I've been learning C++ for about a year now, and I've developed a habit of putting everything into classes. Even though I've come across free functions, I still find myself organizing my code into classes. My question is: If I'm not maintaining any state or using OOP features like RAII, is it really necessary to use classes? Are there any reasons to stick with them?
5 Answers
Ultimately, use what makes sense for your situation. If you’re not using class methods much, you might switch to structs or just stick with free functions. There's no harm in using whatever suits your problem best!
Right? Using a struct instead of a class is just as valid, and it keeps things straightforward.
Classes are most useful when managing state or behavior. If that’s not what you’re doing, free functions might keep things simpler. Plus, if you’re mainly using static methods, you might just as well switch to namespaces.
Totally agree, namespaces might be the way to go if you're just organizing code.
Yeah, static methods can work well too, but I still prefer non-member functions.
If you’re just learning, don’t stress about it. But if you’re coding with others, being able to explain your structure is key.
You really don’t need classes if you aren’t using them for OOP. Free functions can get the job done, and sometimes C-style function code is all you need. But I’d say keep some classes around for things like smart pointers in the STL; they’re pretty useful.
Classes make for nice organization, but if your class is full of static methods, just use a namespace instead. C++ doesn't enforce OOP—think of it as starting from a free function in main!
Exactly! Sometimes a struct with a simple free function is the best route, especially for better error handling.