Function Templates

Origin: Duplicated Code

Overloading: function max with different implementations …

int max(int a, int b)
{
    return (a<b)?b:a;
}
float max(float a, float b)
{
    return (a<b)?b:a;
}

Problem: duplicated code

A simple Function-Template

Solution: “code generator” ⟶ Templates

template <typename T> T max(T a, T b)
{
    return (a<b)?b:a;
}

• Generation recipe

• T … Template parameter

• Requirement: operator<() must be valid

More Templates from the STL

Better: look into the STL. For example …

#include <algorithm>

float f = std::max(1.2, 1.3);
int i = std::max(1, 2);
std::string s = std::max("abc", "abd");