Сохранить объявление функции
void count_length(struct abc *_el); /* compiler don't knows what is struct abc as you have defined it after this statement */
после структуры, а не до. например,
struct vector {
double x;
double y;
};
struct abc {
struct vector vec;
double length;
};
void count_length(struct abc *_el); /* here compiler knows what is struct abc */