Thread: metatemplate programming

  1. #1
    Registered User
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    May 2002
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    Question template meta programming

    Have people found more interesting uses for metatemplate programming? I have mostly used it for determining constants at compile time rather than run-rime.

    For those not familiar what this is:
    Code:
    #include <iostream>
    
    template< unsigned N > struct tmplFactorial
    {
    	enum { val = N * tmplFactorial< N-1 >::val };
    };
    template<> struct tmplFactorial< 1 >
    {
    	enum { val = 1 };
    };
    
    #define mt_Factorial( n ) tmplFactorial< n >::val;
    
    int main()
    {
    	int x = mt_Factorial(6);
    	std::cout << "Factorial(6)=" << x << std::endl;
    	return 0;
    }
    Sample metatemplate program to generate the value of factorial(6) at compile time. Very useful if you expect parameters to change at compile time.
    Last edited by achacha; 05-21-2002 at 09:06 PM.

  2. #2
    geek SilentStrike's Avatar
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    I've heard it called template meta programming. It's pretty interesting, although the factorial example does nothing more than really add to compile time. 6! isn't a very variable constant .
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  3. #3
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    May 2002
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    66

    template meta

    Just a sample, and in some cases I am glad to trade off compile time with runtime, in realtime apps it is critical and parameters used by these templates are usually tunnable defines (like matrix multiplication and such). Just curious if people use them for more than just that.

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