Data Structures (struct)

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In the world of programming, data structures play a pivotal role in how we organize and manipulate data efficiently. They act as the building blocks that enable us to create well-structured and organized programs. In this explanation, we will delve into one fundamental data structure in C++ known as struct.

What is a Data Structure?

Before we explore struct, let’s define what a data structure is. A data structure is a way of organizing and storing data in a computer’s memory to perform operations on that data more efficiently. It provides a blueprint for the storage and retrieval of information.

Introduction to struct in C++

struct in C++ is a user-defined data type that allows you to group together variables of different data types under a single name. Think of it as creating a custom data type tailored to the specific needs of your program. This makes your code more modular, organized, and easier to understand.

Syntax of struct:

The syntax for defining a struct is straightforward:

struct MyStruct

struct MyStruct

Example 1:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
struct car
{
    string name;
    string color;
    int maxSpeed;
    int model;
};
int main()
{
    car x;
    x.name = "Rolls-Royce";
    x.color = "Red";
    x.model = 2019;
    x.maxSpeed = 270;
    
    cout << x.name << endl;
    return 0;
}

code defines a struct named car that represents information about a car, and it creates an instance of this struct called x to store details about a specific car.

Key points:

Struct Definition (car):
The struct named car has four member variables: name, color, maxSpeed, and model. These variables store information about a car.
Instance Creation (x):
An instance of the car struct named x is created in the main function. This instance can store information about a specific car.
Assigning Values:
Values are assigned to the member variables of the x instance using the dot (.) notation. For example, x.name = “Rolls-Royce” assigns the name “Rolls-Royce” to the name member variable.
Printing Information:
The program prints the name of the car using cout << x.name << endl;. In this case, it will output “Rolls-Royce” to the console.

Output:
If you run this program, the output will be:

Rolls-Royce

Example 2:

Here is another way of initialization the values based on the previous example:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
struct car
{
    string name;
    string color;
    int maxSpeed;
    int model;
};
int main()
{
    car x = {"BMW","Blue",250,2016};
    cout << x.maxSpeed << endl;
    return 0;
}

Output:

Example 3:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
struct car
{
    string name;
    string color;
    int maxSpeed;
    int model;
};
int main()
{
    car x = {"BMW","Blue",250,2016};
    car y = x;
    cout << y.name << endl;
    return 0;
}

Instance Creation and Initialization (x and y):

An instance of the car struct named x is created with initial values.
Another instance named y is created and initialized with the values of x. This is a memberwise copy, and each member of y gets the value of the corresponding member in x.

Example 4:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
struct car
{
    string name;
    string color;
    int maxSpeed;
    int model;
}y;
int main()
{
    car x = {"BMW","Blue",250,2016};
    car y = {"Mercedes","Red",300,2016};
    if (x.maxSpeed > y.maxSpeed)
        cout << "car x is faster than car y";
    else
        cout << "car y is faster than car x";
    return 0;
}

Global Instance Declaration (y):
An instance of the car struct named y is declared at the global scope. This means it can be accessed throughout the program.
Instance Creation and Initialization (x and Local y):
– A local instance of the car struct named x is created with initial values.
– Another local instance named y is created with different values. This y is local to the main function and shadows the global y within this scope.
Comparison and Output:
The program compares the maximum speeds of cars x and y and prints a message indicating which car is faster.

Output:
If you run this program, the output will depend on the values assigned to maxSpeed in x and y. For the provided values, it will output:

car y is faster than car x

Pass ‘struct’ into function:

Example 5:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
struct car
{
    string name;
    string color;
    int maxSpeed;
    int model;
};
void f(car f)
{
    cout << "Name = " << f.name << endl;
    cout << "Color = " << f.color << endl;
}
int main()
{
    car v = {"No name","Red",160,2000};
    f(v);
    return 0;
}

Key points:

Function Definition (f):
The function f takes a car as a parameter and prints information about the car, specifically the name and color.
Instance Creation and Initialization (v):
An instance of the car struct named v is created with initial values.
Function Call (f(v)):
The program calls the function f with the v instance as an argument.

Output:
If you run this program, the output will be:

Name = No name
Color = Red

Example 6:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
struct car
{
    string name;
    string color;
    int maxSpeed;
    int model;
};
car read_return(car&s)
{
    cout << "Enter car name:\n";
    cin >> s.name;
    cout << "Enter car color:\n";
    cin >> s.color;
    cout << "Enter car maximum speed:\n";
    cin >> s.maxSpeed;
    cout << "Enter car model:\n";
    cin >> s.model;
    return s;
}
int main()
{
    car v;
    read_return(v);
    car h;
    h = v;
    cout << h.name << endl;
    return 0;
}

Key points:

Function Definition (read_return):
The function read_return takes a car reference as a parameter, reads input to populate its fields, and returns the modified car struct.
Function Call (read_return(v)):
The program calls the function read_return with the v instance as a reference, allowing the function to modify the values of v.
Assignment and Printing:
– The values of v are assigned to h.
– The program prints the name of h.

Output:
If you run this program and enter values when prompted, the output will depend on the input provided. For example:

Enter car name:
BMW
Enter car color:
Blue
Enter car maximum speed:
250
Enter car model:
2022
BMW

Example 7:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
struct car
{
    string name;
    string color;
    int maxSpeed;
    int model;
    void fun(car n)
    {
        cout << n.name << endl;
    }
};

int main()
{
    car v = {"Kia"};
    v.fun(v);
    return 0;
}

Key points:

Member Function Definition (fun):
The member function fun is defined inside the car struct.
It takes a car as a parameter and prints its name.

Output:
If you run this program, the output will be:

Kia

Example 8:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
struct car
{
    string name;
    string color;
    int maxSpeed;
    int model;
    void fun(car n)
    {
        cout << n.name << endl;
    }
};

int main()
{
    car*h;
    car b = {"Toyota","Red",170,2008};
    h = &b;
    cout << h->color << endl;
    return 0;
}

Key points:

Pointer Declaration and Initialization (h):
A pointer to a car named h is declared.
Instance Creation and Initialization (b):
An instance of the car struct named b is created and initialized with specific values.
Pointer Assignment (h = &b):
The address of b is assigned to the pointer h.
Pointer Dereferencing (h->color):
The program prints the color of the car pointed to by h using the arrow operator (->).

Output:
If you run this program, the output will be:

Red

Data Structures (struct)

What is a Data Structure?

Introduction to struct in C++

Pass ‘struct’ into function:

Data Structures (struct)

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