1. Generic Programming
CSCE 121
J. Michael Moore

2. Data types Writing the same thing three (or more) times.
Similar functions must be written for different data types, even thought the algorithm is exactly the same.
void swap(int& a, int& b) {
int temp = a;
a = b;
b = temp; }
void swap(double& a, double& b) {
double temp = a;
a = b;
b = temp; }
Write algorithm one time and re-use with different data types.
void swap(string& a, string& b) {
string temp = a;
a = b;
b = temp; }

3. Generic Programming
Wikipedia: a style of computer programming in which algorithms are written in terms of types to-be-specified-later that are then instantiated when needed for specific types provided as parameters.
generics in Ada, Delphi, Eiffel, Java, C#, F#, Objective-C, Swift, and Visual Basic .NET;
parametric polymorphism in ML, Scala, Haskell (the Haskell community also uses the term "generic" for a related but somewhat different concept) and Julia;
templates in C++ and D; and
parameterized types in the influential 1994 book Design Patterns. (Wikipedia)

4. Example
vector in C++
It can hold any data type as long as the data type fulfill certain rules.
More later with templates.

5. Recall: Programming Goals
Correctness
Efficiency
Robustness
Readability
Reuse
Modularity