define a struct that has its own type as a field somehow?

[Ben]

Hello,

Is it possible to define a struct that has a type of itself in it?

So is it possible and if so how to do what I'm trying to do here?:

typedef struct mystruct {
int a;
mystruct *b;
} mystruct;

The above doesn't work:

test.c:7: undefined type, found `mystruct'
cpp-precomp: warning: errors during smart preprocessing, retrying in
basic mode
test.c: In function `main':
test.c:7: parse error before "mystruct"
test.c:7: warning: no semicolon at end of struct or union
test.c: At top level:
test.c:8: warning: data definition has no type or storage class
test.c:10: parse error before "return"

Thanks, Ben.

[Christopher Benson-Manica]

Keith Thompson <ks***@mib.orgw rote:

The name of a typedef doesn't become visible until the end of the
declaration. A struct tag becomes visible as soon as it's mentioned.
(It's an incomplete type until the end of the declaration, but that's
ok because we're just declaring a pointer to it.)

This is a good argument for *not* using typedefs for structures.

I don't know if I'd say it's a good argument for not using typedefs
for structs - it seems to me to be mostly a matter of style religion
once one looks past the fact that the first time a new C programmer
attempts to do it, (s)he will almost invariably get it wrong.

--
C. Benson Manica | I *should* know what I'm talking about - if I
cbmanica(at)gma il.com | don't, I need to know. Flames welcome.