Template metaprogramming: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:08, 25 December 2020

Revision as of 22:23, 6 March 2021

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{{Programming paradigms}}

'''Template metaprogramming''' ('''TMP''') is a [[metaprogramming]] technique in which [[Generic programming|templates]] are used by a [[compiler]] to generate temporary [[source code]], which is merged by the compiler with the rest of the source code and then compiled. The output of these templates include [[compile time|compile-time]] [[constant (programming)|constant]]s, [[data structure]]s, and complete [[function (computer science)|function]]s. The use of templates can be thought of as [[Compile -time function execution|compile-time polymorphism]]. The technique is used by a number of languages, the best-known being [[C++]], but also [[Curl programming language|Curl]], [[D programming language|D]], and [[XL Programming Language|XL]].

Template metaprogramming was, in a sense, discovered accidentally.<ref name="Meyers2005">{{cite book|author=Scott Meyers|title=Effective C++: 55 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qx5oyB49poYC&q=%22Template+metaprogramming%22|date=12 May 2005|publisher=Pearson Education|isbn=978-0-13-270206-5}}</ref><ref>See [[wikibooks:C++ Programming/Templates/Template Meta-Programming#History of TMP|History of TMP]] on Wikibooks</ref>

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==Compile-time code optimization==

{{see also|Compile -time function execution}}

The factorial example above is one example of compile-time code optimization in that all factorials used by the program are pre-compiled and injected as numeric constants at compilation, saving both run-time overhead and memory footprint. It is, however, a relatively minor optimization.

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* [[Expression templates]]

* [[Variadic Templates]]

* [[Compile -time function execution]]

==References==