Understanding Arrays of Structures in C

Arrays of structures in C enable efficient management of multiple records by allowing the creation of a collection of structures. This article provides a beginner-friendly overview of key concepts and practical examples.

Key Concepts

• Structure: A user-defined data type in C that groups different types of variables under a single name.
• Array: A collection of items stored at contiguous memory locations, facilitating the storage of multiple values of the same type.

Arrays of Structures

An array of structures is an array where each element is a structure, making it particularly useful for managing lists of records, such as databases of students or products.

How to Define an Array of Structures

Declare an Array of Structures: After defining the structure, declare an array of that structure.

struct Student students[100]; // Array to hold 100 students

Define a Structure: Begin by defining the structure that will hold the data.

struct Student {
    char name[50];
    int age;
    float grade;
};

Accessing Structure Members

To access members of a structure within an array, use the dot operator (.) along with the index of the array.

students[0].age = 20;        // Set age of the first student
strcpy(students[0].name, "Alice"); // Set name of the first student

Example Usage

Below is a simple example demonstrating the definition, initialization, and access of an array of structures:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

struct Student {
    char name[50];
    int age;
    float grade;
};

int main() {
    struct Student students[2]; // Array for 2 students

    // Initialize first student
    strcpy(students[0].name, "Alice");
    students[0].age = 20;
    students[0].grade = 85.5;

    // Initialize second student
    strcpy(students[1].name, "Bob");
    students[1].age = 22;
    students[1].grade = 90.0;

    // Print student information
    for(int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
        printf("Name: %s, Age: %d, Grade: %.2f\n", students[i].name, students[i].age, students[i].grade);
    }

    return 0;
}

Output

Name: Alice, Age: 20, Grade: 85.50
Name: Bob, Age: 22, Grade: 90.00

Conclusion

Arrays of structures are a powerful feature in C that simplify the process of managing collections of related data. By mastering their definition and manipulation, you can efficiently handle multiple records within your programs.