I have some template code that I would prefer to have stored in a CPP file instead of inline in the header. I know this can be done as long as you know which template types will be used. For example:
.h file
class foo
{
public:
template <typename T>
void do(const T& t);
};
template <typename T>
void foo::do(const T& t)
{
// Do something with t
}
template void foo::do<int>(const int&);
template void foo::do<std::string>(const std::string&);
The problem you describe can be solved by defining the template in the header, or via the approach you describe above.
I recommend reading the following points from the C++ FAQ Lite:
They go into a lot of detail about these (and other) template issues.