C++ Templates: The Complete Guide, 2nd Edition

Appendix C

Overload Resolution

Overload resolution is the process that selects the function to call for a given call expression. Consider the following simple example:

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void display_num(int);    // #1 void display_num(double); // #2 int main() {     display_num(399);    // #1 matches better than #2     display_num(3.99);   // #2 matches better than #1 }

In this example, the function name display_num() is said to be overloaded. When this name is used in a call, a C++ compiler must therefore distinguish between the various candidates using additional information; mostly, this information is the types of the call arguments. In our example, it makes intuitive sense to call the int version when the function is called with ...