Can you explain the differences between a regular class and a data class in programming language?

In programming languages like Kotlin, a regular class and a data class differ in that a data class is intended for storing data and automatically generates useful methods.

Main differences between a data class and a regular class:

• Automatic method generation: equals(), hashCode(), toString(), copy(), as well as component functions for destructuring.
• Constructor with parameters: a data class must have at least one parameter in the primary constructor.
• Usage: data class is convenient for data models where equality semantics based on content are important.

Example in Kotlin:

data class User(val name: String, val age: Int)

val user1 = User("Alice", 30)
val user2 = User("Alice", 30)

println(user1 == user2) // true, content comparison
println(user1) // User(name=Alice, age=30)

val user3 = user1.copy(age = 31) // creates a new object with a changed age

In a regular class, these methods need to be implemented manually, which increases code and the likelihood of errors.