When to use template vs inheritance

Question

I\'ve been looking around for this one, and the common response to this seems to be along the lines of \"they are unrelated, and one can\'t be substituted for the other\". B

Answer 1

The "common response" is wrong. In "Effective C++," Scott Meyers says in Item 41:

Item 41: Understand implicit interfaces and compile-time polymorphism.

Meyers goes on to summarize:

• Both classes and templates support interfaces and polymorphism.
• For classes, interfaces are explicit and centered on function signatures. Polymorphism occurs at runtime through virtual functions.
• For template parameters, interfaces are implicit and based on valid expressions. Polymorphism occurs during compilation through template instantiation and function overloading resolution.