What is the difference between templates and macros in C++?

What is the difference between templates and macros in C++?

Templates are a feature of C++ that allows functions and classes to operate with generic types, while macros are preprocessor directives that perform text substitution before compilation.

Can you give me an example of a template?

Sure! Here's a simple example of a template function that swaps two values:

template <typename T>
void swap(T &a, T &b) {
    T temp = a;
    a = b;
    b = temp;
}

And what about a macro example?

An example of a macro would be:

#define SQUARE(x) ((x) * (x))

This macro calculates the square of a number.

Are templates type-safe while macros are not?

Exactly! Templates are type-safe and checked at compile time, whereas macros are not type-checked and can lead to unexpected behavior.