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copied!<p>This is a common point of confusion for many (including the Generic Programming page on Wikipedia, some C++ tutorials, and other answers on this page). As far as C++ is concerned, <strong>there is no such thing as a "template class," there is only a "class template."</strong> The way to read that phrase is "a template for a class," as opposed to a "function template," which is "a template for a function." <strong>Again: classes do not define templates, templates define classes</strong> (and functions). For example, this is a <em>template</em>, specifically a <em>class template</em>, but <em>it is <strong>not</strong> a class</em>:</p> <pre><code>template<typename T> class MyClassTemplate { ... }; </code></pre> <p>The declaration <code>MyClassTemplate<int></code> <strong>is a class,</strong> or pedantically, a class based on a template. <em>There are no special properties of a class based on a template vs. a class not based on a template.</em> The special properties are <em>of the template itself</em>.</p> <p>The phrase "template class" means nothing, because the word "template" has no meaning as an adjective when applied to the noun "class" as far as C++ is concerned. It implies the existence of a <em>class</em> that <strong>is</strong> (or defines) a <em>template</em>, which is not a concept that exists in C++.</p> <p>I understand the common confusion, as it is probably based on the fact that the words appear in the order "template class" in the actual language, which is a whole other story.</p>

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