Union in C is a special data type available in C that allows storing different data types in the same memory location. You can define a union with many members, but only one member can contain a value at any given time. Unions provide an efficient way of using the same memory location for multiple purposes.
What is union with example?
Like Structures, union is a user defined data type. In union, all members share the same memory location. For example in the following C program, both x and y share the same location. If we change x, we can see the changes being reflected in y.
What is union and structure in C?
A structure contains an ordered group of data objects. Unlike the elements of an array, the data objects within a structure can have varied data types. Each data object in a structure is a member or field. A union is an object similar to a structure except that all of its members start at the same location in memory.
When should I use union in C?
C unions are used to save memory. To better understand an union, think of it as a chunk of memory that is used to store variables of different types. When we want to assign a new value to a field, then the existing data is replaced with new data.