B.Com(CA) - II Semester *** SRK Degree & P.G.

College - Kamareddy *** PWC&C++ UNIT-IV

UNIT-IV: POINTERS, STRUCTURES AND UNIONS
Pointers: Features of pointers- Declaration of Pointers-arithmetic operations with pointers.
Structures: Features of Structures - Declaring and initialization of Structures –Structure within Structure-
Array of Structures- Enumerated data type.
Unions: Definition and advantages of Unions comparison between Structure & Unions.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pointers
Def 1: A pointer is a variable which holds the address of another variable or identifier.
Def 2: A pointer is used to store address of another variable.
 A pointer variable cannot be multiplied or divided by a constant.

:: Features (Advantages) of Pointers: ::

 Pointer allows us to access the data indirectly.
 A pointer variable can be assigned a NULL value.
 C allows us to add integers to or subtract integers from pointers.
 Pointer variable can be incremented or decremented.

Disadvantages:
 Using pointers sometimes be confusions.
 A pointer variable should be define & initialized properly. Otherwise it leads to disastrous
situations.

Address of a variable:
 In C language, the address of a variable ‘a’ is defined as: ‘&a’.
 Here, the ampersand(&) symbol is called as reference (address) operator.
 We have to assign this ‘&a’ (address of ‘a’) to the pointer variable as reference.

Example: ptr = &a; Where; ptr – pointer variable

&a – address of variable ‘a’.

:: Declaration & initialization o a pointers ::

Syntax: Data type *pointer_variable ; // Pointer Declaration
pointer_variable = &variable; // Pointer Initialization with address of variable

Example: int *p,i; // Declaration of pointer and variable (integers)

p=&i; //Initialization.
The declaration tells the compiler 3 things about variable p
a) The asterisk (*) tells that variable p is a pointer variable
b) p needs a memory location
c) p points to a variable of same data type.

Prepared By: Dattu Kumar, Lecturer in Computer Science Page| 1

B.Com(CA) - II Semester *** SRK Degree & P.G. College - Kamareddy *** PWC&C++ UNIT-IV
//Program to explain Pointer
#include<stdio.h>
main ( )
{ int x = 10;
int *ptr;
ptr=&x;
printf ("x value is: %d \n",x);
printf ("ptr value is: %d",*ptr);
getch();
}
:: Arithmetic Operations with pointers ::
 The pointer contains address.
 When we perform arithmetic operations on pointers, the result also will be a pointer.
 Pointers support the following 4 arithmetic operations:

1) Incrementing Pointer (++)

2) Decrementing Pointer (--)
3) Pointer addition (+)
4) Pointer Subtraction (-)
a) Incrementing Pointer (++):
When a pointer variable is incremented by 1, it points to the next location in the memory.
Syntax: int *ptr;
ptr = &variable;
ptr++;

//Program to explain Pointer Increment

#include<stdio.h>
main()
{ int num=50;
int *p;
p = &num; printf("Address of p variable is: %u \n", p); // %u Unsigned integer
p++; printf("After increment, Address of p variable is: %u \n", p);
getch();
}

b) Decrementing Pointer (--):

When a pointer variable is decremented by 1, it points to the previous location in the memory.
Syntax: int *ptr;
ptr = &variable;
ptr--;

//Program to explain Pointer Decrement

#include<stdio.h>
main()
{ int num=50;
int *p;
p = &num; printf("Address of p variable is: %u \n", p);
p--; printf("After decrement, Address of p variable is: %u \n", p);
getch();
}

Prepared By: Dattu Kumar, Lecturer in Computer Science Page| 2

B.Com(CA) - II Semester *** SRK Degree & P.G. College - Kamareddy *** PWC&C++ UNIT-IV
c) Pointer Addition (+):
We can add a value to the pointer variable to change its location.
Syntax: int *ptr;
ptr = &variable;
ptr = ptr + 3;

//Program to explain Pointer Addition

#include<stdio.h>
main()
{ int num=50;
int *p;
p = &num; printf("Address of p variable is: %u \n", p);
p=p+3; printf("After adding 3, Address of p variable is: %u \n", p);
getch();
}

c) Pointer Addition (+):

