Explore the power of C++ templates, from function and class basics to advanced features like instantiation and concepts, enhancing code flexibility, reusability, and abstraction without performance loss.

cpp17.tar.gz

C++17

C++20

Templates are one of the many powerful features of Modern C++ programming. And with each new C++ standard, they become more important. 

Templates provide an efficient way to make your code more flexible and reusable, this way you can avoid repeating code that would otherwise be identical except for different types. Templates also give you the ability to provide abstraction without a performance penalty.

However, templates can be difficult to apply, can be counterintuitive, and have tricky error messages.

This course gives you the necessary information to overcome these hurdles and dive into the advanced topics. You’ll visit the basics such as function and class templates, and then explore the details to templates such as instantiation and fold expressions. Our journey also includes techniques based on templates, the design, and future directions of templates such as concepts. Based on this exhaustive tour of templates, a basic understanding of C++ is sufficient to master this course.

Let’s get started!

Generic Programming Templates in C++

A **class template** defines a family of classes.

# Syntax
```c++
template < parameter-list > 
class-declaration 		
```

## Explanation

**parameter-list:** A non-empty comma-separated list of the template parameters, each of which is either a non-type parameter, a type parameter, a template parameter, or a mixture of any of those. 

**class-declaration:** A class declaration. The class name declared becomes a template name.



# Instantiation

The process of substituting the template parameters with the template arguments is called `instantiation`.

> In contrast to a function template, a **class template**  is not capable of automatically deriving the template parameters.
Each template argument must be __explicitly__ specified. This restriction no longer exists with C++17.

Let's have a look at the declaration of function and class templates:
   

In this lesson, we'll learn about the class templates.

Introduction

Basics

Details

Techniques

Design

Future

Conclusion

Class Templates

Syntax

Explanation