C++ struct vs class — The Only Difference That Matters (Plus Real Use Cases)

Hi everyone! I'm AlanWu, a junior high school C++ learner. When I first saw both struct and class in C++, I was confused. I thought struct was just a C thing — a bag of variables with no functions. But in C++, you can put methods, constructors, inheritance — everything — in a struct.

So what's the actual difference? Here's the one-sentence answer, plus practical guidance on when to use which.

My GitHub: https://github.com/Cn-Alanwu

The One-Sentence Difference

In C++, struct and class are identical in every way — except the default access level: struct members are public by default; class members are private by default.