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Pointers Structures Unions

The document provides notes on key concepts in C programming, including pointers, structures, unions, self-referential structures, typedefs, and enumerations. Each concept is defined, accompanied by syntax and example code. Additionally, it compares structures and unions, highlighting their differences in memory allocation and access.

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chetantricker98
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5 views8 pages

Pointers Structures Unions

The document provides notes on key concepts in C programming, including pointers, structures, unions, self-referential structures, typedefs, and enumerations. Each concept is defined, accompanied by syntax and example code. Additionally, it compares structures and unions, highlighting their differences in memory allocation and access.

Uploaded by

chetantricker98
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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C Programming Notes

Pointers in C

Definition:

A pointer is a variable that stores the memory address of another variable.

Syntax:

data_type *pointer_name;

Example:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {

int a = 10;

int *p = &a;

printf("Value of a: %d\n", a);

printf("Address of a: %p\n", p);

printf("Value pointed to by p: %d\n", *p);

return 0;

Structure in C

Definition:

A structure is a user-defined data type that allows grouping variables of different types.
C Programming Notes

Syntax:

struct StructureName {

data_type member1;

data_type member2;

};

Example:

#include <stdio.h>

struct Student {

int id;

char name[20];

float marks;

};

int main() {

struct Student s1 = {101, "Alice", 89.5};

printf("ID: %d\nName: %s\nMarks: %.2f\n", s1.id, s1.name, s1.marks);

return 0;

Union in C

Definition:
C Programming Notes

A union is a user-defined data type where all members share the same memory location.

Syntax:

union UnionName {

data_type member1;

data_type member2;

};

Example:

#include <stdio.h>

union Data {

int i;

float f;

};

int main() {

union Data d;

d.i = 10;

printf("d.i = %d\n", d.i);

d.f = 3.14;

printf("d.f = %.2f\n", d.f);

printf("d.i after assigning f = %d\n", d.i);

return 0;

}
C Programming Notes

Self-referential Structure

Definition:

A self-referential structure is a structure that contains a pointer to a structure of the same type.

Syntax:

struct Node {

int data;

struct Node *next;

};

Example:

#include <stdio.h>

#include <stdlib.h>

struct Node {

int data;

struct Node *next;

};

int main() {

struct Node *head = NULL;

head = (struct Node*) malloc(sizeof(struct Node));

head->data = 10;

head->next = NULL;
C Programming Notes

printf("Data = %d\n", head->data);

return 0;

typedef in C

Definition:

The typedef keyword gives a new name (alias) to existing data types.

Syntax:

typedef existing_type new_name;

Example:

#include <stdio.h>

typedef unsigned int u_int;

int main() {

u_int a = 10;

printf("a = %u\n", a);

return 0;

enum in C

Definition:
C Programming Notes

An enumeration is a user-defined type consisting of named integer constants.

Syntax:

enum EnumName {CONST1, CONST2};

Example:

#include <stdio.h>

enum Week {Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun};

int main() {

enum Week today = Wed;

printf("Day number = %d\n", today);

return 0;

Structure vs Union

Structure vs Union:

Structure:

- Allocates separate memory for each member

- All members can be accessed at the same time

- Size = sum of sizes of all members (with padding)

Union:
C Programming Notes

- All members share the same memory location

- Only one member can be accessed at a time

- Size = size of the largest member

Example:

#include <stdio.h>

struct MyStruct {

int i;

float f;

};

union MyUnion {

int i;

float f;

};

int main() {

struct MyStruct s = {10, 3.14};

union MyUnion u;

u.i = 10;

printf("Union i: %d\n", u.i);

u.f = 3.14;

printf("Union f: %.2f\n", u.f);


C Programming Notes

printf("Union i after f assignment: %d\n", u.i);

printf("\nStruct i: %d\nStruct f: %.2f\n", s.i, s.f);

printf("\nSize of Struct: %lu bytes\n", sizeof(s));

printf("Size of Union: %lu bytes\n", sizeof(u));

return 0;

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