What is the Difference Between Overriding and Overloading in C#?

The main difference between overriding and overloading in C# lies in the purpose and behavior of these two concepts:

1. Overloading:

• Overloading is a type of polymorphism, also known as "compile-time polymorphism" or "static polymorphism".
• It allows you to create multiple methods with the same name but different signatures (parameters) within the same class.
• The method call is determined at compile time, which means the compiler checks which method should be called based on the parameters passed.
• Changing the method's return type does not overload the method.

1. Overriding:

• Overriding is a type of polymorphism, also known as "run-time polymorphism" or "dynamic polymorphism".
• It involves having two methods with the same name and the same signature (parameters), one in the base class and the other in the derived class.
• The method call is determined at runtime, which means the actual method to be called is decided at run time.
• Overriding allows a derived class to provide its own implementation of a method that it inherits from a base class.

In summary, overloading is a static form of polymorphism where multiple methods with the same name but different signatures are created within the same class, while overriding is a dynamic form of polymorphism where a method with the same name and signature is present in both the base and derived classes, with the derived class providing its own implementation.

Comparative Table: Overriding vs Overloading in C#

The main difference between overriding and overloading in C# lies in their dynamic or static nature, as well as their purpose. Here's a table summarizing the differences:

In summary, overriding is a dynamic process that allows a subclass to provide its own implementation of a method it inherits from a superclass, while overloading is a static process that enables multiple methods with the same name but different parameters within the same class.