Method Overloading in Java

Method overloading in Java is a feature that allows a class to have more than one method with the same name, provided their parameter lists (also known as method signatures) are different. This is a type of polymorphism (specifically, compile-time or static polymorphism) where multiple methods can perform similar but slightly varied tasks, differentiated by the number and type of their parameters.

Key Points of Method Overloading:

1. Same Method Name: The overloaded methods must have the same name.
2. Different Parameter List: The parameter list must differ in at least one of the following ways:
   • Number of parameters
   • Type of parameters
   • Order of parameters (if the types are different)
3. Return Type: The return type can be different, but it does not contribute to the method signature for overloading purposes.

Benefits of Method Overloading:

• Readability: Makes the code easier to read and understand by using the same method name for similar actions.
• Reusability: Encourages code reuse by allowing a common method name for related functionalities.
• Flexibility: Provides the ability to call the same method with different types or numbers of arguments.

Example of Method Overloading:

Here's a simple example to demonstrate method overloading:

public class MethodOverloadingExample {

    // Method to add two integers

    public int add(int a, int b) {

        return a + b;

    }

    // Method to add three integers

    public int add(int a, int b, int c) {

        return a + b + c;

    }

    // Method to add two double values

    public double add(double a, double b) {

        return a + b;

    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        MethodOverloadingExample example = new MethodOverloadingExample();

        // Calling the first add method

        System.out.println("Sum of two integers: " + example.add(10, 20));

        // Calling the second add method

        System.out.println("Sum of three integers: " + example.add(10, 20, 30));

        // Calling the third add method

        System.out.println("Sum of two doubles: " + example.add(10.5, 20.5));

    }

}

Explanation:

• First add Method: Takes two integers as parameters and returns their sum.
• Second add Method: Takes three integers as parameters and returns their sum.
• Third add Method: Takes two double values as parameters and returns their sum.
• Main Method: Demonstrates calling each of the overloaded add methods.

Key Takeaway:

Method overloading enhances the readability and usability of code by allowing multiple methods with the same name to exist within a class, each performing similar but distinct tasks based on the parameters passed to them. This leads to cleaner and more intuitive code.

Program to try:Write a Java program to calculate the area of different shapes namely circle, rectangle, and triangle using the concept of method overloading.

public class AreaCalculator {

    // Method to calculate the area of a circle

    public double calculateArea(double radius) {

        return Math.PI * radius * radius;

    }

    // Method to calculate the area of a rectangle

    public double calculateArea(double length, double width) {

        return length * width;

    }

 

    // Method to calculate the area of a triangle using three sides (Heron's formula)

    public double calculateArea(double a, double b, double c) {

        // Calculate the semi-perimeter

        double s = (a + b + c) / 2;

        // Calculate the area using Heron's formula

        double area = Math.sqrt(s * (s - a) * (s - b) * (s - c));

        return area;

    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        AreaCalculator calculator = new AreaCalculator();

        // Calculate and print the area of a circle

        double circleArea = calculator.calculateArea(5.0);

        System.out.println("Area of the circle: " + circleArea);

        // Calculate and print the area of a rectangle

        double rectangleArea = calculator.calculateArea(4.0, 6.0);

        System.out.println("Area of the rectangle: " + rectangleArea);

      

        // Calculate and print the area of a triangle (three sides)

        double triangleAreaBySides = calculator.calculateArea(3.0, 4.0, 5.0);

        System.out.println("Area of the triangle (three sides): " + triangleAreaBySides);

    }

}