.. index:: contract, state variable, function, event, struct, enum, function;modifier
Contracts in Solidity are similar to classes in object-oriented languages. Each contract can contain declarations of :ref:`structure-state-variables`, :ref:`structure-functions`, :ref:`structure-function-modifiers`, :ref:`structure-events`, :ref:`structure-struct-types` and :ref:`structure-enum-types`. Furthermore, contracts can inherit from other contracts.
State variables are values which are permanently stored in contract storage.
pragma solidity ^0.4.0; contract SimpleStorage { uint storedData; // State variable // ... }
See the :ref:`types` section for valid state variable types and :ref:`visibility-and-getters` for possible choices for visibility.
Functions are the executable units of code within a contract.
pragma solidity ^0.4.0; contract SimpleAuction { function bid() public payable { // Function // ... } }
:ref:`function-calls` can happen internally or externally and have different levels of visibility (:ref:`visibility-and-getters`) towards other contracts.
Function modifiers can be used to amend the semantics of functions in a declarative way (see :ref:`modifiers` in contracts section).
pragma solidity ^0.4.11; contract Purchase { address public seller; modifier onlySeller() { // Modifier require(msg.sender == seller); _; } function abort() public onlySeller { // Modifier usage // ... } }
Events are convenience interfaces with the EVM logging facilities.
pragma solidity ^0.4.0; contract SimpleAuction { event HighestBidIncreased(address bidder, uint amount); // Event function bid() public payable { // ... HighestBidIncreased(msg.sender, msg.value); // Triggering event } }
See :ref:`events` in contracts section for information on how events are declared and can be used from within a dapp.
Structs are custom defined types that can group several variables (see :ref:`structs` in types section).
pragma solidity ^0.4.0; contract Ballot { struct Voter { // Struct uint weight; bool voted; address delegate; uint vote; } }
Enums can be used to create custom types with a finite set of values (see :ref:`enums` in types section).
pragma solidity ^0.4.0; contract Purchase { enum State { Created, Locked, Inactive } // Enum }