Question

If I have a template function, say one that calculates an average by summing up the elements in a container of type T holding things of T::value_type, how do I elegantly initialize the sum with a zero?

Suppose the underlying type is not a plain old data type. It could be a complex variable, or some other as yet uncoded mathematical entity which has some form of a zero.

Something more elegant than

T::value_type sum = 0;

Then hoping for the best cast.

Answer 1

maybe you would like better

T::value_type sum = T::value_type();