Difference Between Overloading and Overriding

Overloading vs Overriding

Overloading and overriding are both the features of most of the programming languages. Overloading is a feature that allows the creation of several methods with the same name, in the same class but differ from each other in terms of the type of the input and the type of the output of the function. Method overloading is usually associated with static programming languages which enforce type checking in function calls. These are most likely related with VB, .Net, C++, D, Java, etc. Overriding is a primary skill used for object oriented programming and is done when a user redefine a method that has already been defined in an existing or parent class. In this programming technique the scripts are coded to carry out specific tasks by allowing a script written in a lower or subclass to implement a method or set of instructions that has already been set out in any of the parent or superior classes.

In computer programming, Overloading has originated from a method having more than one definition in the same scope and shares the same name but with the different signature. The method implementations share the same name because they will perform similar tasks. Overloading is also identified because of its recognition as a case of polymorphism, in which some or all of operators can have different implementations which are dependent on their specified argument types. Overriding depends upon the presence of a base class function for its appearance. The language feature Overriding that permits a child class to implement a method that is already used by one of its superclass or parent classes, allows the subclass method assign the same name, parameter list, and return type or signature that the overridden method used in superclass has.

Overloading is considered to be practical because it allows the programmers to write a number of different methods that happen to have the same name. Overloading may have some consequences for a language because at runtime the processor changes the name of all the overloaded methods. It is resolved at compile time. While overriding is a polymorphism that is designed on the base of the implicit first parameter that is resolved at runtime.

Summary:
The term overloading is usually associated with statically programmed languages and overriding got popularity in object oriented programming.
A method in a class having the same method name with different signature is designated as a method of overloading. Overriding known as a method in a class having the same method name and same arguments/signature.
Overloading shares a uniform relationship between methods available in the same class whereas in overriding, relationship between a superclass method and subclass method is created.
Overloading allows inheritance from the superclass.
In overriding, subclass method takes the place of superclass.
Overloading must have different method signature whereas overriding must allocate same signature.

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