[drichird]

of course can't do this

typedef struct {
char name[50] = "not_set_yet";
int ssn = 111223333;
} employee;

is: employee emp1 = {"not_set_yet", 111223333}; the only way?

what is the most elegant way to have default values for all instances of that type of struct?

[Salem]

You write it as C++, and supply a default constructor function.

Or if you're stuck with C, then your approach is one of several roughly equal approaches.
None of which would be as elegant as using C++.

[technosavvy]

if you want to initialize everything with a zero...
u can go for

employee emp1 = {0};

..

[drichird]

Quote:

Originally Posted by technosavvy

if you want to initialize everything with a zero...
u can go for

employee emp1 = {0};

..

Of course I cannot use C++ (must be pure C) or question would be trivial. Thanks technosavvy, I will just zero out all fields as you suggest, makes it a little cleaner.