Overview

Templates allow developers to create generic and reusable code, significantly enhancing the flexibility and maintainability of programs. This overview will summarize the key concepts and sections covered in the course.

Template Creation

The syntax for creating a template includes the keyword template followed by template parameters enclosed in angle brackets. Below is an example of a basic template function that does not take any parameters.

template


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template<typename>
void SimpleTemplate() {}

Templates and Parameters

Templates can also accept parameters, making them more versatile. Here, we demonstrate how to create a template function that takes a single parameter of a generic type T. This allows the function to work with any data type provided during instantiation.

single_parameter

multiple_parameters


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template<typename T>
void SimpleTemplate(T value) {}

Class Templates

Templates can be applied to classes as well, enabling the creation of class definitions that are parameterized. The following example illustrates how to create a class template that stores a value of a generic type T and includes a constructor for initialization:

class_template


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template<typename T>
class ClassTemplate {
private:
	T value;
public:
	ClassTemplate(T value) : value(value) {}
};

Template Specialization

Template specialization allows for the creation of specific implementations of a template for particular data types. This is useful when a generic implementation is not sufficient or when special behavior is required. The following example shows how to specialize a template function for different data types, including int, bool, and std::string:

specialization


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template <typename T>
void Template(const T& value) {  /* ... */ } // Any Type

template <>
void Template<int>(const T& value) {  /* ... */ } // For `int`

template <>
void Template<bool>(const T& value) {  /* ... */ } // For `bool`

template <>
void Template<std::string>(const T& value) {  /* ... */ } // For `std::string`

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Section 4. Chapter 5