C++ Data Structures https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_data_stru...

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

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];

1 of 7 1/25/23, 11:31
C++ Data Structures https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_data_stru...

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 −

Live Demo
#include <iostream>
#include <cstring>

using namespace std;

struct Books {
char title[50];
char author[50];
char subject[100];
int book_id;
};

int main() {
struct Books Book1; // Declare Book1 of type Book
struct Books Book2; // Declare Book2 of type Book

// 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;

// Print Book1 info

cout << "Book 1 title : " << Book1.title <<endl;

2 of 7 1/25/23, 11:31
C++ Data Structures https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_data_stru...

cout << "Book 1 author : " << Book1.author <<endl;

cout << "Book 1 subject : " << Book1.subject <<endl;
cout << "Book 1 id : " << Book1.book_id <<endl;

// Print Book2 info

cout << "Book 2 title : " << Book2.title <<endl;
cout << "Book 2 author : " << Book2.author <<endl;
cout << "Book 2 subject : " << Book2.subject <<endl;
cout << "Book 2 id : " << Book2.book_id <<endl;

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

You can pass a structure as a function argument in very similar way as you pass any
other variable or pointer. You would access structure variables in the similar way as
you have accessed in the above example −

Live Demo
#include <iostream>
#include <cstring>

using namespace std;

void printBook( struct Books book );

struct Books {
char title[50];
char author[50];
char subject[100];
int book_id;

3 of 7 1/25/23, 11:31
C++ Data Structures https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_data_stru...

};

int main() {
struct Books Book1; // Declare Book1 of type Book
struct Books Book2; // Declare Book2 of type Book

// 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;

// Print Book1 info

printBook( Book1 );

// Print Book2 info

printBook( Book2 );

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

Book author : Chand Miyan
Book subject : C++ Programming
Book id : 6495407
Book title : Telecom Billing
Book author : Yakit Singha
Book subject : Telecom

4 of 7 1/25/23, 11:31
C++ Data Structures https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_data_stru...

Book id : 6495700

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 −

Live Demo
#include <iostream>
#include <cstring>

using namespace std;

void printBook( struct Books *book );

struct Books {
char title[50];
char author[50];
char subject[100];
int book_id;
};
int main() {
struct Books Book1; // Declare Book1 of type Book
struct Books Book2; // Declare Book2 of type Book

// Book 1 specification
strcpy( Book1.title, "Learn C++ Programming");

5 of 7 1/25/23, 11:31
C++ Data Structures https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_data_stru...

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;

// Print Book1 info, passing address of structure

printBook( &Book1 );

// Print Book1 info, passing address of structure

printBook( &Book2 );

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

Book author : Chand Miyan
Book subject : C++ Programming
Book id : 6495407
Book title : Telecom Billing
Book author : Yakit Singha
Book subject : Telecom
Book id : 6495700

There is an easier way to define structs or you could "alias" types you create. For
example −

6 of 7 1/25/23, 11:31
C++ Data Structures https://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/cpp_data_stru...

typedef struct {
char 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;

You can use typedef keyword for non-structs as well as follows −

typedef long int *pint32;

pint32 x, y, z;

x, y and z are all pointers to long ints.

⎙ Print Page

7 of 7 1/25/23, 11:31