Class Templates

Class Template

C++ language construct that allows the compiler to generate multiple

versions of a class by allowing parameterized data types.

Class Template

Template < TemplateParamList >

ClassDefinition

TemplateParamDeclaration: placeholder

class typeIdentifier
typename variableIdentifier
 Instantiating a Class Template

• Class template arguments must be explicit.

• The compiler generates distinct class types called template classes
or generated classes.
• When instantiating a template, a compiler substitutes the template
argument for the template parameter throughout the class template.
 Example with Two Generic Data Types
#include <iostream> int main()
using namespace std; {
template <class Type1, class Type2> myclass<int, double> ob1(10, 0.23);
class myclass myclass<char, char *> ob2('X', “Hello");
{
Type1 i;
Type2 j; ob1.show(); // show int, double
public: ob2.show(); // show char, char *
myclass(Type1 a, Type2 b) return 0;
{ }
i = a; j = b;
}
void show()
{ Output:
cout << i << ' ' << j << '\n';
} 10 0.23
}; X Hello.
#include <iostream>
using namespace std; int main()
const int SIZE = 10; // Create a generic stack class {
template <class X> class stack // Demonstrate character stacks.
{ stack<char> s1, s2;
X stck[SIZE]; // holds the stack int i;
int tos; // index of top-of-stack s1.push('a');
public: s2.push('x');
stack() { tos = 0; } // initialize stack s1.push('b');
void push(X ob); // push object s2.push('y');
X pop(); // pop object s1.push('c');
}; s2.push('z');
template <class X> void stack<X>::push(X ob) for(i=0; i<3; i++)
{ cout << "Pop s1: " << s1.pop() << "\n";
if(tos==SIZE) { for(i=0; i<3; i++)
cout << "Stack is full.\n"; cout << "Pop s2: " << s2.pop() << "\n";
return; // demonstrate double stacks
} stack<double> ds1, ds2;
stck[tos] = ob; ds1.push(1.1);
tos++; ds2.push(2.2);
} ds1.push(3.3);
template <class X> X stack<X>::pop() ds2.push(4.4);
{ ds1.push(5.5);
if(tos==0) { ds2.push(6.6);
cout << "Stack is empty.\n"; for(i=0; i<3; i++)
return 0; // return null on empty stack cout << "Pop ds1: " << ds1.pop() << "\n";
} for(i=0; i<3; i++)
tos--; cout << "Pop ds2: " << ds2.pop() << "\n";
return stck[tos]; return 0;
} }
 Non-type parameters for templates

#include <iostream> int main ()

using namespace std; {
template <class T, int N> class mysequence mysequence <int,5> myints;
{ mysequence <double,5> myfloats;
T memblock [N];
public: void setmember (int x, T value); myints.setmember (0,100);
T getmember (int x); myfloats.setmember (3,3.1416);
};
cout<<myints.getmember(0) << '\n';
template <class T, int N> cout<<myfloats.getmember(3) << '\n';
void mysequence<T,N>::setmember (int x, T value) return 0;
{ memblock[x]=value; }
}
OUTPUT:
template <class T, int N>
T mysequence<T,N>::getmember (int x) 100
{ 3.1416
return memblock[x];
}
 Templates and Inheritance
template <class X> class base {
public: int main()
X a, b; {
}; derived <int>d1(10,20,30);
template <class Y> d1.display();
class derived:public base<Y>
{ derived <float>d2(23.3,54.2,11.2);
Y c; d2.display();
public:
derived(Y p,Y q,Y z) { return 0;
a=p; }
b=q;
c=z;
Output:
} a=10
void display() { b=20
cout<<“\n a=“<<a; c=30
cout<<“\n b=“<<b; a=23.3
cout<<“\n c=“<<c; b=54.2
} c=11.2
};
 template and friends
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
template <class T> class MyClass
{
T value;
public:
T getValue() { return value; }
void setValue(T v) { value=v; }

template <class T> friend void fun (MyClass <T> &);

};

template<class T> void fun(MyClass<T>& c)

{
cout<<"Function called"<<endl;
cout<<c.getValue()<<endl;
}

int main()
{
MyClass<int> ob;
ob.setValue(6);
fun(ob);
Output:
return 0; Function called
} 6
 typename Keyword
"typename" is a keyword in the C++ programming language used when
writing templates. It is used for specifying that a dependent name in a template
definition or declaration is a type. In the original C++ compilers before the first ISO
standard was completed, the typename keyword was not part of the C++
language and Bjarne Stroustrup used the class keyword for template arguments
instead. While typename is now the preferred keyword, older source code may
still use the class keyword instead.
 typename: Example
Define a generic function that returns the greater of its two arguments

template <typename T> template <class T>

const T& max(const T& x, const T& y) const T& max(const T& x, const T& y)
{ {
if (y < x) if (y < x)
return x; return x;
return y; return y;
} }

An alternative and semantically equivalent keyword in this scenario is

"class":
 generic function

A generic function is a function that is declared with type parameters. When

called, actual types are used instead of the type parameters.
 Generic classes

• Generic classes are those which describe the functionality without being
bound to any data type. These classes can be used to generate definitions
of classes which are bound to a particular data type. A good example is an
Array class. Functionality of array class will be the same irrespective of
whether the array members are int, float or string.
• Generic functions are similarly those which describe the algorithm without
specifying a particular data type.
• In C++ generic classes and functions are implemented using templates.
 The Power of Templates.

• Templates are newly added in c++.

• It allows to define generic classes and functions.
• It provide support for generic programming.
• Generic programming is concept where generic parameter
are used in the algorithms.
• With this concept same algorithm can be used for different
data type.
 Prof. S. N. Shelke
(Assistant Professor)
Department of Computer
Engineering
Sinhgad Academy of Engineering,
Kondhwa, Pune