Method Overloading

Method Overloading

Let's review our prior code

public int power(int x)         //declare method, x is formal parameter
{
 return x * x;
}

In the real world, we have float type variable. We can not pass float variables to power method.

C# support a class to have more than one method with the same name. This is called method overloading. Each method with the same name must have a different signature than the others.

• The signature of a method consists of the following information from the method header of the method declaration:
  • The name of the method
  • The number of parameters
  • The data types and order of the parameters
  • The parameter modifiers
• The return type is not part of the signature—although it’s a common mistake to believe that it is.
• Notice that the names of the formal parameters are not part of the signature.

Following code is the example:

public int power(int x)          //power has int return type and int parameter
{
 return x * x;
}

public float power(float x)         //overloading power method, float as return type and parameter
{
 return x * x;
}
....
static void Main(string[] args)
{
 intCalculator myCalcultor = new intCalculator();

 int myInt = 3;
 Console.WriteLine("power(myInt)", myCalcultor.power(myInt));

 float myFloat = 3.3F;
 Console.WriteLine("power(myFloat)", myCalcultor.power(myFloat));
}

As you see, now power can take both int and float as parameter.

Just like method, constructor also can be overloaded.
You can overload contructor with the same way you overload a mthod.

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