In this article we will see the operator
overloading in Visual Basic.net.
When
an operator can perform more than one operations, specially with objects, known
as operator overloading.A function name can be replaced with the operator using
operator keyword.
Important points related to Operator
Overloading or guidelines:
- Don't change an operator's semantic
meaning. The result of an operator should be intuitive.
- Make certain overloaded operators are
shared methods.
- You cannot overload assignment e.g., the
"=" operator .
VB.NET allows the following operators
to be overloaded:
- + (increment/plus - unary and binary)>
- - (decrement/minus - unary and binary)
- Not (unary)
- * (multiply - binary)
- / (divide - binary)
- \ (integer divide - binary)
- & (concatenate - binary)
- Like (binary)
- Mod (binary)
- And (binary)
- Or (binary)
- ^ (raise to power - binary)
- << (left shift - binary)
- >> (right shift - binary)
- = (equals - binary)
- <> (not equals - binary)
- < (less than - binary)
- > (greater than - binary)
- <= (less than or equal to - binary)
- >= (greater than or equal to - binary)
This example shows the (+)
Operator Overloading in VB.NET:
Module
module1
Class Size
Private feet As
Integer, inch As
Integer
Public Sub
New(ByVal f
As Integer,
ByVal i As
Integer)
feet = f
inch = i
End Sub
Public Sub
ShowSize()
Console.WriteLine("Size
is {0} feet and {1} inch", feet, inch)
End Sub
Public Shared
Function Add(ByVal
x As Size,
ByVal y As
Size) As
Size 'add method
Dim f As
Integer = x.feet + y.feet
Dim i As
Integer = x.inch + y.inch
If i >= 12 Then
i = i - 12
f += 1
End If
Return New
Size(f, i)
End Function
Public Shared
Operator +(ByVal
x As Size,
ByVal y As
Size) As
Size
' add method replace with operator(+) using operator keyword
Dim f As
Integer = x.feet + y.feet
Dim i As
Integer = x.inch + y.inch
If i >= 12 Then
i = i - 12
f += 1
End If
Return New
Size(f, i)
End Operator
Public Shared
Sub Main()
Dim s1 As
New Size(5,
9)
Dim s2 As
New Size(8,
8)
Dim s3 As
Size = Size.Add(s1,
s2)
' add method perform the task
'Dim s3 As Size = s1 +s2 ' + operator perform the task
s3.ShowSize()
End Sub
End Class
End
Module
OUTPUT :
In the above example (+) operator perform more than one operation. the function name add replace with the operator using Operator keyword.