Is Function Template Partial Specialization Actually Possible in C ?

Why Function Template Partial Specialization Seems Possible

Function template partial specialization is often mistaken as a feature supported by C . However, as per the C standard, it is not allowed.

The code provided appears to show a partial specialization of a function template due to the presence of two templates with the same parameter type:

template <typename T>
inline T const& max(T const& a, T const& b)
{
    return 10;
}

Upon closer examination, it becomes evident that the code is actually overloading the max function rather than partially specializing it. The proper syntax for function template partial specialization would be:

// Not allowed by the standard!
template <typename T>
inline T const& max<T,T>(T const& a, T const& b)
{
    return a; // Any value of type T
}

Overloading vs. Partial Specialization

Overloading allows multiple functions to share the same name but with different parameter lists, while partial specialization creates specialized versions of a function template for specific template arguments.

Conclusion

While it may appear that partial specialization of function templates is supported in some cases, it is essential to remember that it is not a feature of the C standard. Overloading is a valid technique to achieve similar functionality, but it lacks the flexibility and type safety of true partial specialization.

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