Überladung

Überladung, meaning "overload" in German, is a programming concept that allows multiple functions or methods with the same name but different parameters (types or number of arguments) to exist within the same scope. This enables developers to call a function using different sets of data without needing to create unique names for each variation. For instance, a function named `print` could be overloaded to handle integer, string, or array inputs, with each version performing a slightly different printing action based on the data type it receives.

The primary benefit of Überladung is enhanced code readability and maintainability. Instead of remembering distinct names like `printInt`, `printString`, and `printArray`, a programmer can simply use `print` and the compiler will automatically select the appropriate function based on the arguments provided. This reduces the cognitive load and makes the code more intuitive.

However, overuse of Überladung can sometimes lead to confusion if the overloaded functions have significantly different behaviors or if the distinction between them is not immediately clear. It is crucial to ensure that the overloaded functions perform conceptually similar tasks and that the parameter differences are meaningful for distinguishing between those tasks. The compiler resolves which function to call at compile time, a process known as overloading resolution. This mechanism is a fundamental feature in many object-oriented programming languages, including C++, Java, and C#.