Difference between Method Overloading vs Method overriding:

• Overloading can occur without inheritance. Overriding of functions occurs when one class is inherited from another class.

 

• Overloaded functions must differ in function signature i.e. either number of parameters or type of parameters should differ. In overriding, function signatures must be same.

 

• Overloaded functions are in same scope; whereas Overridden functions are in different scopes.

 

	Method Overloading	Method Overriding
Definition	In Method Overloading, Methods of the same class shares the same name but each method must have different number of parameters or parameters having different types and order.	In Method Overriding, sub class have the same method with same name and exactly the same number and type of parameters and same return type as a super class.
Meaning	Method Overloading means more than one method shares the same name in the class but having different signature.	Method Overriding means method of base class is re-defined in the derived class having same signature.
Behavior	Method Overloading is to “add” or “extend” more to method’s behavior.	Method Overriding is to “Change” existing behavior of method.
Polymorphism	It is a compile time polymorphism.	It is a run time polymorphism.
Inheritance	It may or may not need inheritance in Method Overloading.	It always requires inheritance in Method Overriding.
Signature	In Method Overloading, methods must have different signature.	In Method Overriding, methods must have same signature.
Relationship of Methods	In Method Overloading, relationship is there between methods of same class.	In Method Overriding, relationship is there between methods of super class and sub class.
Criteria	In Method Overloading, methods have same name different signatures but in the same class.	In Method Overriding, methods have same name and same signature but in the different class.
No. of Classes	Method Overloading does not require more than one class for overloading.	Method Overriding requires at least two classes for overriding.

 

Diagram to understand exact difference :-

 

 

 

Example in program:-

Method Overloading:

Class Add
{
   int sum(int a, int b)
   {
     return a + b;
   }
  int sum(int a)
  {
    return a + 10;
   }
}

Method Overriding:

Class A  // Super Class
{
  void display(int num)
  {
     print num ;
   }
}
//Class B inherits Class A
Class B //Sub Class
{
  void display(int num)
  {
     print num ;
   }
}