MODULE – 3 Structure, Typedef & Enumerated Data Type

Programming in C++

17

Notes STRUCTURE, TYPEDEF &

ENUMERATED DATA TYPE

In the previous lesson you have learnt that array is a collection of values of
same data type. Sometimes it is required to store information, which can be
of same or different types. For this purpose, structure statement is used in C++
programming language. In this lesson you will learn three important statements
structure, typedef and enumerated data type of C++ programming language.

OBJECTIVES
After reading this lesson, you will be able to:
z define variable, initialize and access members of the structure;
z explain the concept of nested structure;
z explain typedef statement in a program;
z define enum statement and use it.

17.1 STRUCTURE
A structure is a collection of simple variables which can be of same or different
types. It is a user defined datatype which allows you to combine different data
types to store a particular type of record. The data items in a structure are called
the members of the structure. Consider the following example:
Example 1
# include < iostream.h >
struct student
{ char name [20]; int marks;
};

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Structure, Typedef & Enumerated Data Type MODULE – 3
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void main ( )
{
student S1, S3;
cin >> S1. name >> S1. marks;
cout << S1. name << S1. marks <<“\n”;
student S2 = {“ANKIT”, 32};
Notes
cout << S2. name << S2. marks <<\n”;
S3 = S2; cout << S3. name << S3. marks;
}
Output of the above program is

Variable of the structure

S1 and S2 are called variable of the structure student. They are given enough
space in memory to hold the members of the structure (22 bytes each for above
program).
Accessing of data members
The accessing of data members is done by using the following format:
structure variable. member name
Initialization of structure variable
Initialization is done at the time of declaration of a variable. For example:
Student S2 = {“ANKITA”, 32};
Structure variable in assignment statements
The statement S3 = S2;
assigns the value of each member of S2 to the corresponding member of S3.
Since a large structure can have many members, such an assignment statement
requires the compiler to do a considerable amount of work.

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 MODULE – 3 Structure, Typedef & Enumerated Data Type
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One structure variable can be assigned to another only when they are of
the same structure type, otherwise compiler will give an error message.

17.1.1 Structure within Structure

This is called nesting of structure. Consider the following program in which
date field is a structure.
Example 2
Notes # include < iostream.h >
# include < stdio.h >
struct today
{
int month;
int date;
int year;
};
struct biodata
{
char name [ 20 ];
today date_of_birth;
char add [ 30 ];
};
void main ( )
{
biodata b;
cout << “Enter name”;
gets (b.name);
cout << “Enter birth month”;
cin >> b.date_of _birth. month;
cout << “Enter birth date”;
cin >> b.date_of_birth.date;
cout << “Enter birth year”;
cin >> b.date_of _birth.year;
cout << “Enter address”;
gets (b.add);
cout << “Name” << b.name << “\n”;
cout << “Month” <<b.date_of_birth.month << “\n”;
cout << “Date” << b. date _of_birth. date << “\n”;
cout << “Year” << b. date_of_birth.year << “\n”;
cout << “Address” << b.add << “\n”;
}

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Structure, Typedef & Enumerated Data Type MODULE – 3
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Accessing nested structure members

As the structure is nested inside another, you must apply the dot operator twice
to access the structure members:

cin >> b. date_of_birth. month;

Initializing Nested Structure

Notes
It is initialized at the time of declaration of structure variable. For example:

biodata bd = {“MOHIT”, {3, 21, 1991}, “Rohini”};

The inner braces are required just to separate the values, although it is ignored
by the compiler.

17.2 TYPEDEF
It is used to define a new name for an existing data type. It provides an alternative
name for standard data type. It is used for self documenting the code by allowing
descriptive names (for better understanding) for the standard data type.

The general format is:

typedef existing datatype new datatype;
For example:
typedef float real;
Now, in a program you can use datatype real instead of float. You can declare
an amount variable of type real by using the statement real amount;

INTEXT QUESTIONS 17.1

Fill in the blanks:

1. Structure is a collection of simple variables which can be of ....................

2. Typedef is used to define .......................... for an existing data type.

3. .......................... is the syntax of accessing data members of the structure.

