function Overloading

🧩 What is Function Overloading?

👉 Function overloading means same function name, but different parameters.
C++ decides which function to run based on the arguments you give when calling it.

So, you can write one function name like add() that works for:

• adding integers

• adding floats

• adding 3 numbers, etc.

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🧠 Why use it?

Because we can use one function name for similar tasks — instead of creating many names like addInt(), addFloat(), etc.
It makes code clean and readable.

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💻 Example: Easy one

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

// 1️⃣ Add two integers
int add(int a, int b) {
    return a + b;
}

// 2️⃣ Add three integers
int add(int a, int b, int c) {
    return a + b + c;
}

// 3️⃣ Add two floats
float add(float a, float b) {
    return a + b;
}

int main() {
    cout << "Add 2 ints: " << add(5, 10) << endl;
    cout << "Add 3 ints: " << add(2, 3, 4) << endl;
    cout << "Add 2 floats: " << add(2.5f, 3.5f) << endl;
}

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🧾 Output

Add 2 ints: 15
Add 3 ints: 9
Add 2 floats: 6

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🔍 How it Works (Step by Step)

👉 C++ looks at number and type of parameters to decide which one to call.

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⚠️ Important Rule

You can’t overload a function by changing only the return type.

❌ Wrong Example:

int test(int a);
float test(int a); // Error! Only return type is different

Compiler gets confused because parameters are same.

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✅ Valid Overloading Changes