From: Wes Gamble <weyus@...>
Date: 2007-01-12T17:16:45+09:00
Subject: Why doesn't Ruby allow for overloaded methods within a class

(from a Java refugee)

All,

I've done quite a bit of googling and read a bunch of posts about this,
but I'm looking for a simple explanation of why Ruby doesn't support
method overloading within a class to allow methods with the same name
but different numbers of arguments.  I understand that you can't do
method overloading with the same # of arguments since you don't know any
"types" of input parameters when you invoke a method.

But...it seems like you could allow it for different numbers of input
parameters.

Here's an example of what I mean:
class Foo
  def methname(x,y)
    ...
  end

  def methname(x, y, z)
    ...
  end
end

I'm comfortable with how to implement this using a method with varargs
and appropriate logic, and I'm aware of arguments that the methods
should probably be different in name if their set of input parameters
are of different size.

But it seems like this kind method overloading would be doable in Ruby.
Is it possible?
Is it not available because there's a feeling that it isn't needed?

Thanks,
Wes

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.