Templates — Overview

A function template is a blueprint the compiler uses to generate concrete overloads. Write the algorithm once; the compiler instantiates versions for used types.

template<typename T>
T add(T a, T b) { return a + b; }

Benefits

• Maintainability: fix once, apply everywhere.

• Consistency: identical logic across types.

• Flexibility: new types work without new overloads.

• Zero-overhead abstraction at compile time.

Templates vs Overloading

• Same logic across types → templates.

• Different logic per type → overloading or specialization.