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In this article, Edureify presents the difference between Array and Union in C, a beneficial knowledge that developers must know about. Read on to know more about the same.
What is Array in C?
An Array in C is a process of collecting similar data items that can be accessed by a common name that is stored at various memory locations. The elements in Array can be accessed using indices. A point to note is that the elements stored in a single Array must be of the same data type. Storing elements in an Array requires the use of storing primitive data types like int, float, double, char, etc. but of the same data type.
There are two types of Array in C-
- Single-Dimensional Arrays- The single-dimensional Array is the simplest form of array found in C. 1D array consists of elements of similar types which can be accessed through their indices.
- Multi-Dimensional Arrays- The 2D array is the most common type of multi-dimensional array used in the C Language. Depending upon the compiler of the user’s system, the number of dimensions can be more than 2. These arrays consist of elements that are array in themselves.
Example of Array in C-
| 23 | 42 | 30 | 20 | 7 | 12 | 77 | 31 | 25 | 74 |
| 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
Array Length- 10
First Index- 0
Last Index- 9
What is Union in C?
A user-defined datatype, Union allows the storage of heterogeneous elements in the same memory location. A Union can be defined with many members but only one member can contain the value at a given time. Union is ideal for using the same memory location for various purposes. The Union’s size depends on the largest element in the Union.
Example of Union in C-
Union name{
int a;
float b;
};
size= 4 as float has size 4 while integer has 2
a and b
Same memory location shared by a and b
Difference between Array and Union in C
Now that we have defined what is Array in C and what is Union in C, the following is the difference between the two-
| S.No. | Array | Union |
| 1. | An array is the collection of data elements that have the same name. | The Union is the collection of various types of data. |
| 2. | There are two types of Array-
· Single-Dimensional · Multi-Dimensional |
Union does not have any type. |
| 3. | Each of the elements in an Array has its designated memory location. | The elements in the Union share a common memory location and its size is equivalent to the size of the largest element of the Union. |
| 4. | All the members in an Array can contain values at the same time. | Only one member of the Union can contain a value at a given time. |
| 5. | Memory is not used efficiently as the members are provided different memory locations. | Memory is used efficiently as the members all share the same memory location. |
| 6. | Index can be used to access the elements in Array. | Index cannot be used to access the elements in Union. |
| 7. | Syntax-
datatype array_name [size] |
Syntax-
Union user defined name
{
datatype variable 1; datatype variable 2;
}; |
Here were the differences between Array and Union in C.
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Some FAQs on the Difference between Array and Union in C-
1. What is an Array in C?
An Array in C is a process of collecting similar data items that can be accessed by a common name that are stored at various memory locations. The elements in Array can be accessed using indices.
2. What is Union in C?
A user-defined datatype, Union allows the storage of heterogeneous elements in the same memory location. A Union can be defined with many members but only one member can contain the value at a given time. Union is ideal for using the same memory location for various purposes.
3. Are there any types in Array? If yes mention the types.
Yes, there are two types of Array. They are-
- Single-Dimensional
- Multi-Dimensional
4. Are there any types in Union?
No, there are no types in Union.
5. From where can I learn more about C Language and other programming languages?
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