C++ for Scientists - Technische Universität Dresden

7.5. FROM MONOMORPHIC TO POLYMORPHIC BEHAVIOR 213
7.5.1 Ad-hoc Polymorphism
This kind of polymorphic behavior is expressed with ad-hoc, which should point out, that this
kind of behavior is locality. Common to these two types (overloading and coercion) is the fact
that the programmer has to specify exactly what types are to be usable with the polymorphic
function.
Overloading
Is a simple convenient way of programming, to ease the programmer’s life.
class my stack
{
virtual bool push(int ..) {}
virtual bool push(double ..) {}
virtual bool push(complex ..) {}
virtual int pop() {..}
virtual double pop() {..}
// ....
};
Coercion
Coercion is automatic type conversion. The following stack example can be used with all
numerical data types, which can be converted to double:
class my stack
{
virtual bool push(double ..) {}
virtual double pop() {..}
// ....
};