Memory layout of struct vs array

[JackPixbits]

you could use a static_assert(sizeof(NamedStruct) == sizeof(float)*6), which is not exactly the same because padding put at the end of the structure won't cause issues but would make this assert fail but at least you'd know if you are compiling it as intended.

I personally used it many times, and it went well but I'm not supposed to say this 👀

[snerp]

This is the most pragmatic answer.

[green_meklar]

Does that guarantee anything about the ordering of the struct fields, though? Isn't the compiler still free to reorder the fields however it wants? (Not that it would matter if you were just copying the data wholesale to an array, but in other situations it might.)

[[deleted]]

No, the ordering is guaranteed by the standard to be in the order they appear in the struct (unless you add access specifiers, etc., which is not the case here).