What is name mangling and why does it matter?

Name mangling is a process used by C++ compilers to generate unique names for functions and variables, which allows functions with the same name but different parameters to coexist in the same scope. This is especially important for function overloading and maintaining linkage of functions in different translation units.

When a C++ program is compiled, the compiler transforms human-readable function names into a unique representation by adding information about the function parameters, types, and namespaces. This unique representation is essential for the linker to correctly match function calls with their definitions, thereby preventing naming conflicts.

Name mangling matters because it ensures that C++ code can correctly implement features like overloading and namespaces, which otherwise would lead to many naming conflicts and make linking difficult.