C StructuresLesson 40Free preview

C typedef

This lesson is part of C · All levels

Summary

Typedef creates a new alias for an existing type so that code is easier to read and more portable across platforms. The classic is used to shorten struct declarations, for example typedef struct {...} students; so there is no need to write the word struct repeatedly. typedef does not create new types in memory, it only shorten the writing of the old type.

Key points

The basic syntax is typedef type_long_new name; for example, typedef unsigned long ulong;
For struct, typedef makes code more concise because the type name can be used without the word struct.
Typedef is useful for long types such as size_t, int32_t, and platform-specific types.
The typedef doesn't change the size or behavior of the original type, it's just an alias.
Be careful with typedef pointers such as typedef int *IntPtr; as they are inherently attached when used with other declarators.

Full lesson

Code examples and quizzes

Full lessons, code examples, and quizzes are available to subscribers. 5 questions.