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C++ Templates and Generic Programming: A Deep Dive

David Li
4 min readJun 9, 2023

In this article, we will explore C++ templates, a powerful feature that enables generic programming. We will discuss the motivation behind templates, their syntax, and their role in implementing generic algorithms and data structures. We will also touch upon some advanced topics like template specialization and variadic templates.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction to Generic Programming
  2. C++ Templates: Syntax and Basics
  3. Template Functions
  4. Template Classes
  5. Template Specialization
  6. Variadic Templates
  7. Conclusion

Introduction to Generic Programming

Generic programming is a programming paradigm that emphasizes writing code that is reusable and adaptable to a wide range of types. This is achieved by defining algorithms and data structures in a type-agnostic manner, allowing them to operate on various types without the need for duplicate code.

In C++, templates are the primary mechanism for achieving generic programming. They enable developers to write functions and classes that can be used with different types, without explicitly specifying the types at the time of writing the code.

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