Question

When writing function or class templates, you use a(n) ___________ to specify a generic data type.

Short answer

Answer: The term used to specify a generic data type in function or class templates is called a "template parameter". Template parameters allow us to write a single function or class template that works with different data types, making the code more flexible and reusable.

Step-by-step solution

Introduction to Generic Data Types

When writing function or class templates, we often need to create a generic data type rather than a specific one. This allows us to write more flexible, reusable code.

Term for Generic Data Type

The term used to specify a generic data type in function or class templates is called a "template parameter". With template parameters, we can write a single function or class template that works with different data types.

Using template parameter to define a function template

Here's an example of using a template parameter to create a function template: ```cpp template T get_max(T a, T b) { return (a > b) ? a : b; } ``` In this code, "T" is the template parameter that can represent any data type. The function get_max will work with different data types, such as int, float or even user-defined data types, as long as the '>' operator is defined for that type. The function returns the maximum of the two provided values.

Using template parameter to define a class template

Here's an example of using a template parameter to create a class template: ```cpp template class Box { public: Box(T value) : _value(value) {} T get() const { return _value; } private: T _value; }; ``` In this code, "T" is the template parameter that represents the data type stored in the Box class. The class template can be used with different data types, for example: ```cpp Box intBox(42); Box floatBox(3.14); ``` Here, we create two instances of the Box class: one with an int and another with a float.