Templates

Templates in C++ are powerful features that enable generic programming. They allow you to write code that can work with different data types without having to rewrite the code for each type. This is achieved through the use of type parameters, constant parameters, and template template parameters.

Key features of C++ templates include:

• Class Templates: Define a family of classes.
• Function Templates: Define a family of functions.
• Template Specialization: Allows providing specific implementations for certain types, optimizing performance or handling special cases.
• Parameter Packs: (C++11) Enable variadic templates, which can take a variable number of arguments.
• Constraints and Concepts: (C++20) Allow specifying requirements on template arguments, improving error messages and enabling more expressive code.

Use cases for C++ templates are widespread, including:

• Generic Data Structures: Implementing data structures like vectors, lists, and maps that can store any data type.
• Algorithms: Creating algorithms that can operate on different data types without modification.
• Metaprogramming: Performing computations at compile time, improving performance and enabling code generation.
• Library Development: Creating reusable and type-safe libraries.