The Waite Group's C++ Primer Plus, Third Edition

Function Polymorphism (Function Overloading)

Function polymorphism is a neat C++ addition to C's capabilities. While default arguments let you call the same function using varying numbers of arguments, function polymorphism, also called function overloading, lets you use multiple functions sharing the same name. The word "polymorphism" means having many forms, so function polymorphism lets a function have many forms. Similarly, the expression "function overloading" means you can attach more than one function to the same name, thus overloading the name. Both expressions boil down to the same thing, but we'll usually use the expression function overloading—it sounds harder working. You can use function overloading to design a family of functions ...