What is the purpose of the typedef keyword in the C language?

In the C language, typedef is used to assign a new name to an existing data type, making it easier to use in later code.

Typedef allows you to create a new type name that can be used interchangeably with the original type name, enhancing code readability, maintainability, and portability.

The syntax form of typedef is:
typedef oldTypeName newTypeName;

For example, a new type name can be defined using typedef to represent information about a student:
typedef struct{
int id;
char name[20];
int age;
} Student;

In this way, you can now simply use “Student” to represent this struct type, without having to write “struct” each time.

Additionally, typedef can also be used to define the type of function pointers, for example:
typedef int (*FuncPtr)(int, int);

Therefore, FuncPtr is a type of function pointer that can be used to declare and define function pointer variables.