What are the differences between templates and inheritance in programming?

What are the differences between templates and inheritance in programming?

Templates and inheritance are both ways to achieve code reuse, but they work differently. Templates allow for generic programming, enabling functions and classes to operate with any data type. Inheritance, on the other hand, is a way to create a new class based on an existing class, inheriting its properties and methods.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! For templates, consider a function that sorts an array of any type: template <typename T> void sort(T arr[], int size). For inheritance, imagine a class Animal with a method speak(), and a derived class Dog that overrides speak() to bark.

Which one is better to use?

It depends on the situation. Use templates when you need flexibility with data types, and inheritance when you want to model a relationship between classes. Both have their advantages!

Are there any downsides to using templates?

Yes, templates can lead to code bloat because they generate separate instances for each type used. They can also make error messages more complex and harder to understand.