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Feature Structure Union
Definition A structure is a user-defined data type that groups related data items under a single name. A union is a user-defined data type similar to a structure, but it uses the same memory location for storing multiple variables of different types.
Memory Allocation Each member of a structure is allocated its own memory space. All members of a union share the same memory space, meaning the size of a union is the size of its largest member.
Accessing Members Members of a structure can be accessed individually. Only one member of a union can be accessed at a time.
Size Size of a structure is the sum of sizes of all its members. Size of a union is the size of its largest member.
Usage Suitable for scenarios where multiple data items need to be stored together. Useful when memory efficiency is critical, and only one member needs to be active at a time.
Memory Overlap Members in a structure do not share memory. All members in a union share the same memory location, leading to overlap.
Initialization Each member of a structure can be initialized individually. Only the first member of a union can be initialized during declaration.
Member Access Members of a structure can be accessed simultaneously. Accessing one member of a union will overwrite the values of other members.
Storage Requires memory allocation for each member separately. Saves memory by sharing memory space among members.
Use Cases Ideal for representing complex data structures with multiple attributes. Suitable for implementing variants or representing mutually exclusive data options.
Doubtly · 13 Apr 2024 Report

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