Templates in C++

Templates in C++ Language

The keyword template is used to define function templates and class templates in our C++ program.
It introduces generic programming, which makes a way for programmers to write more efficient code.

So, now there are two ways in which we can use template,

Function template

Function template is also known as generic function.

syntax creating function template:

template<class type> 
type func_name(type arg1, type arg2, ....){
     ...
};
// here type is a placeholder for generalisation of data type.

It creates a function template named func_name with any number of arguments.

Let's learn this with an example,

Program to find the smaller number from the given two numbers* without the use of template*:

#include<iostream>

using namespace std;

// without the use of template keyword.
int small(int a, int b){
    if(a > b){
        return(b);    
    }else{
        return(a);
    }
};

double small(double a, double b){ // function overloading
    if(a > b){
        return(b);
    }else{
        return(a);
    }
};


int main(){
    cout<<small(2,6)<<endl;
    cout<<small(2.4,1.9);
    return 0;
}

/*
OUTPUT
2
1.9
*/

(32 Lines of Code)

To avoid using different data types in a function, Use template.

#include<iostream>

using namespace std;

// Program using template keyword
template<class X>
X small(X a, X b){ // here X is a generic data type, making 'small' a generic function.
    if(a < b){
        return(b);
    }else{
        return(a);
    }
};

int main(){
    cout<<small(3,4)<<endl;
    cout<<small(3.4,1.6); // no function overloading reduces the lines of code in a program
    return 0;
}

/*
OUTPUT
3
1.6
*/

(25 Lines of Code)

Example 2:

template<class X, class Y>  
X big(X a, Y b){        //different data types
    if(a > b){
        return a;
    }else{
        return b;
    }
};

int main(){
    cout<<big(4,3.4)<<endl;
    cout<<big(1.99,-5);
    return 0;
}

/*
OUTPUT:
4
1.99
*/

(20 Lines of Code)

Class template

Class template is also known as generic class.

template<class type> 
class class_name{
    ...
};
// here type is also a placeholder to generalise a class.

It creates a class template named class_name.

Let's also learn this with an example,
Here we are making a arrayList class without the use of template.

#include<iostream>

using namespace std;

class arrayList{
    private:
        struct controlBlock{
            int capacity;
            int *arr_ptr;
        };

    controlBlock *s;

    public:
        arrayList(int capacity){ // constructor of arrayList class
            s = new controlBlock;
            s -> capacity = capacity;
            s -> arr_ptr = new int[s->capacity];
        }
        void addElement(int index, int data){ // method to add elements to the list
            if(index >= 0 && index <= s->capacity - 1){
                s -> arr_ptr[index]  = data;
            }else{
                cout<<"Array index not valid";
            }
        }
        void viewElement(int index, int &data){
            if(index >=0 && index <= s->capacity - 1){
                data = s->arr_ptr[index];
            }else{
                cout<<"Array index not valid";
            }
        }
        void viewList(){ // method to view the list
            int i;
            for(i = 0; i < s->capacity; i++){
                cout<<" "<<s->arr_ptr[i];
            }
        }
};

int main(){
    int data;
    arrayList list1(4);
    list1.addElement(0,2);
    list1.addElement(1,12);
    list1.addElement(2,22);
    // list1.addElement(3,32); if not assigned, by default 0 is assigned.
    // list1.viewElement(0,data);
    // cout<<data;
    list1.viewList();
    return 0;
}

/*
OUTPUT:
2
12
22
0
*/