Question

I want to make some storage for my game. Now the code looks like:

class WorldSettings
{
    private:
        std::map<std::string, int> mIntegerStorage;
        std::map<std::string, float> mFloatStorage;
        std::map<std::string, std::string> mStringStorage;

    public:
        template <typename T>
        T Get(const std::string &key) const
        {
            // [?]
        }
};

So, I have a few associative containers which stores the exact type of data. Now I want to add into settings some value: settings.Push<int>("WorldSize", 1000); and get it: settings.Get<int>("WorldSize");. But how to switch need map due to passed type into template?

Or, maybe, you know a better way, thanks.

Answer 1

If your compiler supports this¹, you can use template function specialisations:

class WorldSettings
{
    private:
        std::map<std::string, int> mIntegerStorage;
        std::map<std::string, float> mFloatStorage;
        std::map<std::string, std::string> mStringStorage;

    public:
        template <typename T>
        T Get(const std::string &key); // purposely left undefined
};

...

template<>
int WorldSettings::Get<int>(const std::string& key) {
    return mIntegerStorage[key];
}

template<>
float WorldSettings::Get<float>(const std::string& key) {
    return mFloatStorage[key];
}

// etc

Notice that the methods are not const because map<>::operator[] is not const.

Also, if someone tries to use the template with a type other than one you have provided a specialisation for, they will get linker errors, so your code won’t misbehave or anything. Which is optimal.

---

¹ If not, see @gwiazdorrr’s answer