C++ Templates Tutorial

Function Templates

Function templates are used to create a single function that operates on different data types:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

template <typename T>
T add(T a, T b) {
    return a + b;
}

int main() {
    cout << add(3, 4) << endl;        // Integer addition
    cout << add(3.5, 4.5) << endl;  // Floating-point addition
    return 0;
}
                

Class Templates

Class templates are used to define generic classes:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

template <typename T>
class Box {
private:
    T value;
public:
    Box(T val) : value(val) {}
    T getValue() { return value; }
};

int main() {
    Box<int> intBox(42);
    Box<string> strBox("Template");

    cout << intBox.getValue() << endl;
    cout << strBox.getValue() << endl;
    return 0;
}
                

Template Specialization

You can create specialized versions of templates for specific data types:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

template <typename T>
class Box {
public:
    void print() { cout << "Generic template" << endl; }
};

template ><
class Box<int> {
public:
    void print() { cout << "Specialized for int" << endl; }
};

int main() {
    Box<int> intBox;
    Box<float> floatBox;

    intBox.print();
    floatBox.print();
    return 0;
}
                

Advantages of Templates

• Code reusability for different data types.
• Type safety with compile-time checks.