templates with overloads, C++ (vc++)

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#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <cstring>

// overload one for generic simple types
template < typename T > bool less( const T& a, const T& b ) { return a < b ; }

// overload two specifically (non-template) for c-style strings
bool less( const char* a, const char* b ) { return std::strcmp(a,b) < 0 ; }

// overload three for generic arrays of the same kind
template < typename T, std::size_t N > bool less( const T(&a)[N], const T(&b)[N] )
{
    for( std::size_t i = 0 ; i < N ; ++i )
    {
        if( less( a[i], b[i] ) ) return true ;
        else if( less( b[i], a[i] ) ) return false ;
    }

return false ;
}

int main()
{
    int i = 7, j = 8 ;
    std::cout << std::boolalpha << less(i,j) << '\n' ; // overload one

char cstr1[10] = "abcd" ;
    char cstr2[10] = "abcde" ;
    std::cout << less( cstr1, cstr2 ) << '\n' ; // overload two

int arr1[8] = { 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 } ;
    int arr2[8] = { 0, 1, 2, 7, 4, 5 } ;
    std::cout << less( arr1, arr2 ) << '\n' ; // overload three
                                // (which calls overload one for each element)

char arr2d_x[][5] = { "abcd", "efgh", "ijkl", "mnop" } ;
    char arr2d_y[][5] = { "abcd", "Efgh", "IJKL", "mnop" } ;
    std::cout << less( arr2d_x, arr2d_y ) << '\n' ; // overload three
                                // (which calls overload two for each element)

int arr2d_i[7][5] = { { 0, 1, 2, 3 }, { 4, 5, 6, 1 }, { 7, 8, 9 } } ;
    int arr2d_j[7][5] = { { 0, 1, 2, 3 }, { 4, 5, 6 }, { 7, 8, 9 }, { 9 } } ;
    std::cout << less( arr2d_i, arr2d_j ) << '\n' ; // overload three
                                // (which calls overload three for each sub-array)
                                // (which calls overload one for each element)
}

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Compilation time: 1,76 sec, absolute running time: 0,34 sec, absolute service time: 2,1 sec