Question

Duplicate: When should I use a structure instead of a class?

Just wondering if anyone can provide some advice or examples of when it is best to use a structure over a class in .NET or vice versa

I have done some background reading and understand the differences between two, ie structures are stored on the stack, classes on the heap ect. But havent been able to find some clear examples where one would provide a benefit over the other.

Many Thanks

Answer 1

To quote a good answer to the same question (When should I use a struct instead of a class?):

MSDN has the answer: Choosing Between Classes and Structures.

Basically, that page gives you a 4-item checklist and says to use a class unless your type meets all of the criteria.

Do not define a structure unless the type has all of the following characteristics:

• It logically represents a single value, similar to primitive types (integer, double, and so on).
• It has an instance size smaller than 16 bytes.
• It is immutable.
• It will not have to be boxed frequently.