CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++
sjsam
sjsam

Reputation: 21955

Confusing Union construct

In the below piece of code :

union
{
float dollars;
int yens;
}price;

Is price an instance of an anonymous union or is it the name of the union itself. It looks to me like an instance but the author of the code says it's the name of the union.

Now, the second question - Suppose if this union is embedded in a structure like below:

struct
{
char title[50];
char author[50];
union
{
float dollars;
int yens;
}price;
}book1;

Would an access book1.dollars be valid?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 150

Answers (1)

Géza Török
Géza Török

Reputation: 1407

1) It is an instance of an anonymous union indeed, the author was wrong. If you prepend the union with a typedef keyword like

typedef union
{
   float dollars;
   int yens;
} price;

, then price will be a typename referring to the union.

2) Nope, book1.price.dollars you want to use instead.

UPDATE: An union type can be declared in the following way either:

union price
{
   float dollars;
   int yens;
}; // here you see, there is no instance.

If there was an identifier between the closing brace and the semicolon, that would be the name of the instance.

Upvotes: 2

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