Purpose of struct, typedef struct, in C++

Question

In C++ it is possible to create a struct:

struct MyStruct
{
    ...
}

And also possible to do the following:

typedef struct         


        

Answer 1

There are many answers that consider both approaches as equivalent, but they are not.

The typedef keyword is used to create a type alias, that is, it provides a new way of referring to another type. When you use typedef struct {} XXX; you are actually creating an unnamed type and then creating an alias XXX to that unnamed type. On the other hand, when you type struct XXX {}.

Please, read the answer by Michael Burr here (which is a better answer than the one accepted for that question.