The C language contains the **`typedef` keyword** to allow users to provide alternative names for the primitive (e.g.,​ int) and user-defined​ (e.g struct) data types.

Remember, this keyword adds a new name for some existing data type but does not create a new type.

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## Syntax

Using `typedef struct` results in a  cleaner, more readable code, and saves the programmer keystrokes​. However, it also leads to a more cluttered global namespace which can be problematic for large programs.

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## Examples

The following code snippets illustrate how to use the `typedef struct`.

### 1. Variable declaration without using `typedef`:

#include<stdio.h>

struct Point{
  int x;
  int y;
};
int main() {
    struct Point p1;
    p1.x = 1;
    p1.y = 3;
    printf("%d \n", p1.x);
    printf("%d \n", p1.y);
    return 0;
}

### 2. Using the `typedef` keyword:

Note that there is no longer a need to type `struct` again and again with every declaration of the variable of this type.

#### Method one: 

#include<stdio.h>

struct Point{
  int x;
  int y;
};
typedef struct Point Point;
int main() {
    Point p1;
    p1.x = 1;
    p1.y = 3;
    printf("%d \n", p1.x);
    printf("%d \n", p1.y);
    return 0;
}

#include<stdio.h>

typedef struct Point{
  int x;
  int y;
} Point;
int main() {
    Point p1;
    p1.x = 1;
    p1.y = 3;
    printf("%d \n", p1.x);
    printf("%d \n", p1.y);
    return 0;
}

How to use the typedef struct in C

Syntax

Examples

1. Variable declaration without using `typedef`:

2. Using the `typedef` keyword:

Method one:

Method two: