6/24/2017 C++Templates

C++Templates
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Templatesarethefoundationofgenericprogramming,whichinvolveswritingcodeinawaythatisindependentofanyparticulartype.

A template is a blueprint or formula for creating a generic class or a function. The library containers like iterators and algorithms are
examplesofgenericprogrammingandhavebeendevelopedusingtemplateconcept.

There is a single definition of each container, such as vector, but we can define many different kinds of vectors for example, vector
<int>orvector<string>.

Youcanusetemplatestodefinefunctionsaswellasclasses,letusseehowdotheywork:

FunctionTemplate
Thegeneralformofatemplatefunctiondefinitionisshownhere:

template<classtype>rettypefuncname(parameterlist){
//bodyoffunction
}

Here,typeisaplaceholdernameforadatatypeusedbythefunction.Thisnamecanbeusedwithinthefunctiondefinition.

Thefollowingistheexampleofafunctiontemplatethatreturnsthemaximumoftwovalues:

#include<iostream>
#include<string>

usingnamespacestd;

template<typenameT>
inlineTconst&Max(Tconst&a,Tconst&b){
returna<b?b:a;
}

intmain(){

inti=39;
intj=20;
cout<<"Max(i,j):"<<Max(i,j)<<endl;

doublef1=13.5;
doublef2=20.7;
cout<<"Max(f1,f2):"<<Max(f1,f2)<<endl;

strings1="Hello";
strings2="World";
cout<<"Max(s1,s2):"<<Max(s1,s2)<<endl;

return0;
}

Ifwecompileandrunabovecode,thiswouldproducethefollowingresult:

Max(i,j):39
Max(f1,f2):20.7
Max(s1,s2):World

ClassTemplate
Justaswecandefinefunctiontemplates,wecanalsodefineclasstemplates.Thegeneralformofagenericclassdeclarationisshown
here:

template<classtype>classclassname{
.
.
.
}

Here,typeistheplaceholdertypename,whichwillbespecifiedwhenaclassisinstantiated.Youcandefinemorethanonegenericdata
typebyusingacommaseparatedlist.

FollowingistheexampletodefineclassStack<>andimplementgenericmethodstopushandpoptheelementsfromthestack:

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6/24/2017 C++Templates

#include<iostream>
#include<vector>
#include<cstdlib>
#include<string>
#include<stdexcept>

usingnamespacestd;

template<classT>
classStack
{
private:
vector<T>elements;

public:
voidpush(Tconst&);
voidpop();
Ttop();
boolempty();
};

template<classT>
voidStack<T>::push(Tconst&elem){
elements.push_back(elem);
}

template<classT>
voidStack<T>::pop(){
if(elements.empty()){
throwout_of_range("Stack<>::pop():emptystack");
}else{
elements.pop_back();
}
}

template<classT>
TStack<T>::top(){
if(empty()){
throwout_of_range("Stack<>::top():emptystack");
}
returnelements.back();
}

template<classT>
boolStack<T>::empty(){
returnelements.empty();
}

intmain(){
try{
Stack<int>intStack;//stackofints
Stack<string>stringStack;//stackofstrings

//manipulateintegerstack
intStack.push(7);
cout<<intStack.top()<<endl;

//manipulatestringstack
stringStack.push("hello");
cout<<stringStack.top()<<std::endl;
stringStack.pop();
stringStack.pop();
}
catch(exceptionconst&ex){
cerr<<"Exception:"<<ex.what()<<endl;
return1;
}
}

Ifwecompileandrunabovecode,thiswouldproducethefollowingresult:

7
hello
Exception:Stack<>::pop():emptystack

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