What are the similar features between class and structure in .NET?

You would have heard and experienced several differences between class and structure in .NET. But do you know that several similarities exist between the two. If not, then this article is the right place to learn them. Listed below are the similarities between class and structure:

• Both Class and Structure are allowed to implement an interface. Here is an example to demonstrate it:
namespace Application1 {
public interface sampleInterface {
void displayMsg();
}
public class sampleClass : sampleInterface {
public void displayMsg() {
Console.WriteLine("Executing displayMsg from sampleClass");
}
}
public struct sampleStruct : sampleInterface {
public void displayMsg() {
Console.WriteLine("Executing displayMsg from sampleStruct");
}
}
public class testClass {
public static void Main() {
sampleClass classObj = new sampleClass();
classObj.displayMsg();
sampleStruct structObj = new sampleStruct();
structObj.displayMsg();
Console.ReadLine();
}

}
}
Output of this code will be:

Executing displayMsg from sampleClass
Executing displayMsg from sampleStruct

• Both Class and Structure contain a default constructor with no arguments. In the above example, you create instance of Class and Structure using the following lines of code:
sampleClass classObj = new sampleClass();
sampleStruct structObj = new sampleStruct();

When you specify new sampleClass() or new sampleStruct(), you are calling the default
no-argument constructor of Class/Structure.

• Unlike Class, you cannot explicitly define a no-argument constructor in a Structure. However both Structure and Class can define constructor with arguments as shown in the example below:

namespace Application1 {
public class sampleClass {
public sampleClass() {
Console.WriteLine(“Calling No-Argument Constructor of
sampleClass”);
}
public sampleClass(int data) {
Console.WriteLine("Constructor of sampleClass:{0}",data);
}
}
public struct sampleStruct {
public sampleStruct(int data) {
Console.WriteLine("Constructor of sampleStruct:{0}",data);
}
}
public class testClass {
public static void Main() {
sampleClass classObj = new sampleClass(100);
sampleStruct structObj = new sampleStruct(10);
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}

Output of this code will be:

Calling No-Argument Constructor of sampleClass
Constructor of sampleClass:100
Constructor of sampleStruct:10

If you try to explicitly define a no-argument constructor for a Structure then you will end
up in the following error:

“Structs cannot contain explicit parameterless constructors”

• You can define and use events and delegates in Class as well as Structure.

• Both Class and Structure inherit from the class Object. Even though Structure is a value type, .NET provides unified type system based on which all value types and reference types have their base class as Object.

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