Function Overloading in C++ tutorial

9/12/2025
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Function Overloading in C++ tutorial

Function Overloading in C++ tutorial

Function Overloading in C++

Function overloading in C++ allows you to define multiple functions with the same name but different parameter lists (type or number of parameters). The compiler determines which function to call based on the arguments passed.

This is a feature of compile-time polymorphism (also called static polymorphism) in C++.

🔹 Why Use Function Overloading?

  • Improves code readability by using the same function name for similar tasks.

  • Provides flexibility to handle different data types and argument counts.

  • Helps achieve polymorphism in C++.

🔹 Rules for Function Overloading

  • Functions must have the same name.

  • They must differ in the number or type of parameters.

  • The return type alone cannot distinguish overloaded functions.

🔹 Example: Function Overloading

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

// Function with two int parameters
int add(int a, int b) {
    return a + b;
}

// Function with three int parameters
int add(int a, int b, int c) {
    return a + b + c;
}

// Function with two double parameters
double add(double a, double b) {
    return a + b;
}

int main() {
    cout << "Sum of two ints: " << add(2, 3) << endl;
    cout << "Sum of three ints: " << add(2, 3, 4) << endl;
    cout << "Sum of doubles: " << add(2.5, 3.5) << endl;
    return 0;
}

Output:

Sum of two ints: 5
Sum of three ints: 9
Sum of doubles: 6

Best Practices

  • Use overloading for functions that conceptually perform the same task.

  • Avoid excessive overloading that can confuse users.

  • Keep function signatures clear and well-documented.

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