Essential C++

6.3. Handling Template Type Parameters

Handling a template type parameter is somewhat more complicated than handling an explicit parameter type. For example, to declare an explicit int parameter to a function, we write

bool find( int val ); 

passing it by value. However, to declare an explicit Matrix class parameter to a function, we instead write

bool find( const Matrix &val ); 

passing it by reference in order not to generate an unnecessary copy of the Matrix class object. Our program is not wrong if we declare find() as follows:

// not wrong, but inefficient 
bool find( Matrix val ); 

It simply takes longer to reach the same conclusion and is likely to be criticized by readers of our code, particularly if find() is called frequently within ...