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When should you use a class vs a struct in C++?
Structures and classes are very similar in C++ except for some differences. So details about these differences are given below that help to decide when to use a class or structure in C++.
Differences between Class and Structure
All the members of a class are private by default. This is different compared to structures as all the members of a structure are public by default.
A program that demonstrates a class in C++ is given as follows −
Example
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
class Example {
int val;
};
int main() {
Example obj;
obj.val = 20;
return 0;
}This program results in an error as val is private by default and so cannot be accessed directly using obj.
A program that demonstrates a structure in C++ is given as follows −
Example
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
struct Example {
int val;
};
int main() {
Example obj;
obj.val = 20;
cout<<"Value is: "<<obj.val;
return 0;
}Output
The output of the above program is as follows −
Value is: 20
The above program works correctly as val is public by default and so can be accessed directly using obj.
Another difference between a class and a structure is evident during inheritance. When inheriting a class, the access specifier of the base class is private by default. Comparatively, when inheriting a structure, the access specifier of the base structure is public by default.
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