[temp.fct.spec.general]

A function instantiated from a function template is called a function template specialization; so is an explicit specialization of a function template.

Template arguments can be explicitly specified when naming the function template specialization, deduced from the context (e.g., deduced from the function arguments in a call to the function template specialization, see [temp.deduct]), or obtained from default template arguments.

Each function template specialization instantiated from a template has its own copy of any static variable.

[Example 1: template<class T> void f(T* p) { static T s; }; void g(int a, char* b) { f(&a); / calls f<int>(int*) f(&b); / calls f<char*>(char**) }

Here f<int>(int*) has a static variable s of type int and f<char*>(char*) has a static variable s of type char*.

— end example]