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Variadic function
templates in C++
Variadic templates are template that take a 3.9
variable number of arguments. Variadic
function templates are functions which can
take multiple number of arguments.

Syntax for a variadic function template: :

template(typename arg, typename... args)

return_type function_name(arg var1, args...
var2)

Note :, typename arg, typename... args must

be
inside angular brackets.

Below is an example in C++ to show how we

can use variadic function template:

// C++ program to demonstrate working of

// Variadic function Template
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
 
// To handle base case of below recursiv
e
// Variadic function Template
void print()
{
    cout << "I am empty function and "
            "I am called at last.\n" ;
}
 
// Variadic function Template that takes
// variable number of arguments and prin
ts
// all of them.
template <typename T, typename... Types>
void print(T var1, Types... var2)
{
    cout << var1 << endl ;
 
    print(var2...) ;
}
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
    print(1, 2, 3.14, "Pass me any "
              "number of arguments",
                  "I will print\n");
 
    return 0;
}
Run on IDE

Output:

1
2
3.14
Pass me any number of arguments
I will print

I am empty function and I am called at last

.

Remember that templates are replaced by

actual functions by compiler.

The variadic templates work as follows :

The statement, print(1, 2, 3.14, “Pass me any
number of arguments”, “I will print\n”); is
evaluated in following manner :
Firstly, the compiler resolves the statement into

cout<< 1 <<endl ;
print(2, 3.14, "Pass me any number of argum
ents",
"I will print\n");

Now, the compiler finds a print() function which

can take those arguments and in result
executes the variadic print() funciton again in
similar manner :
 cout<< 2 <<endl ;
print(3.14, "Pass me any number of argument
s",
"I will print\n");

Again, it is resolved into the following forms :

(*)

cout<< 3.14 <<endl ;

print("Pass me any number of arguments",
"I will print\n");

(*)

cout<< "Pass me any number of arguments" <<

endl ;
print("I will print\n");

(*)

cout<< "I will print\n" <<endl ;

print();

Now, at this point the compiler searches for a

function overload whose match is the empty
function i.e. the function which has no
argument.

This means that, all functions that have 1 or

more arguments are matched to the variadic
template and all functions that with no
argument are matched to the empty function.

Reference :
http://www.cplusplus.com/articles/EhvU7k9E/

This article is contributed by MAZHAR IMAM

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