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C#.Net Structures
A structure is a User defined data type in which different data elements can be stored. A structure can be used to represent a set of attributes like employee code, employee name, designation, salary, date of joining etc.
A structure can be instantiated without using the new keyword and in that case the default values will not be assigned. If you want to use properties, methods or events, you must initialize the struct with the new keyword.
Example 1: Use of structure and class
struct Struct1
{
public int Value;
}
class Class1
{
public int Value;
}
class Test
{
static void Main()
{
Struct1 v1 = new Struct1();
Struct1 v2 = v1;
v2.Value = 123;
Class1 r1 = new Class1();
Class1 r2 = r1;
r2.Value = 123;
Console.WriteLine("Values: {0}, {1}", v1.Value, v2.Value);
Console.WriteLine ("Refs: {0}, {1}", r1.Value, r2.Value);
}
}
Output:
Values: 0, 123
Refs: 123, 123
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Similarity between Structures and Classes
| Structure data type | Class data type |
|---|---|
| A structure is a derived data type or constructed data type. | A class is also a derived data type or constructed data type |
| A structure can contain constructors, constants, fields, methods, properties, indexers, operators, and nested types as its members. | A class can also contain constructors, constants, fields, methods, properties, indexers, operators, and nested types as its members. |
Comparison between Structures and Classes
| Structure data type | Class data type |
|---|---|
| A structure is a value type so it is faster than a class object. | A class is reference type. |
| A structure is lightweight object. | A class is not a lightweight object. |
| It is an error to declare a default (parameterless) constructor for a structure. However, it can have parametrized constructors. | It is not an error to declare a default (parameterless) constructor for a class. |
| Member variables of a structure are allocated default values only if new keyword is used otherwise they are not allocated values. | Member variables in a class are always allocated default values. |