Learn Method Overloading | Advanced Method Concepts

What Is Method Overloading?

Method overloading in Java lets you define multiple methods with the same name within a single class, as long as each method has a different set of parameters. The differences can be in the number of parameters, their types, or both. This feature allows you to create flexible and readable code by grouping related operations under a single method name, while still handling different input scenarios.

Main.java


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package com.example;

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        print("Hello, world!");
        print(42);
        print("Sum:", 10, 20);
    }

    public static void print(String message) {
        System.out.println("String: " + message);
    }

    public static void print(int number) {
        System.out.println("Int: " + number);
    }

    public static void print(String label, int a, int b) {
        System.out.println(label + " " + (a + b));
    }
}

Explanation:

The print methods differ by parameter types and counts:
- One method takes a single String argument;
- Another takes a single int argument;
- The third takes a String and two int arguments.
Java determines which method to call based on the number and types of arguments you provide. When you call print("Hello, world!"), Java matches the method with a single String parameter. For print(42), Java selects the method with a single int parameter. When you call print("Sum:", 10, 20), Java uses the method with a String and two int parameters.

Mastering method overloading equips you to write more flexible and readable code. By defining multiple versions of a method with different parameter lists, you can handle a variety of input types and scenarios without cluttering your codebase with unrelated method names. This is especially useful when designing APIs, utility classes, or mathematical operations where similar actions are performed on different data types or numbers of arguments.

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Section 3. Chapter 1

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