Difference between Function Overloading and Function Templates

In C++, function overloading and function templates are flexible features used to improve the reusability of programs. However, they are aimed at different goals and applied in other contexts. This article explores the function overloading and function templates and how to use them through examples.

What is the Function Overloading?

Function overloading causes multiple functions to have the same name but different parameters. The compiler decides which function to call based on the number and passwords. This feature contributes to code readability and usability, making handling data sets with the same job name easier. This feature enhances the reusability of the code in maintaining different sorts of data using the same name of the function.

Example:

Let us take an example to illustrate the function overloading in C++.

Output:

What are Function Templates?

Function templates enable the programmer to define a standard form of a function acceptable to any form of data type. The benefit of using a template function is that you can define numerous versions of a function for various data types and then call a single template function. It is especially useful when defining methods that should evenly operate on different types.

Example:

Let us take an example to illustrate the Function Template in C++.

Output:

Key differences between Function Overloading and Function Template:

There are several differences between Function Overloading and Function Template. Some main differences are as follows:

Conclusion:

In conclusion, function overloading and function templates are useful tools in C++, but their roles differ. Function overloading offers type-specific implementations, which increases the readability and richness of the code for different types. On the other hand, function templates provide a general approach to solving the problem in question by encouraging the use of the 'copy and paste' formula to avoid coming across new instances of the same problem repeatedly. It is crucial to know when and how to properly apply both, which should enhance the productivity and coherence of any C++ program.