In comp.sys.raspberry-pi, Charlie Gibbs   wrote:
> On 2021-01-05, Martin Gregorie  wrote:
>> Its very useful indeed in Java: its often helpful to use the same name
>> with different parameter lists for constructors and also for methods that
>> all do similar jobs, e.g for outputting values from a class its helpful
>> to use the same method name,  with different parameter lists say:
>>
>> getValue(String caption, int value);
>> getValue(String caption, double value);
>> getValue(String caption, boolean value);

Java gets that from C++ doesn't it?

> I find it easier to just cast "value" to a consistent type.
> But then, I'm a hidebound C weenie...

Use a union type with an enum for which value in the value is
the proper one. That can easily expand to new types that are not
easily cast.

enum caption_types {
 CAPTION_UNDEF = 0,
 CAPTION_INT,
 CAPTION_FLOAT,
 CAPTION_RETURN
};

struct int_value_t;
struct float_value_t;
struct return_value_t;

typedef struct {
  enum caption_types here;
  int  value;
} int_value_t;

typedef struct {
  enum  caption_types here;
  float value;
} float_value_t;

/* try casting this one to something meaningful... */
typedef struct {
  enum caption_types here;
  int  (*value)();
} return_value_t;

typedef struct {
  enum caption_types here;
} id_value_t;


typedef union {
  id_value_t     id_value;
  int_value_t    int_value;
  float_value_t  float_value;
  return_value_t return_value;
} compare_value_t;

typedef char String; /* unused here */

int
getCaption(String caption, compare_value_t value)
{
  int rv = -1;
  if (CAPTION_INT == value.id_value.here) {
     rv = value.int_value.value;
  }
  if (CAPTION_FLOAT == value.id_value.here) {
     rv = value.float_value.value;
  }
  if (CAPTION_RETURN == value.id_value.here) {
     /* use the return value of the function provided */
     rv = (value.return_value.value)();
  }

  return rv;
}

Elijah
------
should have used a swtich statement

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