Sams Teach Yourself C++ in One Hour a Day, Sixth Edition

Chapter 15. An Introduction to Macros and Templates

By now, you should have a solid understanding of basic C++ syntax. Programs written in C++ should be understandable and you are poised to learn language features that help you write applications efficiently.

In this lesson, you will learn

• An introduction to the preprocessor

• The #define keyword and macros

• An introduction to templates

• Writing templates for functions and classes

• The difference between macros and templates

The Preprocessor and the Compiler

Every time you compile a C++ file, the compiler first preprocesses it. This unit of the compiler that processes your code before it is actually compiled is called the preprocessor.

C++ features syntax elements by which the programmer can control the compile-time ...