When should you prefer overloading operators, and when should you avoid it?

When dealing with operator overloading in Perl, you should prefer it when:

You want to create a more intuitive interface for your objects.
Your class represents mathematical constructs where operator overloading can enhance clarity.
You are aiming for code readability and want to allow objects to interact in a way that is familiar to users.

However, you should avoid operator overloading when:

It may lead to confusion or unexpected behavior for those using your class.
The overloaded operators do not align well with their original meaning or intended use.
You want to keep the API simple and avoid additional complexity in understanding how objects interact.

Here is an example of operator overloading in Perl:


        package Point;
        use overload
            '+' => 'add',
            '-' => 'subtract',
            '""' => 'to_string';

        sub new {
            my ($class, $x, $y) = @_;
            my $self = { x => $x, y => $y };
            bless $self, $class;
            return $self;
        }

        sub add {
            my ($self, $other) = @_;
            return Point->new($self->{x} + $other->{x}, $self->{y} + $other->{y});
        }

        sub subtract {
            my ($self, $other) = @_;
            return Point->new($self->{x} - $other->{x}, $self->{y} - $other->{y});
        }

        sub to_string {
            my $self = shift;
            return "($self->{x}, $self->{y})";
        }

        # Usage
        my $point1 = Point->new(1, 2);
        my $point2 = Point->new(3, 4);
        my $sum = $point1 + $point2; # Point (4, 6)
        print "$sum\n"; # Output: (4, 6)

When should you prefer overloading operators, and when should you avoid it?

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When should you prefer overloading operators, and when should you avoid it?

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