Struct vs class

#1 Struct and class are the same thing with one difference
struct has public members as default
class has private members as default.

#2 I thought Structs do not have methods while Classes do.
That being said here is a Quote from C/C++ creator
"By definition, a struct is a class in which members are
by default public" -- Stroustrup, p234

#3 Correct.

structs use public variables by default, so to set a variable in a struct object would look like this.

StructureName structObject; // a new object made from structure
structObject.objectsVariable = "whatever";

To do the same thing with a class you would need a method (or member function - I believe) to set the variable, if the class is writting using conventions.

ClassName classObject; // a new object made from a class
classObject.setObjectsVariable("whatever");

correct me if im wrong.

#4 Well, its not wrong, if you want to set the (by default) private value you should use such utility functions, but with "public:" modifier you can avoid this

class myClass
{
int var1;

public:
int var2;
void setVar1(int value);
};

var1 can only be modified with the setVar1 function, but var2 can be modified directly.

#5 Anthony, in C++ structs can have methods too. its a little known fact but its true. the main difference is the public vs private setting for each.

#6 So in most cases its just personal preference on which to use?

#7 There are more differences. for instance you can derive classes from other classes and generate a hierarchy of objects. i'm not sure, but i dont think the constructor, destructor, operator overloading, nor polymorphic functionality can be realized using structs. i might be wrong though. think of classes as an extension of structs. in general, you should get used to using classes instead of structs. it may not make a difference right now, but more you learn the more you're likely to come across something which structs cant do.

#8

Quote:There are more differences. for instance you can derive classes from other classes and generate a hierarchy of objects. i'm not sure, but i dont think the constructor, destructor, operator overloading, nor polymorphic functionality can be realized using structs

Sorry, Sean - but you can do all those things with structs also. The only difference is public vs. private.

#9 Really? thats amazingly stupid!

can structs have private properties and members as well?

what about merging structs and classes through multiple inheritance? or how about deriving a struct from a class and vice versa?

#10 Yes they can have private properties and everything else. I wouldn't know about merging structs and classes.

IMHO, C++ sucks ! I'm from a straight C generation that loved it for its "pureness". I agree with a Dr.Dobbs cover in the nineties that read "If C++ is the answer, what is the question ?".

As a mac user, I recently studied Objective-C. Now that's an interesting OOP approach. But it makes you write more code than C++.

#11 There is a second difference between classes and structs: Classes inherit privately by default, while structs inherit publically.

#12 Thanks for the input everybody.

I now feel confident in believing the 2 are, for the most part, the same thing, and I could get away with using either.