Encyclopedia > Parameterized class

  Article Content

Generic

Redirected from Parameterized class

In computer science, generics are a technique that allows one value to take different datatype (so-called polymorphism) as long as certain contracts (so-called subtype) are kept. The programming style with it is called "generic programming". With properly implemented generics, it is possible to do Template metaprogramming, which is a way of making algorithms evaluate when your code is compiled.

Among OOP languages, C++, Beta, Eiffel, Ada, and later versions of Java provides generic facility. In C++, templates support generics and popularized the notion of generics.

For example, in C++ code,

template <typename T>
T max (T x, T y)
{
  if (x < y)
    return y;
  else
    return x;
}

In this case, a pseudo-datatype T is called "subtype". T can be anything that can be compared.


See also Partial evaluation



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
Grateful Dead

... of respect for Jerry. The adventure continues... Other bands that allow & encourage taping at their shows include: Phish, String Cheese Incident, Les Claypool Fro ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 28.6 ms