Using structs

Learn to declare struct variables and access fields.

Declaring a struct variable

After defining a struct, you can use it like a type. To declare a variable of the struct type, write the type name followed by the variable name.

struct Point { int x; int y; };
Point p;
p.x = 3;
p.y = 4;

Here p is a variable of type Point. To access members you use the . operator: p.x and p.y. After assigning values to the members, you can use them in computations or output.

Assigning and using members

You assign values to a struct variable's members with = and read them with .. Members behave like normal variables; they can take part in arithmetic, comparisons and output.

Point p;
p.x = 5;
p.y = 10;
cout << p.x + p.y;  // 15

Here p.x and p.y are added like two ints. Keeping several members under one struct makes it easier to carry and process related data together; it also improves code readability.

Exercise Assign Point members and add them

Declare Point p;. Assign p.x = 5; and p.y = 10;. Print their sum with cout << p.x + p.y << endl;.

Show example solution

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

struct Point {
    int x;
    int y;
};

int main() {
    Point p;
    p.x = 5;
    p.y = 10;
    cout << p.x + p.y << endl;
    return 0;
}

Test yourself

How do you access the x member of p, a Point variable?
- p::x
- p->x
- p[x]
- p.x
Show answer

p.x — The dot operator is used to access a member.
Match each expression with its result

p.x = 3

assigns 3 to x
p.y

reads the y member
Point p

declares a variable
Fill in the blank: member access
```
Point p;
p____x = 7;
```
Show answer
```
Point p;
p.x = 7;
```

Next lesson: Struct and function

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