typedef statement in C

typedef is used to create new name for existing data type.  Below is the general representation of typedef statement.

typedef <old_data_name> <new_data_type>;

Consider the following,
typedef int integer;
typedef char character;

Here, integer is the new name for the data type int and character is the new name for the data type char.  So, any integer or character variable can be declared as follows.
integer a, b;
character ch;

typedef can also be used on compound data type.  Consider the following

typedef struct student{
         char name[100];
         int age;
}learner;

Here, learner is the new name for the data type struct student.  Then, the variable for struct student can be declared as follows.

typedef struct student{
          char name[100];
          int age;
}learner;

learner s1, s2; 

Let us see how to perform type definition for arrays.  Consider the following,

typdef int integer_array[5];
integer_array arr = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
Here, arr is an array of 5 integers.

Example C program to illustrate typedef in C:

  #include <stdio.h>
  typedef struct student {
        char name[32];
        int age;
  }learner;  // typedef for compound data type

  typedef int integer;  // typedef for integer
  typedef char character;  // typedef for character
  typedef int int_arr[5];  // typedef for integer array

  int main() {
        /* variable initialization */
        learner obj1 = {"Tom", 10};
        int_arr arr = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
        integer i, a = 10, b = 20;
        character ch = 'c';

        /* printing the outputs */
        printf("obj1.name: %s\n", obj1.name);
        printf("obj1.age : %d\n", obj1.age);
        for (i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
                printf("Value of arr[%d]: %d\n", i, arr[i]);
        }
        printf("Sum of %d and %d is %d\n", a, b, a + b);
        printf("Value of character ch is %c\n", ch);
        return 0;
  }

  Output:

  jp@jp-VirtualBox:~/$ ./a.out
  obj1.name: Tom
  obj1.age : 10
  Value of arr[0]: 1
  Value of arr[1]: 2
  Value of arr[2]: 3
  Value of arr[3]: 4
  Value of arr[4]: 5
  Sum of 10 and 20 is 30
  Value of character ch is c

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