why `@JvmName` cant do anything here? ``` @JvmN...

# announcements

[elect]

why @JvmName cant do anything here?

@JvmName("getI") fun get(): Int = 0
    @JvmName("getF") fun get(): Float = 0f // error, signature clash

[diesieben07]

The problem is not a platform declaration name clash. The JVM could handle this just fine (the whole signature including parameters and return type counts).
This is a "limitation" (if you want to call it that) of the Kotlin language itself. You cannot overload based on return type, only parameter types.

[diesieben07]

How would you imagine the following to work?
val foo = get()

What would the type of foo be? Which version of get would be called?

[elect]

plain easy: like when the type parameter can be avoided, in this case the variable type must be explicitely declared

[diesieben07]

That is not possible in Kotlin. It's simply not how the type inference engine works

[elect]

might Contracts be useful here?

[diesieben07]

Kotlin favors being explicit in favor of being overly concise.
What you propose just causes too many edge cases.
What if I do this:
foo(get()) - Now the parameter type of foo decides which version of get I call. If at some point someone changes foo from accepting just Float and adds an overload for Int you now suddenly have an incompatible change.

[diesieben07]

Just one example of the problems this causes.

[elect]

I really dont get why it's so difficult

[diesieben07]

It's not difficult. It is just not a good idea.

[elect]

if we have the compiler warning us to explicitely override a method when a class has two extensions with the same method, would this be so different?

[diesieben07]

I am not sure what kind of warning you are referring to

[diesieben07]

If you take my example above, foo and get can be in completely separate libraries. There is no way for the compiler to see this while writing foo or get, since they are not developed together.

[elect]

interface A {
    fun foo() = 0
}
interface B {
    fun foo() = 2
}
class C : A, B  // C must implement foo

[diesieben07]

I am not sure how that is in any way related.

[elect]

it's an edge case

[elect]

in your previous case, the compiler should simply prohibits cases with ambiguity

[diesieben07]

Exactly. But the ambiguity could be introduced by a third party simply introducing a 2nd overload. Which is not expected.

[elect]

if you have just foo(Float) is fine, but if you have also foo(Int), then there is ambiguity. The compiler shall be told somehow which one use by the dev.

[elect]

Ambiguity gone, like when C implements foo

[elect]

anyway, I dont want to rantle any longer. I'd need something quickly

[elect]

atm, it looks like to overcome the signature clash there are only two ways:
- change signature
- use reified

[elect]

any other?

[robstoll]

You could use a dummy type parameter as distinction

[elect]

thanks, but I'd still prefer modify the method name in that case

[elect]

I also found out passing <A> may give some space

[elect]

but you cant overload further though..

[louiscad]

What are you actually getting there? Maybe we can help for naming.

[elect]

basically a wrapper for opengl, there are many tens of functions like this one, https://www.khronos.org/registry/OpenGL-Refpages/gl4/html/glGet.xhtml, where you have to query a parameter and the only difference is the return type

[elect]

this is my biggest use case class though, @louiscad: https://github.com/kotlin-graphics/gln/blob/master/src/main/kotlin/gln/gl.kt