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C++ is a fully compiled language, and will not compile code that has type errors (barring you hack your way out of the spirit of the type system). Templates are

C++ is a fully compiled language, and will not compile code that has type errors (barring you hack your way out of the spirit of the type system). Templates are no exception - they are type-safe once instantiated because they transform at that point into normal C++, which is type safe. Templates themselves are not types and are not meant to be, they’re meant to be templates, yes, more akin to macros, but not at any cost or defecit because of it. Frankly I don’t understand the criticism; I don’t care if I get a compiler error during template evaluation or during compilation or during linkage, a compiler error is a compiler error. Code that works works and code that doesn’t doesn’t.

choeger 5y ago
> Frankly I don’t understand the criticism; I don’t care if I get a compiler error during template evaluation or during compilation or during linkage, a compiler error is a compiler error. You might want to consider a setup where the library author is not the same person as the library user. Don't you think it's important that the former sees and not the latter? That's why linker errors and compiler errors and template errors are not equal. Also, if you make an error in a template or its instantiation you might not even get an error but an infinite (i.e., maybe aborted) computation. If you don't see the difference between these things, I cannot help you.