f-sharp
  1. f-sharp-operator-overloading
PreviousNext

F# Operator Overloading

Operator overloading allows you to redefine the behavior of existing operators when applied to instances of your own custom types. In this page, we will discuss how to overload operators in F#.

Syntax

To overload an operator in F#, you must create a static method with the name of the operator you want to overload. The method must take two parameters of the same type and return a value of the same type. You can then define how the operator should behave for instances of your custom type in the implementation of the method.

Here's the syntax for overloading the + operator for a custom F# type:

type MyType(value: int) =

    static member (+) (a: MyType, b: MyType) =
        MyType(a.value + b.value)

Example

Here's an example of overloading the + operator for a custom F# type:

type MyType(value: int) =

    static member (+) (a: MyType, b: MyType) =
        MyType(a.value + b.value)

let a = MyType(5)
let b = MyType(10)
let c = a + b

printfn "%A" c

In this example, we define a custom type MyType with a single constructor that takes an integer value. We then overload the + operator for instances of MyType by defining a static member method with the name (+) that takes two parameters of type MyType and returns a new instance of MyType with the sum of the two input values.

Finally, we create two instances of MyType and add them together using the overloaded + operator. The resulting value is printed using the printfn function.

Output

When you run the example code, the output should be the integer value 15.

Explanation

Operator overloading allows you to redefine the behavior of existing operators for your own custom types. By doing so, you can make your code more expressive and easier to read.

In F#, operator overloading is achieved by defining a static method with the same name as the operator you want to overload. The method should take two parameters of the same type and return a new instance of the same type with the desired behavior for the operator.

Use

Operator overloading is useful when you want to make your custom types behave like built-in types when used with common operators. This can make your code more readable and concise.

Important Points

  • Operator overloading allows you to redefine the behavior of existing operators for your own custom types.
  • In F#, operator overloading is achieved by defining a static method with the same name as the operator you want to overload.
  • The method should take two parameters of the same type and return a new instance of the same type with the desired behavior for the operator.

Summary

In this page, we discussed how to overload operators in F#. We covered the syntax, example, output, explanation, use, and important points of operator overloading. By overloading operators, you can make your custom types behave like built-in types when used with common operators, which can improve readability and conciseness of your code.

Type ExtensionsDelegates
Published on: