overload, override, and redefine

Override and overload in C++

Overloading generally means that you have two or more functions in the same scope having the same name. The function that better matches the arguments when a call is made wins and is called. Important to note, as opposed to calling a virtual function, is that the function that’s called is selected at compile time. It all depends on the static type of the argument. If you have an overload for B and one for D, and the argument is a reference to B, but it really points to a D object, then the overload for B is chosen in C++. That’s called static dispatch as opposed to dynamic dispatch. You overload if you want to do the same as another function having the same name, but you want to do that for another argument type. Example:

void print(Foo const& f) {
    // print a foo
}

void print(Bar const& bar) {
    // print a bar
}

they both print their argument, so they are overloaded. But the first prints a foo, and the second prints a bar. If you have two functions that do different things, it’s considered bad style when they have the same name, because that can lead to confusion about what will happen actually when calling the functions. Another usecase for overloading is when you have additional parameters for functions, but they just forward control to other functions:

void print(Foo & f, PrintAttributes b) { 
    /* ... */ 
}

void print(Foo & f, std::string const& header, bool printBold) {
    print(f, PrintAttributes(header, printBold));
}

That can be convenient for the caller, if the options that the overloads take are often used.

Overriding(virtual) is something completely different. It doesn’t compete with overloading. It means that if you have a virtual function in a base class, you can write a function with the same signature in the derived class. The function in the derived class overrides the function of the base. Sample:

struct base {
    virtual void print() { cout << "base!"; }
}

struct derived: base {
    virtual void print() { cout << "derived!"; }
}

Now, if you have an object and call the print member function, the print function of the derived is always called, because it overrides the one of the base. If the function print wasn’t virtual, then the function in the derived wouldn’t override the base function, but would merely hide it. Overriding can be useful if you have a function that accepts a base class, and every one that’s derived from it:

void doit(base &b) {
    // and sometimes, we want to print it
    b.print();
}

Now, even though at compile time the compiler only knows that b is at least base, print of the derived class will be called. That’s the point of virtual functions. Without them, the print function of the base would be called, and the one in the derived class wouldn’t override it.

Redefining vs. Overriding in C++

Here are some basic differences:

• An overloaded function is a function that shares its name with one or more other functions, but which has a different parameter list. The compiler chooses which function is desired based upon the arguments used.

• An overridden function is a method in a descendant class that has a different definition than a virtual function in an ancestor class. The compiler chooses which function is desired based upon the type of the object being used to call the function.

• A redefined function is a method in a descendant class that has a different definition than a non-virtual function in an ancestor class. Don’t do this. Since the method is not virtual, the compiler chooses which function to call based upon the static type of the object reference rather than the actual type of the object.

• Static type checking means that type checking occurs at compile time. No type information is used at runtime in that case.

• Dynamic type checking occurs when type information is used at runtime. C++ uses a mechanism called RTTI (runtime type information) to implement this. The most common example where RTTI is used is the dynamic_cast operator which allows downcasting of polymorphic types: