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JUclass vs struct, what to use when? 🤔👨💻
💡 In short:
If you need a small chunk of data that will not be changed, use structs.
Otherwise use classes. 😉
"Controlling complexity is the essence of computer programming."
- Brian Kernighan
For using structs vs classes it's important to know their type:
- Classes are reference types.
- Structs are value types.
This means that structs are performing a lot faster as they are just on the stack. As an example see it as an integer 5. It is indistinguishable from any other 5 at runtime, and there is no way to mutate the literal 5 to be a different value such as 6. (Read wiki to learn more)
This makes structs very limited as when you want to change any value, it requires to make a whole new copy to apply that change, and it can never be null.
As of the limitations of structs, I personally always recommend to start with a class and use structs when you are sure you need it.
But how about serialization, like in Unity3D? 🤔
Using serialized structs in Unity is not inherently problematic, but there are certain considerations and limitations that you should be aware of such as:
Serialization Behavior, Lack of Customization, Reference Preservation, Immutability, Compatibility and Future Changes.
(Check out my broadcast channel for more info! 🤩)
Serialized structs can work for simple data structures. If you decide to use serialized structs, make sure to thoroughly test your serialization and deserialization processes, especially in scenarios involving nested data structures or references. 😉
Happy coding everyone! 👨💻
💡 Save for later if you learned something new!
~ Follow me for more: @justinbieshaar
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