Structures And Unions In C Creating User Defined Data Types Made Simple

In C language structures and unions are used to create user defined data types. This means programmers can combine different types of data into one group and use it as a single unit.

Normally C provides basic data types like int float and char. But in real programs we often need to store different information together. For example a student record may contain roll number name and marks. Structure helps in this situation.

Structure allows grouping of variables of different data types under one name.

Feature Of Structure	Explanation
Multiple Data Types	Can Store int char float Together
Separate Memory	Each Member Gets Separate Memory
Access Using Dot Operator	Example student.name

Example of structure concept. Suppose we create a structure named student. Inside it we define int roll char name and float marks. Now we can create many student records using this structure.

Union is similar to structure but there is one important difference. In union all members share the same memory location.

Feature Of Union	Explanation
Shared Memory	All Members Use Same Memory Space
Memory Saving	Uses Less Memory Than Structure
One Value At A Time	Only One Member Can Hold Value At Once

This means if we store value in one member of union other members will lose their previous value because they share same memory.

Difference	Structure	Union
Memory Allocation	Separate Memory For Each Member	Shared Memory
Value Storage	All Members Can Store Values Together	Only One Member At A Time

Structures are commonly used for records like student employee or product details. Unions are used when memory saving is important and only one data value is needed at a time.

Students learning C should practice small programs using structures and unions to understand memory concept clearly.

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In conclusion structures and unions help create user defined data types in C. Structures focus on grouping data while unions focus on memory efficiency. Understanding both concepts strengthens programming basics.