We can subtract a value from the pointer variable to change its location.
Syntax: int *ptr;
ptr = &variable;
ptr = ptr - 3;

//Program to explain Pointer Addition

#include<stdio.h>
main()
{ int num=50;
int *p;
p = &num; printf("Address of p variable is: %u \n", p);
p=p-3; printf("After subtracting 3, Address of p variable is: %u \n", p);
getch();
}
*****

Prepared By: Dattu Kumar, Lecturer in Computer Science Page| 3

B.Com(CA) - II Semester *** SRK Degree & P.G. College - Kamareddy *** PWC&C++ UNIT-IV
STRUCTURES
Def 1: Structure is a collection of heterogeneous (different) type of data that share a common name.
Def 2: A structure is a method of packing a data of different types.
:: Features (Advantages) of Structures ::
 Structures are used to store different values of different data types.
 Mainly used to create data bases.
 Nested structures: A structure can be defined in another structure.
 Array of Structures: different structures can defines as an array.
 A structure variable can be passed as an argument to a function.

:: Declaring & Initialization of Structures ::

Declaration of Structures:
 A structure can be declared by using the keyword ‘struct’
 A ‘tag name’ is given to the structure as structure name.
 Then define the variables of different data types as ‘data members’ of the structure.
 Finally we have to define a ‘structure variable’ to access the data members of the structure.

Syntax: struct structure_name

{ data_type variable_1;
data_type variable_2;
data members
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
data_type variable_n;
} structure_variable;
Example: struct bcom
{ int a,b,c;
float f1,f2[10]; data members
char ch=”srk”;
}k; (where: bcom- tag name, k- structure variable)

Initialization of Structures:
We can initialize (or) access the data members of a structure through structure variable using a
dot(.) operator.
Syntax: structure-variable.data_member = value;
Example: k.a=10;
printf(“a value is: %d”,k.a);

Prepared By: Dattu Kumar, Lecturer in Computer Science Page| 4

B.Com(CA) - II Semester *** SRK Degree & P.G. College - Kamareddy *** PWC&C++ UNIT-IV
// Program to read & write a structure
#include<stdio.h>
main()
{ struct student
{ int rno;
char name[20];
}k;
printf("Enter Roll No, Name of the student \n");
scanf("%d%s", &k.rno, &k.name);
printf("Roll no: %d \n Name: %s ",k.rno,k.name);
getch();
}

//Program to calculate average marks of the student using structures

#include<stdio.h>
main()
{ struct student
{ char name[20];
int s1,s2,s3,s4,s5,s6,total;
float avg;
}k;
printf(“Enter Student Name, Marks of s1,s2,s3,s4,s5,s6 \n”);
scanf(“%s%d%d%d%d%d%d”,&k.name, &k.s1, &k.s2, &k.s3, &k.s4, &k.s5, &k.s6);
k.total= k.s1+k.s2+k.s3+k.s4+k.s5+k.s6;
k.avg=k.total/6;
printf(“Name: %s \n Total Marks: %d \n Average: %f”,k.name,k.total,k.avg);
getch();
}
Structure within Structure (Nested Structures)
 A structure which includes another structure is called nested structure
 i.e a structure can be used as a member of another structure.

Syntax: struct structure_name

{data_type variable_1;
data_type variable_2;
struct structure_name
{ data_type variable_1;
data_type variable_2;
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
data_type variable_n;
} structure_variable;
data_type variable_n;
} structure_variable;

