The C++ template model
- Classes (including structures)
- Functions
- Static data members of template classes
Each compiler implements templates according to a model that determines the meaning of a template at various stages of the translation of a program. In particular, the compiler determines what the various constructs in a template mean when the template is instantiated. Name lookup is an essential ingredient of the compilation model.
Template instantiation is a process that generates types and functions from generic template definitions. The concept of instantiation of C++ templates is fundamental but also intricate because the definitions of entities generated by a template are no longer limited to a single location in the source code. The location of the template, the location where the template is used, and the locations where the template arguments are defined all contribute to the meaning of the entity.
XL C/C++ supports Greedy instantiation. The compiler generates a template instantiation in each compilation unit that uses it. The linker discards the duplicates.
