Template argument deduction (C++ only)

When you call a template function, you may omit any template argument that the compiler can determine or deduce by the usage and context of that template function call.

The compiler tries to deduce a template argument by comparing the type of the corresponding template parameter with the type of the argument used in the function call. The two types that the compiler compares (the template parameter and the argument used in the function call) must be of a certain structure in order for template argument deduction to work. The following lists these type structures:

T
const T
volatile T
T&
T*
T[10]
A<T>
C(*)(T)
T(*)()
T(*)(U)
T C::*
C T::*
T U::*
T (C::*)()
C (T::*)()
D (C::*)(T)
C (T::*)(U)
T (C::*)(U)
T (U::*)()
T (U::*)(V)
E[10][i]
B<i>
TT<T>
TT<i>
TT<C>

• T, U, and V represent a template type argument
• 10 represents any integer constant
• i represents a template non-type argument
• [i] represents an array bound of a reference or pointer type, or a non-major array bound of a normal array.
• TT represents a template template argument
• (T), (U), and (V) represents an argument list that has at least one template type argument
• () represents an argument list that has no template arguments
• <T> represents a template argument list that has at least one template type argument
• <i> represents a template argument list that has at least one template non-type argument
• <C> represents a template argument list that has no template arguments dependent on a template parameter

The following example demonstrates the use of each of these type structures. The example declares a template function using each of the above structures as an argument. These functions are then called (without template arguments) in order of declaration. The example outputs the same list of type structures:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

template<class T> class A { };
template<int i> class B { };

class C {
   public:
      int x;
};

class D {
   public:
      C y;
      int z;
};

template<class T> void f (T)          { cout << "T" << endl; };
template<class T> void f1(const T)    { cout << "const T" << endl; };
template<class T> void f2(volatile T) { cout << "volatile T" << endl;  };
template<class T> void g (T*)         { cout << "T*" << endl; };
template<class T> void g (T&)         { cout << "T&" << endl; };
template<class T> void g1(T[10])      { cout << "T[10]" << endl;};
template<class T> void h1(A<T>)       { cout << "A<T>" << endl; };

void test_1() {
   A<char> a;
   C c;

   f(c);   f1(c);   f2(c);
   g(c);   g(&c);   g1(&c);
   h1(a);
}

template<class T>          void j(C(*)(T)) { cout << "C(*) (T)" << endl; };
template<class T>          void j(T(*)())  { cout << "T(*) ()" << endl; }
template<class T, class U> void j(T(*)(U)) { cout << "T(*) (U)" << endl; };

void test_2() {
   C (*c_pfunct1)(int);
   C (*c_pfunct2)(void);
   int (*c_pfunct3)(int);
   j(c_pfunct1);
   j(c_pfunct2);
   j(c_pfunct3);
}

template<class T>          void k(T C::*) { cout << "T C::*" << endl; };
template<class T>          void k(C T::*) { cout << "C T::*" << endl; };
template<class T, class U> void k(T U::*) { cout << "T U::*" << endl; };

void test_3() {
   k(&C::x);
   k(&D::y);
   k(&D::z);
}

template<class T>     void m(T (C::*)() )
   { cout << "T (C::*)()" << endl; };
template<class T>     void m(C (T::*)() )
   { cout << "C (T::*)()" << endl; };
template<class T>     void m(D (C::*)(T))
   { cout << "D (C::*)(T)" << endl; };
template<class T, class U>  void m(C (T::*)(U))
   { cout << "C (T::*)(U)" << endl; };
template<class T, class U>  void m(T (C::*)(U))
   { cout << "T (C::*)(U)" << endl; };
template<class T, class U>  void m(T (U::*)() )
   { cout << "T (U::*)()" << endl; };
template<class T, class U, class V> void m(T (U::*)(V))
   { cout << "T (U::*)(V)" << endl; };

void test_4() {
   int (C::*f_membp1)(void);
   C (D::*f_membp2)(void);
   D (C::*f_membp3)(int);
   m(f_membp1);
   m(f_membp2);
   m(f_membp3);

   C (D::*f_membp4)(int);
   int (C::*f_membp5)(int);
   int (D::*f_membp6)(void);
   m(f_membp4);
   m(f_membp5);
   m(f_membp6);

   int (D::*f_membp7)(int);
   m(f_membp7);
}

template<int i> void n(C[10][i]) { cout << "E[10][i]" << endl; };
template<int i> void n(B<i>)     { cout << "B<i>" << endl; };

void test_5() {
   C array[10][20];
   n(array);
   B<20> b;
   n(b);
}

template<template<class> class TT, class T> void p1(TT<T>)
   { cout << "TT<T>" << endl; };
template<template<int> class TT, int i>     void p2(TT<i>)
   { cout << "TT<i>" << endl; };
template<template<class> class TT>          void p3(TT<C>)
   { cout << "TT<C>" << endl; };

void test_6() {
   A<char> a;
   B<20> b;
   A<C> c;
   p1(a);
   p2(b);
   p3(c);
}

int main() { test_1(); test_2(); test_3(); test_4(); test_5(); test_6(); }