How do I separate template declarations and definitions in C++?

In C++, when you define class or function templates, you can separate their declarations from their definitions to improve code organization and clarity. Typically, the declarations are placed in a header file (.h), and the definitions are placed in a source file (.cpp). This practice is especially useful for large projects where templates might be included in multiple source files.

Here is a simple example of how to separate template declarations and definitions:

// Example: template_declaration.h #ifndef TEMPLATE_DECLARATION_H #define TEMPLATE_DECLARATION_H template class MyClass { public: MyClass(T value); T getValue() const; private: T m_value; }; #include "template_definition.cpp" // Include definitions at the end #endif // TEMPLATE_DECLARATION_H // Example: template_definition.cpp #include "template_declaration.h" template MyClass::MyClass(T value) : m_value(value) {} template T MyClass::getValue() const { return m_value; }

C++ templates header file source file code organization class templates function templates

Related Questions

How do I avoid rehashing overhead with std::set in multithreaded code?

How do I find elements with custom comparators with std::set for embedded targets?

How do I erase elements while iterating with std::set for embedded targets?

How do I provide stable iteration order with std::unordered_map for large datasets?

How do I reserve capacity ahead of time with std::unordered_map for large datasets?

How do I erase elements while iterating with std::unordered_map in multithreaded code?

How do I provide stable iteration order with std::map for embedded targets?

How do I provide stable iteration order with std::map in multithreaded code?

How do I avoid rehashing overhead with std::map in performance-sensitive code?

How do I merge two containers efficiently with std::map for embedded targets?