valid variable definition. At the end of the structure's definition,
before the final semicolon, you can specify one or more structure variables but it is optional.
Here is the way you would declare the Book structure:
struct Books
{
char
title[50];
char
author[50];
char
subject[100];
int
book_id;
}book;
To access any member of a structure, we use the member access operator . . The member
access operator is coded as a period between the structure variable name and the structure
member that we wish to access. You would use struct keyword to define variables of structure
type. Following is the example to explain usage of structure:
#include <iostream>
#include <cstring>
struct Books
{
char
title[50];
char
author[50];
char
subject[100];
int
book_id;
};
int main( )
{
struct Books Book1;
// book 1 specification
strcpy( Book1.title, "Learn C++ Programming");
strcpy( Book1.author, "Chand Miyan");
strcpy( Book1.subject, "C++ Programming");
Book1.book_id = 6495407;
// book 2 specification
strcpy( Book2.title, "Telecom Billing");
strcpy( Book2.author, "Yakit Singha");
strcpy( Book2.subject, "Telecom");
Book2.book_id = 6495700;
return 0;
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following result:
Book 1 title : Learn C++ Programming
Book 1 author : Chand Miyan
Book 1 subject : C++ Programming
Book 1 id : 6495407
Book 2 title : Telecom Billing
Book 2 author : Yakit Singha
Book 2 subject : Telecom
Book 2 id : 6495700
struct Books
{
char
title[50];
char
author[50];
char
subject[100];
int
book_id;
};
int main( )
{
struct Books Book1;
// book 1 specification
strcpy( Book1.title, "Learn C++ Programming");
strcpy( Book1.author, "Chand Miyan");
strcpy( Book1.subject, "C++ Programming");
Book1.book_id = 6495407;
// book 2 specification
strcpy( Book2.title, "Telecom Billing");
strcpy( Book2.author, "Yakit Singha");
strcpy( Book2.subject, "Telecom");
Book2.book_id = 6495700;
return 0;
}
void printBook( struct Books book )
{
cout << "Book title : " << book.title <<endl;
cout << "Book author : " << book.author <<endl;
cout << "Book subject : " << book.subject <<endl;
cout << "Book id : " << book.book_id <<endl;
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following result:
Book title : Learn C++ Programming
Pointers to Structures:
You can define pointers to structures in very similar way as you define pointer to any other
variable as follows:
struct Books *struct_pointer;
Now, you can store the address of a structure variable in the above defined pointer variable. To
find the address of a structure variable, place the & operator before the structure's name as
follows:
struct_pointer = &Book1;
To access the members of a structure using a pointer to that structure, you must use the ->
operator as follows:
struct_pointer->title;
Let us re-write above example using structure pointer, hope this will be easy for you to
understand the concept:
#include <iostream>
#include <cstring>
struct Books
{
};
char
title[50];
char
author[50];
char
subject[100];
int
book_id;
int main( )
{
struct Books Book1;
// Book 1 specification
strcpy( Book1.title, "Learn C++ Programming");
strcpy( Book1.author, "Chand Miyan");
strcpy( Book1.subject, "C++ Programming");
Book1.book_id = 6495407;
// Book 2 specification
strcpy( Book2.title, "Telecom Billing");
strcpy( Book2.author, "Yakit Singha");
strcpy( Book2.subject, "Telecom");
Book2.book_id = 6495700;
return 0;
}
// This function accept pointer to structure as parameter.
void printBook( struct Books *book )
{
cout << "Book title : " << book->title <<endl;
cout << "Book author : " << book->author <<endl;
cout << "Book subject : " << book->subject <<endl;
cout << "Book id : " << book->book_id <<endl;
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following result:
Book title : Learn C++ Programming
title[50];
char
author[50];
char
subject[100];
int
book_id;
}Books;
Now, you can use Books directly to define variables of Books type without using struct keyword.
Following is the example:
Books Book1, Book2;
pint32 x, y, z;