C Program to Find Maximum and Minimum Values in an Array of Structures

This C program implements a function to find the maximum and minimum values in an array of structures. The program defines a structure called "Student" with fields for the student's name, roll number, and marks. It then creates an array of "Student" structures and initializes it with some sample data. The program uses a function called "find_max_min" to find the maximum and minimum marks in the array and prints the results.

Code

#include 
#include 

// Define the structure for a student
typedef struct {
    char name[50];
    int roll;
    float marks;
} Student;

// Function to find the maximum and minimum marks in an array of students
void find_max_min(Student students[], int n, float *max, float *min) {
    *max = students[0].marks;
    *min = students[0].marks;

    for (int i = 1; i < n; i++) {
        if (students[i].marks > *max) {
            *max = students[i].marks;
        } else if (students[i].marks < *min) {
            *min = students[i].marks;
        }
    }
}

int main() {
    // Create an array of students
    Student students[] = {
        {"John", 1, 85.5},
        {"Alice", 2, 90.2},
        {"Bob", 3, 78.9},
        {"Charlie", 4, 92.1},
        {"David", 5, 88.5}
    };

    int n = sizeof(students) / sizeof(students[0]);

    // Find the maximum and minimum marks
    float max, min;
    find_max_min(students, n, &max, &min);

    // Print the results
    printf("Maximum marks: %.2f\n", max);
    printf("Minimum marks: %.2f\n", min);

    return 0;
}

Explanation

This program defines a structure called "Student" with fields for the student's name, roll number, and marks. It then creates an array of "Student" structures and initializes it with some sample data.

The "find_max_min" function takes an array of students, the number of students, and pointers to the maximum and minimum marks as arguments. It initializes the maximum and minimum marks to the marks of the first student in the array. It then iterates through the rest of the array, updating the maximum and minimum marks as necessary.

In the "main" function, the program creates an array of students and finds the maximum and minimum marks using the "find_max_min" function. It then prints the results.

Example Use Cases

This program can be used in a variety of scenarios where you need to find the maximum and minimum values in an array of structures. For example:

• Finding the maximum and minimum scores in a class of students.
• Finding the maximum and minimum temperatures in a list of weather readings.
• Finding the maximum and minimum prices in a list of products.

Advice

When working with arrays of structures, it's often helpful to define a function to perform common operations, such as finding the maximum and minimum values. This can make your code more modular and easier to maintain.

Also, be sure to initialize your variables before using them, and use pointers carefully to avoid memory leaks and other issues.

FAQs

Q: What is the purpose of the "find_max_min" function?

A: The "find_max_min" function is used to find the maximum and minimum marks in an array of students.

Q: How does the "find_max_min" function work?

A: The "find_max_min" function initializes the maximum and minimum marks to the marks of the first student in the array, and then iterates through the rest of the array, updating the maximum and minimum marks as necessary.

Q: What is the advantage of using a function to find the maximum and minimum values?

A: Using a function to find the maximum and minimum values makes the code more modular and easier to maintain.