Help with a Template Function

[Tystuh]

Okay so my question says:

Write template function that returns the maximum of 3 values.

this is what i have but it is not working.


#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

template <class T>
T findMax(T n1, T n2, T n3){
if ((n1 >= n2) && (n1 >= n3))
{
cout<<n1<<endl;
return n1;
}
else if ((n2 >= n1) && (n2 >= n3))
{
cout<<n2<<endl;
return n2;
}
else if ((n3 >= n1) && (n3 >= n2))
{
cout<<n3<<endl;
return n3;
}
}

int main ()
{
double n1, n2, n3;
cout<<"please enter 3 numbers to find a max"<<endl;
cin>>n1>>n2>>n3;
findMax(n1, n2, n3);
return 0;
}


how can i help this raggedy program?

[vlad from moscow]

Write template function that returns the maximum of 3 values.

Take into account that according to the assignment the function has to return the maximum. It shall not do something else as for example outputing on the console some values.

template <class T>
T findMax( T n1, T n2, T n3 )
{
   T max = n1 < n2 ? n2 : n1;
   max = max < n3 ? n3 : max;

   return ( max );
}

EDIT: By the way it would be much better to define function parameters as const references because they are not changed in the function. So the function can be written as follows

template <class T>
T findMax( const T &n1, const T &n2, const T &n3 )
{
   T max = n1 < n2 ? n2 : n1;
   max = max < n3 ? n3 : max;

   return ( max );
}

[Tystuh]

first of all THANKS!

Well i got it to work, but i had to cout<<max in the function, i tried to add a line in the main program after i called the function
cout<<max<<endl;
but it said there was something wrong with the "<<"
any ideas

[Tystuh]

came out with
IntelliSense: no operator "<<" matches these operands

[vlad from moscow]

This is being done very simply

int a = 10, b = 20;

std::cout << findMax( a, b ) << std::endl;