what is a template in c++

A template in C++ is a mechanism for creating generic classes and functions. It allows you to define a reusable piece of code that can work with any data type. Templates use the keyword "template" followed by the template parameter list enclosed in angle brackets. For example:

template <class T>
class MyTemplate {
  T value;
public:
  void setValue(T val) {
    value = val;
  }
  T getValue() {
    return value;
  }
};

In this example, the MyTemplate class is defined using a template parameter T. This allows the class to work with any data type.

When creating objects from a template, you specify the actual data type you want to use. For example:

MyTemplate<int> intObj;
MyTemplate<double> doubleObj;

This allows you to create instances of the MyTemplate class that work specifically with int and double data types.