Function overloading is a feature inherent in many programming languages including c++. It allows a user to write multiple functions with same name but with different signatures. On calling the function, the version of the function corresponding to the signature will be referred to. Function signature includes function parameters/arguments, but it does not include return type. Function signature may differ in terms of number of parameters or type of parameters. Let us illustrate with the help of a few examples:
Example 1: The two functions below are overloaded, since the return type of arguments differ:
int func(int a,int b);double func(double a,double b);
Example 2: The two functions below are overloaded because they differ in the number of arguments:
int func(int a,int b);int func(int a,int b,int c);
Example 3: The two functions below are not overloaded because they differ only in terms of their return type; the number and type of all the arguments is same.
void func(int a,int b,int c);int func(int a,int b,int c);
Please note that C does not support function overloading because there is no concept of name mangling in C. On the other hand, C++ does support function overloading as name mangling is supported in C++. Name mangling is mangled name of function name and its signature which is used by C++ compiler internally to refer to functions. For instance, in above example 1, mangled name of functions will look something like shown below:
func__int_intfunc__double_double
This way C++ compiler can handle function overloading.
Note : above are not the actual mangled names. Compiler can make some more complicated names. this is just for understanding.
Also read:
Function overloading is a feature inherent in many programming languages including c++. It allows a user to write multiple functions with same name but with different signatures. On calling the function, the version of the function corresponding to the signature will be referred to. Function signature includes function parameters/arguments, but it does not include return type. Function signature may differ in terms of number of parameters or type of parameters. Let us illustrate with the help of a few examples:
Example 1: The two functions below are overloaded, since the return type of arguments differ:
int func(int a,int b);double func(double a,double b);
Example 2: The two functions below are overloaded because they differ in the number of arguments:
int func(int a,int b);int func(int a,int b,int c);
Example 3: The two functions below are not overloaded because they differ only in terms of their return type; the number and type of all the arguments is same.
void func(int a,int b,int c);int func(int a,int b,int c);
Please note that C does not support function overloading because there is no concept of name mangling in C. On the other hand, C++ does support function overloading as name mangling is supported in C++. Name mangling is mangled name of function name and its signature which is used by C++ compiler internally to refer to functions. For instance, in above example 1, mangled name of functions will look something like shown below:
func__int_intfunc__double_double
This way C++ compiler can handle function overloading.
Note : above are not the actual mangled names. Compiler can make some more complicated names. this is just for understanding.
Also read:
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