Method Overloading

Method Overloading means defining multiple methods in the same class with the same name but different parameters (type, number or order).

Example

class Calculator {
    int add(int a, int b) {
        return a + b;
    }
    
    double add(double a, double b) {
        return a + b;
    }
    
    int add(int a, int b int c) {
        return a + b + c;
    }
}

Ways to overload

• Different number of arguments: add(int, int) vs add(int, int, int)
• Different types of arguments: add(int, int) vs add(double, double)
• Different order: print(String, int) vs print(int, String)

Features

• Happens at compile-time → Also called compile-time polymorphism.
• Improves readability and flexibility.
• Works only in the same class (or inherited class).
• Can overload:
  • instance methods,
  • constructors,
  • static methods.

Comparison

Overloading vs Overriding

Feature	Overloading	Overriding
Occurs In	Same class	Subclass (inheritance)
Params	Must be different	Must be same
Return Type	Can differ	Must be same (or covariant)
Polymorphism Type	Compile-time	Runtime

Tip

If methods have the same name but different parameters, it’s overloading.
Changing only the return type won’t work - the compiler will complain.

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Parent: _OOP Concepts