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Overloading

Operator overloading allows operators like + and - to be used with user-defined types by defining additional functions for those operators. An operator is essentially just a function with different syntax - for an operator the arguments are placed on either side rather than in parentheses. Overloading lets user-defined types use familiar operator syntax rather than always requiring function calls. The compiler determines which overloaded function to use based on the types of the arguments. Overloaded operators can be class member functions or non-member friend functions.

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Nabeel
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37 views

Overloading

Operator overloading allows operators like + and - to be used with user-defined types by defining additional functions for those operators. An operator is essentially just a function with different syntax - for an operator the arguments are placed on either side rather than in parentheses. Overloading lets user-defined types use familiar operator syntax rather than always requiring function calls. The compiler determines which overloaded function to use based on the types of the arguments. Overloaded operators can be class member functions or non-member friend functions.

Uploaded by

Nabeel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Function and Operator

Overloading
Overloading
• Review of function overloading
– It is giving several definitions to a single function
name
– The compiler can figure out which definition to use by
the number and type of arguments
• Operator overloading is giving additional
definitions to operators
• Some operators that can be overloaded
+, -, >, <, [ ], *, etc
The difference between a
function and an operator
• An operator (such as +) is really just a function
with different syntax
• In a function, the argument are placed in
parentheses after the function name, as in:
– add(cost, tax)
– This is postfix notation
• For an operator, the argument are placed on
either side of the operator, as in:
– cost + tax
– This is infix notation
Advantages of operator
overloading
• The point of operator overloading is to
provide the same concise expression for
user-defined types as built in types
• It is just clearer and simpler to say
– Cost + tax, than to say
– Add(cost, tax)
The role of types in overloading
• C++ programming is a type sensitive and type-
focused process
• Programmers can use built-in types or define
their own types
• Operators can be used with user-defined types
as well as built-in types
– The operators new meaning must be defined
• The compiler uses the type of the arguments to
decide which definition to use for overloaded
functions or operators
How operators are overloading
• You write a function (with a header and body) as you
normally would
• The function name is now the keyword operator
followed by the symbol to be overloaded
– Example: return_type operator++( )
• To use an operator on a class object, that operator
must be overloaded (with a couple of exceptions)
– The assignment operator (=)
– The address operator (&)
Restrictions on operator
overloading
• The precedence of an operator cannot be
changed by overloading.
– An aside on precedence—table on precedence
• You cannot change the number of
operands(arguments) an operators takes
– Unary operators remain unary; binary remain
binary; the only ternary operator (:?) cannot be
overloaded
• It is not possible to create new operators
– So ** for exponentiation cannot be created
Operator functions as class
members vs. as friend functions
• They can be either class members or friends
• As member functions:
– The leftmost (or only) argument must be a class object
or reference to a class object
• If the left operand must be a built-in type or
object of a different class, it must be a non-
member function
– If it must access private members of the class directly,
then it must be a friend function
Data Conversions
• Type conversions between built-in data types
may be implicit or explicit
– Use static_cast<new_type>(old_type_variable) for
explicit type conversions
• All conversions between objects and built-in
types must be explicit
• Example: convert 5 feet 3 inches to 5.25 feet
this is a conversion from Distance to a float

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