How to overload a class func with an outside func while in a the same class

I have a class that has a method name the same as another method separate from the class and I am writing another class method in the class but want to call the outside method instead of the one in the class.

Is there a way I can overload the class method with the outside one?

Here is what the situation looks like

Code:

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class LongInt
{
    int digits() { /* find total # of digits of this object */
    LongInt divide(const LongInt&); // this method is where I want to use the outside digits(int number) method
}
int digits(int number){ /*finds total digits of number */}

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The problem is when I call digits(number) inside the class, I get compiler error saying it doesn't take 1 arguments.

hmm, when I think about it more, what I'm trying to do seems like bad programming practice.

It's not really 'overriding' - you can certainly call a function by fully qualifying it. If it's in a namespace, it would be namespace::function(), or in the global namespace it would be ::function().

You are right, though, this might not pass the smell test - I'm glad you're cultivating that nagging feeling that there might be a better way - that is too rare of a skill sadly :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by workisnotfun

The problem is when I call digits(number) inside the class, I get compiler error saying it doesn't take 1 arguments.

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As to explaining that .... within a class member function, the attempt to use the name digits matches LongInt's digits() function first. This is called name hiding in some circles: the name LongInt::digits hides ::digits within context of the LongInt class. That's as far as the compiler goes: it matches the name digits, detects that LongInts::digits() accepts no arguments, and complains about a mismatch since you supplied an argument. The compiler does not (and the standard actually requires that it does not) attempt to match something else visible named digits that accepts a single argument. Hence the need for using the scoping operator, as mentioned by Cat.