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From: deem@interlan.UUCP (Mike Deem)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: I'd like to . . .
Message-ID: <511@interlan.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 11-Nov-87 12:22:47 EST
Article-I.D.: interlan.511
Posted: Wed Nov 11 12:22:47 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Nov-87 22:57:37 EST
References: <10224@brl-adm.ARPA> <6660@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Reply-To: deem@interlan.UUCP (Mike Deem)
Organization: MICOM-Interlan, Boxborough, MA (1-800-LAN-TALK)
Lines: 36

Here is another "I'd like to be able to do this in C" suggestion.

There are times I would like to be able to say:

  s.a = 4321;
    .
    .
    .
  s.b = 123.4;

where a and b occupy the same memory but s is a structure and has other feilds,
say c and d, that could be accessed by:

  s.c

and

  s.d

I think this could be declared something like:

   struct {
     int      c;              /* c takes up space                       */
     union {                  /* no identifier                          */
       int    a;              /* both a and b are in the same space and */
       float  b;              /* that space follows c's                 */
     };                       /* no identified here either              */
     char     d;              /* d takes space following the a b space  */
   } s;

I know I could give the union a name, say u, and write:

  s.u.a

but when s u and a are replaced with "meaningful" identifiers or many 
structures are nested, things get to long.