Thread: how to implement a template AVAILABLE OUTSIDE of the module !! (??)

In the following (still to be tested) I guess I have implemented a template AVAILABLE OUTSIDE of the module ?! That is a way to turn around the fact that C++ does not support it?
Please let me know what you think about it!! Mistakes, drawbacks, etc.
(of course i have cut out code which is not relevant for the discussion)
Well for sure it is not nice that I have to put in the header a different declaration for every needed argument type

Code:

Recipes.h:
EXTERN int LoadRecipe_Par(FILE * RecipeFile, etc., int * RecipePar);
EXTERN int LoadRecipe_Par(FILE * RecipeFile, etc., unsigned int * RecipePar);
EXTERN int LoadRecipe_Par(FILE * RecipeFile, etc., float * RecipePar);



Recipes.cpp:

int Cabled_sscanf(char * LoadString, char * VarName, int * RecipePar)
{
	return(sscanf(LoadString,"%s \t# \t%d",VarName, RecipePar));
}
int Cabled_sscanf(char * LoadString, char * VarName,unsigned int * RecipePar)
{
	return(sscanf(LoadString,"%s \t# \t%u",VarName, RecipePar));
}
int Cabled_sscanf(char * LoadString, char * VarName, float * RecipePar)
{
	return(sscanf(LoadString,"%s \t# \t%f",VarName, RecipePar));
}

template <class Type_Par> int LoadRecipePar(FILE * RecipeFile, int * BreakAll,int BreakAllAllowed, char * LoadString, char * VarName, Type_Par * RecipePar)
{

	int res;

	if ( GetNextRecipeLine(RecipeFile, BreakAll, BreakAllAllowed, LoadString) )
	{	
		fclose(RecipeFile);
		return -1; //fine file inaspettata
	}
		if ( (strstr(LoadString, "#HMI")==NULL) && (strstr(LoadString, "# HMI")==NULL)  && (strstr(LoadString, "#  HMI")==NULL) ) 
		{

		  res=Cabled_sscanf(LoadString, VarName, RecipePar);
			
				
		  if(res!=2)
		  {
		         fclose(RecipeFile);
		       printf("Problems reading Recipe at or after %hs\n",VarName);
		      return -1;
		  }

		}

		return(0);

}

//This way I basically have a template available outside (which is not supported by standard C++)
int LoadRecipe_Par(FILE * RecipeFile, int * BreakAll,int BreakAllAllowed, char * LoadString, char * VarName, int * RecipePar)
{
	LoadRecipePar(RecipeFile, BreakAll, BreakAllAllowed, LoadString, VarName, RecipePar);
}
int LoadRecipe_Par(FILE * RecipeFile, int * BreakAll,int BreakAllAllowed, char * LoadString, char * VarName, unsigned int * RecipePar)
{
	LoadRecipePar(RecipeFile, BreakAll, BreakAllAllowed, LoadString, VarName, RecipePar);
}
int LoadRecipe_Par(FILE * RecipeFile, int * BreakAll,int BreakAllAllowed, char * LoadString, char * VarName, float * RecipePar)
{
	LoadRecipePar(RecipeFile, BreakAll, BreakAllAllowed, LoadString, VarName, RecipePar);
}