A Semantic Analysis of C++ Templates

Templates are a powerful but poorly understood feature of the C++ language. Their syntax resembles the parameterized classes of other languages (e.g., of Java). But because C++ supports template specialization, their semantics is quite different from that of parameterized classes. Template specialization provides a Turing-complete sub-language within C++ that executes at compile-time. Programmers put this power to many uses. For example, templates are a popular tool for writing program generators. The C++ Standard defines the semantics of templates using natural language, so it is prone to misinterpretation. The meta-theoretic properties of C++ templates have not been studied, so the semantics of templates has not been systematically checked for errors. In this paper we present the first formal account of C++ templates including some of the more complex aspects, such as template partial specialization. We validate our semantics by proving type safety and verify the proof with the Isabe...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2006
• Where: ECOOP
• Authors: Jeremy G. Siek, Walid Taha
• Keywords: C++ Templates, ECOOP 2006, Parameterized Classes, Programming Languages, Template Specializations