Why can't I use float value as a template parameter?

Question

When I try to use float as a template parameter, the compiler cries for this code, while int works fine.

Is it because I cannot use float as a template parameter?

#include<iostream>
using namespace std;

template <class T, T defaultValue>
class GenericClass
{
private:
    T value;
public:
    GenericClass()
    {
        value = defaultValue;
    }

    T returnVal()
    {
        return value;
    }
}; 


int main()
{
    GenericClass <int, 10> gcInteger;
    GenericClass < float, 4.6f> gcFlaot;

    cout << "\n sum of integer is "<<gcInteger.returnVal();
    cout << "\n sum of float is "<<gcFlaot.returnVal();

    return 0;       
}

Error:

main.cpp: In function `int main()':
main.cpp:25: error: `float' is not a valid type for a template constant parameter
main.cpp:25: error: invalid type in declaration before ';' token

main.cpp:28: error: request for member `returnVal' in `gcFlaot',
                    which is of non-class type `int'

I am reading "Data Structures for Game Programmers" by Ron Penton, the author passes a float, but when I try it it doesn't seem to compile.

Answer 1

THE SIMPLE ANSWER

The standard doesn't allow floating points as non-type template-arguments, which can be read about in the following section of the C++11 standard;

14.3.2/1      Template non-type arguments      [temp.arg.nontype]

A template-argument for a non-type, non-template template-parameter shall be one of:

• for a non-type template-parameter of integral or enumeration type, a converted constant expression (5.19) of the type of the template-parameter;

• the name of a non-type template-parameter; or

• a constant expression (5.19) that designates the address of an object with static storage duration and external or internal linkage or a function with external or internal linkage, including function templates and function template-ids but excluding non-static class members, expressed (ignoring parentheses) as & id-expression, except that the & may be omitted if the name refers to a function or array and shall be omitted if the corresponding template-parameter is a reference; or

• a constant expression that evaluates to a null pointer value (4.10); or

• a constant expression that evaluates to a null member pointer value (4.11); or

• a pointer to member expressed as described in 5.3.1.

---

But.. but.. WHY!?

It is probably due to the fact that floating point calculations cannot be represented in an exact manner. If it was allowed it could/would result in erroneous/weird behavior when doing something as this;

func<1/3.f> (); 
func<2/6.f> ();

We meant to call the same function twice but this might not be the case since the floating point representation of the two calculations isn't guaranteed to be exactly the same.

---

How would I represent floating point values as template arguments?

With C++11 you could write some pretty advanced constant-expressions (constexpr) that would calculate the numerator/denominator of a floating value compile time and then pass these two as separate integer arguments.

Remember to define some sort of threshold so that floating point values close to each other yields the same numerator/denominator, otherwise it's kinda pointless since it will then yield the same result previously mentioned as a reason not to allow floating point values as non-type template arguments.