Member templates

	template<typename T>
	class Pointer
	{
	  public:
	    Pointer(T* aPtr)
	      : myPtr( aPtr ) { }
	    template<typename Q>
	      Pointer(const Pointer<Q> aPtr)
	      : myPtr( aPtr.myPtr ) { }
	    //...
	  private:
	    T* myPtr;
	};

In the above example, Pointer has a templatised constructor that allows a Pointer<X> to be constructed from Pointer<Y> if and only if an X* can be initialised with a Y*. In other words the "normal" derived to base pointer conversion can be made to work for smart pointers:

	class Base { ... };
	class Derived : public Base { ... };

	Pointer<Base> p( new Derived );
	// same as:
	Pointer<Base> p( Pointer<Derived>( new Derived ) );
	// which is well-formed because a Derived* can be
	// used to initialise a Base*

Almost any member of a class can be a template: nested classes, functions, constructors, conversion operators. A destructor cannot be a template (because there is only one destructor per class).

---

Defining member templates outside the class can look a little unwieldy but the syntax is "obvious" when you think about it:

	class Thing
	{
	  public:
	    template<typename T>
	      class Nested
	      {
		public:
		  template<typename Q>
		    void f(T t, Q q);
		  void g(T t);
	      };
	    template<typename T>
	      void h(T t);
	};

	template<typename T>
	  template<typename Q>
	    void Thing::Nested<T>::f(T t, Q q) { ... }

	template<typename T>
	  void Thing::Nested<T>::g(T t) { ... }

	template<typename T>
	  void Thing::h(T t) { ... }

	// the constructors for Pointer above,
	// defined out of line:
	template<typename T>
	  Pointer<T>::Pointer(T* aPtr) ...

	template<typename T>
	  template<typename Q>
	    Pointer<T>::Pointer(const Pointer<Q> aPtr) ...

---

Specialising member templates also needs care but, again, follows an "obvious" pattern:

	// definition of f for specialisation of
	// Thing::Nested:
	template<>
	  template<typename Q>
	    void Thing::Nested<int>::f(int t, Q q) { ... }

	// specialisation of f for specialisation of 
	// Thing::Nested:
	template<>
	  template<>
	    void Thing::Nested<int>::f(int t, char* q) { ... }

	// specialisation of f for arbitrary Thing::Nested:
	template<typename T>
	  template<>
	    void Thing::Nested<T>::f(T t, char* q) { ... }

See also The Casting Vote: Austin - March '95.