C++ Templates

What are templates?

• Templates provide a mechanism to handle different data types in the same function or class.
• When used in functions they are referred as function templates.
• When used with classes they are referred as class templates.
• Template arguments are specified either with keywords "class" or "typename".
• Main advantages of templates are that they make the code listing smaller and maintenance burden is reduced since changes are done at one place only.

Demonstrate the usage of function templates

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

// Template function
template <typename T>
T max ( T a, T b ) {
    return a<b?b:a;
}

// Overloaded
template <typename T>
T max ( T a, T b, T c ) {
    return max(max(a,b),c);
}

// Args of different types
template <typename T, typename S>
void func ( T a, S b ) {
    cout << a << " " << b << endl;
}

void main()
{
    // Call to 2 arg template function
    cout << max(1,2) << endl;
    cout << max<int>(1,2) << endl;
    cout << max(1.1,2.1) << endl;
    cout << max<double>(1,2.1) << endl;
    cout << max(static_cast<double>(1),2.1) << endl;
    cout << max("hello", "world") << endl;

    /* Compilation error when different types are used
      cout << max(1, 1.2) << endl;
      Error E2285 template.cpp 26: Could not find a match for 'max<_T>(int,double)' in function main()
     */

    // Call to overloaded template function
    cout << max(1,2,3) << endl;

    // Call to template function with different arg types
    func(1, 1.2);
}

OUTPUT:

2
2
2.1
2.1
2.1
world
3
1 1.2

Demonstrate the usage of class templates

#include lt;iostreamgt;
#include lt;vectorgt;
#include lt;stdexceptgt;
using namespace std;

template <typename T>
class MyClass {
    vector<T> data;

  public:
    void Add(T& a) {
        data.push_back(a);
    }

    T Get() {
        if ( data.empty() )
        {
           throw out_of_range("Out of range");
        }
        return data.back();
    }
};

void main()
{
    // Class used with int
    int val1 = 100, val2 = 200;
    MyClass<int> intObj;
    intObj.Add(val1);
    intObj.Add(val2);
    cout << intObj.Get() << endl;

    // Class used with string
    string str1 = "Hello", str2 = "World";
    MyClass<string> strObj;
    strObj.Add(str1);
    strObj.Add(str2);
    cout << strObj.Get() << endl;
}

OUTPUT:

200
World