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.