This is a small C++ project I made to practice using templates and basic C++ programming. The program creates a simple toolkit with functions that can work with different types of data (like integers, doubles, and strings) using templates. I wanted to build this as a toolkit for robotics lab work, where they can handle different data types without needing to repeat the code.

• Creates template functions that can work with different data types (int, double, string) without writing separate code for each type.
• Provides utility functions like finding the midpoint between two numbers and swapping values.
• Uses a template class called DataHolder that can store and manage different types of data with min/max limits.
• Shows how templates work by demonstrating the same functions working with integers, doubles, and strings.
• Prints the results to the console, so you can see how templates handle different data types.

When you run the program, you'll see output like this:

Result (int): 30
Result (double): 2.9815
---
"firstNumber" new value: 18
"secondNumber" new value: 7
---
"greeting" new value: world
"planet" new value: hello
---
Current value from first test is 21
New value: 78
Current value is: 100
---
The current value of the string stored is: robotics lab
---
	=== ToolKit Demo ===
The mid point of 1000 - 3000 is: 2000
----
"part1" new value is: engine
"part2" new value is: alpha
----
The special number value is: 3.9
----
The name of the robot is: CASIONATOR THE DESTROYER
	=== End of ToolKit Demo ===

I wanted to practice using templates in C++ and understand how to write code that can work with different data types. I also wanted to build this as a toolkit for robotics lab work, where they often need to handle different types of data (sensor readings, coordinates, robot names, etc.) without writing separate code for each type. This project helped me learn how templates make code more flexible and reusable, and how to create template classes that can handle different types of data efficiently.

This project uses CMake build system generator for easy, cross-platform compilation. Follow these steps from the root directory of the project CustomRobotics-Toolkit/

1. Ensure CMake is installed:

• Make sure you have CMake (version 3.1- or higher please) and a C++ compiler (g++ or clang++) installed on your system.

2. Generate the build system (configure):

• Create a separated directory for the build files and run CMake inside it. Keeping source files clean

mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..

3. Build:

• Use generated build system (make on Unix-like systems) to compile the executable.

make

4. Run the program:

• The executable (RoboticsToolkit) will be placed inside the build directory.

./RoboticsToolkit

IMPORTANT: Note for windows users:

• Windows developers have two ways to build the project using CMake.
  • Command line (MSYS2/Cygwin): If you use an environment like MSYS2 or WLS (Windows Subsystem for Linux), you can follow the Standard Build steps above exactly.
  • Visual Studio: CMake can generate a Visual Studio solution. Run CMake from your developer command prompt, specify the generator:

cmake .. -G "Visual Studio 17 2022"

Then, open the generated .sln file and build within Visual Studio IDE.

Rodrigo Casio
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