How to use structure arrays pointers in C programming language?
When using a pointer to an array of structures in the C language, you need to follow the following steps:
- Create a struct type that includes the necessary fields. For example, let’s say we want to define a student struct that includes the student’s name and age.
struct Student {
char name[50];
int age;
};
- Declare a pointer variable to an array of structs. For example, we declare a pointer to an array of student structs.
struct Student *ptr;
- Allocate memory space for an array of structures and point the pointer to that memory space. You can use the malloc function to dynamically allocate memory. For example, we use the malloc function to allocate memory space for 10 student structures and point the pointer to that memory space.
ptr = (struct Student*) malloc(10 * sizeof(struct Student));
- Accessing elements of a structure array using pointers. For instance, we can access the name and age of the first student using a pointer.
strcpy(ptr[0].name, "John");
ptr[0].age = 20;
- Finally, remember to release the memory space when you no longer need the struct array pointer to prevent memory leaks. You can use the free function to release memory. For example:
free(ptr);
In summary, using struct array pointers in C requires defining the struct type, declaring the struct array pointer variable, allocating memory space and pointing to that memory space, accessing the struct array elements with pointers, and releasing the memory space after use.