C++ classes

A class in C++ is a <a href="/facts/User-defined_type/zWbRC9Jd">user-defined type</a> or <a href="/facts/Data_structure/yNsNvL1I">data structure</a> declared with any of the <a href="/facts/Keyword_(computer_programming)/pHDlUUgY">keywords</a> class, struct or union (the first two are collectively referred to as non-union classes) that has data and functions (also called <a href="/facts/Member_variable/BAtCyPVd">member variables</a> and <a href="/facts/Member_function/8kAXxVYs">member functions</a>) as its members whose access is governed by the three <a href="/facts/Access_specifier/QKGyDmsw">access specifiers</a> private, protected or public. By default access to members of a C++ class declared with the keyword class is private. The private members are not accessible outside the class; they can be accessed only through member functions of the class. The public members form an <a href="/facts/Interface_(computing)/zdfp8unT">interface</a> to the class and are accessible outside the class.
Instances of a class data type are known as <a href="/facts/Object_(computer_science)/eX99dtAw">objects</a> and can contain member variables, <a href="/facts/Constant_(computer_programming)/pVQqffen">constants</a>, member functions, and <a href="/facts/Operator_overloading/hRyHs4Qf">overloaded operators</a> defined by the programmer.

C++ classes open-in-new

C++ classes