A quick look at Templates

• Templates are the gateway to generic programming.
• They allow us to write code that can be adjusted by the compiler for the type.
  • In this type of programming, types become parameters.
• I am going to start with Function Templates
  • See page 400
• Let's consider the min function.
  • This takes two instances of some type
  • And returns true if the first is less than the second.
  • This requires that the < operator be implemented.
• Syntax

  • template <class/typename identifier>
    function declaration;
        

• Templates go in header files
  • This is because they are not actual code.