Can a class member function template be virtual?

Question

I have heard that C++ class member function templates can\'t be virtual. Is this true?

If they can be virtual, what is an example of a scenario in which one would

Answer 1

In the other answers the proposed template function is a facade and doesn't offer any practical benefit.

• Template functions are useful for writing code only once using different types.
• Virtual functions are useful for having a common interface for different classes.

The language doesn't allow virtual template functions but with a workaround it is possible to have both, e.g. one template implementation for each class and a virtual common interface.

It is however necessary to define for each template type combination a dummy virtual wrapper function:

#include 
#include 
#include 

//---------------------------------------------
// Abstract class with virtual functions
class Geometry {
public:
    virtual void getArea(float &area) = 0;
    virtual void getArea(long double &area) = 0;
};

//---------------------------------------------
// Square
class Square : public Geometry {
public:
    float size {1};

    // virtual wrapper functions call template function for square
    virtual void getArea(float &area) { getAreaT(area); }
    virtual void getArea(long double &area) { getAreaT(area); }

private:
    // Template function for squares
    template 
    void getAreaT(T &area) {
        area = static_cast(size * size);
    }
};

//---------------------------------------------
// Circle
class Circle : public Geometry  {
public:
    float radius {1};

    // virtual wrapper functions call template function for circle
    virtual void getArea(float &area) { getAreaT(area); }
    virtual void getArea(long double &area) { getAreaT(area); }

private:
    // Template function for Circles
    template 
    void getAreaT(T &area) {
        area = static_cast(radius * radius * 3.1415926535897932385L);
    }
};


//---------------------------------------------
// Main
int main()
{
    // get area of square using template based function T=float
    std::unique_ptr geometry = std::make_unique();
    float areaSquare;
    geometry->getArea(areaSquare);

    // get area of circle using template based function T=long double
    geometry = std::make_unique();
    long double areaCircle;
    geometry->getArea(areaCircle);

    std::cout << std::setprecision(20) << "Square area is " << areaSquare << ", Circle area is " << areaCircle << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

Output:

Square area is 1, Circle area is 3.1415926535897932385

Try it here