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4. What will be the output of the following programs.
(a) # include < iostream.h >
void main ( )
{
struct rollno { int roll; };
rollno r;
Notes
r. roll = 100;
cout << “roll = ” << r. roll;
}
(b) # include < iostream.h >
void main ( )
{
struct student
{
int roll;
int age; };
student S1 = { 100, 15 };
student S2 = S1;
if ( S1 = = S2 )
cout << “The structures are equal”;
else
cout << “The structures are not equal”;

17.3 ENUMERATED DATA TYPE

Enumerated data type works if you know in advance a finite list of values that
a data type can take. It has the following features:
z It is a user defined datatype.
z It works if you know in advance a finite list of values that a data type can
take.
z The list cannot be input by the user or output on the screen.

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For example:
enum months { jan, feb, mar, apr, may};
enum days { sun, mon, tue, wed, thu };
enum toys { cycle, bicycle, scooter };
The enum specifier defines the set of all names which are permissible values
of the type called members which are stored internally as integer constant. The
first name was given the integer value 0, the second value 1 and so on. Notes

Example 3
jan = 0, feb = 1, mar = 2, apr = 3, may = 4
The ordering can be altered by using an equal sign and value.
enum months { jan = 1, feb, mar, apr, may };
Here jan = 1, feb = 2, mar = 3, apr = 4, may = 5
The value of the next element in the list is previous value plus one.
Enum color { red, green = 5, blue };
The value of blue will be 6 An enum variable takes
For example: only one value out of
the possible values.
# include < iostream.h >
enum months { jan, feb, mar, apr, may };
void main ( )
{
months m1, m2;
m1 = jan;
m2 = apr;
int diff = m2 - m1;
cout << “Months between” << diff << “\n”;
if (m1 > m2) cout << “m2 comes before m1”;
}
The output of the above program is

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 MODULE – 3 Structure, Typedef & Enumerated Data Type
Programming in C++
The members of the enumerated series is stored as integer constant in the
memory. This is the reason our program displays value 3 (m2 = apr i.e., m2
= 4, m1 = jan i.e., m1 = 1. so diff = m2 – m1 = 4 – 1 = 3).

INTEXT QUESTIONS 17.2

Notes 1 What is the meaning of the following statement?
enum days { sun, mon, tue };
2 Can the enum data input by the user?
3 (a) Write a statement that declares an enumerated data type called months
with the values jan, feb, mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug, sep, oct, nov, dec
(b) Define two variables m1 and m2 and assign them the values jan and
mar respectively.
4 Write a statement that declares an enumerated data type called colour with
the values pink, red, green, and blue. Give these four names the integer
values 33, 45, 58 and 78.

WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT

z Structure is a collection of simple variables which can be of same or
different types.
z Typedef is used to define new data type for an existing data type.
z Typedef provides alternative name for standard data type.
z Enumerated data type is a user defined data type, it works if you know in
advance a finite set of values that a data type can take.
z Enum specifier defines the set of names which are stored internally as
integer constant.

TERMINAL EXERCISE
1. What is a structure? Write a structure specification in C++ for the record
given below:
Code: A string of 5 characters (including null)

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Cost: Integer
Margin: Integer
Call this structure item.

2. What will be the output of the following program?

# include < iostream.h >
enum days { sun, mon, tue, wed, thu, fri, sat };
Notes
void main ( )
{
days today;
for (today = sun; today < = sat; today ++ )
cout << “\n today is ” << today;
}

3. State the reason why

enum boolean {false, true};
is better than
enum boolean {true, false};

4. What is the advantage of typedef statement?

5. A phone number, such as 786-6370, can be thought of having two parts;

the exchange code and the number. Write a program in C++ that uses a
structure phone to store these two parts. Call the structure phone. Create
two structure variable of type phone. Initialize one and have the user input
a number for the other one. Then display both the numbers.

ANSWERS TO INTEXT QUESTIONS

17.1
1 is a collection of simple variables which can be of same or different types.
2 new data type
3. structure variable. member
4. (a) 100
(b) The structures are equal

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17.2
1. sun = 0, mon = 1, tue = 2 2. No
3. (a) enum months
{ jan, feb, mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug, sep, oct, nov, dec }
(b) months m1, m2;
m1 = jan;
Notes
m2 = mar;
4. enum colour {pink = 33, red = 45, green = 58, blue = 78 };

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