The previous example is called a function template (or generic function, if you like). A specific instantiation of a function template is called a template function. Template function instantiation occurs when you take the function address, or when you call the function with defined (non-generic) data types. You can override the generation of a template function for a specific type with a non-template function:

#include <string.h>
char *max(char *x, char *y){
   return(strcmp(x,y) > 0) ? x : y;
}

If you call the function with string arguments, it's executed in place of the automatic template function. In this case, calling the function avoided a meaningless comparison between two pointers. 

Only trivial argument conversions are performed with compiler-generated template functions. 

The argument type(s) of a template function must use all of the template formal arguments. If it doesn't, there is no way of deducing the actual values for the unused template arguments when the function is called.