Here are comments with each syntax:
void foo(int param); //not a specialization, it is an overload
void foo<int>(int param); //ill-formed
//this form always works
template <> void foo<int>(int param); //explicit specialization
//same as above, but works only if template argument deduction is possible!
template <> void foo(int param); //explicit specialization
//same as above, but works only if template argument deduction is possible!
template void foo(int param); //explicit instantiation
Added by me:
//Notice <int>. This form always works!
template void foo<int>(int param); //explicit instantiation
//Notice <>. works only if template argument deduction is possible!
template void foo<>(int param); //explicit instantiation
From coding point of view, overload is preferred over function-template-specialization.
So, don’t specialize function template:
And to know the terminologies:
- instantiation
- explicit instantiation
- specialization
- explicit specialization
See this :