Struct Vs Class in .Net

Difference between Struct and Class

Struct are Value type and are stored on stack, while Class are Reference type and are stored on heap.

Struct “do not support” inheritance, while class supports inheritance. However struct can implements interface.

Struct should be used when you want to use a small data structure, while Class is better choice for complex data structure.

Choosing between struct and class

Use of structure in following condition is desirable.
When you have small data structure
Data Structure does not require to extent the functionality.
When you want to perform faster operation on data structure. (As structure are stored on stack, operation performed on it are faster.)

Use of class in following condition is desirable.
When you have complex data structure
Data Structure requires to extend functionality.
When you want to optimize memory usage. (As class is stored on heap, they are about to be garbage collected when no reference pointing to an object.)


What is the difference between instantiating structures with and without using the new keyword?

When a structure is instantiated using the new keyword, a constructor (no-argument or custom, if provided) is called which initializes the fields in the structure. When a structure is instantiated without using the new keyword, no constructor is called. Hence, one has to explicitly initialize all the fields of the structure before using it when instantiated without the new keyword.