Prepared By: Dattu Kumar, Lecturer in Computer Science Page| 5

B.Com(CA) - II Semester *** SRK Degree & P.G. College - Kamareddy *** PWC&C++ UNIT-IV
//Sample program on structures
#include<stdio.h>
main()
{ struct student
{ int rno;
char name[20];
struct date
{ int day;
char month[10];
int year;
}dob;
}k;
printf("Enter Roll No, Name of the student \n");
scanf("%d%s", &k.rno, &k.name);
printf(“Enter Date of Birth of the student:\n”);
scanf("%d%s%d", &k.dob.day, &k.dob.month, &k.dob.year);

printf("Roll no: %d \n Name: %s \n",k.rno,k.name);

printf(“Date of Birth: %d-%s-%d ”, k.dob.day, k.dob.month, k.dob.year);
getch();
}
Functions and Structures:
We can use the structures with functions to pass the arguments and return values also.
i.e; we can call a function by passing the structure members as actual variables.
//Program to use Structures with Functions.
#include<stdio.h>
main( )
{ struct s
{ int a,b;
}k={10,5};
printf("Sum of two numbers :%d",add(k.a,k.b ));
getch( );
}
add(int x,int y)
{ return (x+y); }
:: Arrays of Structures ::
A Structure is collection of different data types (variables ) which are grouped together.
Whereas, array of structures is nothing but collection of structures.
Syntax: struct structure_name
{ data_type variable_1;
data_type variable_2;
data members
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
data_type variable_n;
} structure_array_variable;

Prepared By: Dattu Kumar, Lecturer in Computer Science Page| 6

B.Com(CA) - II Semester *** SRK Degree & P.G. College - Kamareddy *** PWC&C++ UNIT-IV

Example: struct bcom

{ int a,b,c;
float f1,f2[10]; data members
char ch=”srk”;
}k[5];

//Program to explain Array of structures

#include<stdio.h>
#include<string.h>
struct student
{ int rollno[20];
char name[20];
}st[5];
main()
{ int i;
printf("Enter Records of 5 students");
for(i=0;i<5;i++) { printf("\n\nEnter Rollno:");
scanf("%d",&st[i].rollno);
printf("\nEnter Name:");
scanf("%s",&st[i].name);
}
printf("Student Information List:\n");
for(i=0;i<5;i++)
{ printf("\t Rollno:%d \t Name:%s \n", st[i].rollno, st[i].name); }
getch();
}
:: Enumerated Data Type ::
 An enumeration is a user-defined data type that consists of integral constants.
 To define an enumerate data type we have to use the keyword ‘enum’.
Syntax: enum flag { const1, const2, ..., constN };
Example: enum week{ sunday, monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday, saturday };
//Program to explain Enumerated Datatype(week)
#include<stdio.h>
main()
{ enum week{Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri, Sat}day; //enum week day;
day = Wed;
printf("%d",day+1);
getch();
}
//Program to explain Enumerated Datatype(month)
#include<stdio.h>
main()
{ enum month{jan,feb,mar,apr,may,june,july,aug,sep,oct,nov,dec}month;
month = oct;
printf("%d",month+1);
getch();
}

Prepared By: Dattu Kumar, Lecturer in Computer Science Page| 7

B.Com(CA) - II Semester *** SRK Degree & P.G. College - Kamareddy *** PWC&C++ UNIT-IV
UNIONS
 A union is one of the derived data types.
 Union is a collection of variables referred under a single name.
 Unions are used to store only one type of data at a time.
The syntax, declaration & use of union are similar to the structure but its functionality is different.
:: Advantages of Unions ::
 Unions are used to store different values of different data types.
 Mainly used to create data bases.
 Less & efficient use of memory.
 Does not demand memory for all data members.

:: Declaring a Union ::
 A union can be declared by using the keyword ‘union’
 A ‘tag name’ is given to the union as union name.
 Then define the variables of different data types as ‘data members’ of the union.
 Finally we have to define a ‘union variable’ to access the data members of the union.

Syntax: union union _name

{ data_type variable_1;
data_type variable_2;
data members
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
data_type variable_n;
} union_variable;

Example: union bcom

{ int a,b,c;
float f1,f2[10]; data members
char ch=”srk”;
}k; (where: bcom- tag name, k- union variable)

:: Comparison between Structures & Unions ::

Structures Unions
1. A structure is a method for packing a data of 1. A union is same as structure. But it can handle
different types. only one data member at a time.

2. We use ‘struct’ keyword to define a structure. 2. . We use ‘union’ keyword to define a union.

3. Structures are widely used. 3. Unions are rarely used.

*****

Prepared By: Dattu Kumar, Lecturer in Computer Science Page| 8