C# operator overloading and conversion operator example

Operator overloading means you can give your own meaning to an operator (+,- etc) when working on specific types. In the example below I will make it possible to add two complex numbers.

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Threading;

internal class Playground

{

   

    private static void Main(string[] args)

    {

        var c1 = new ComplexNumber {Real = 1,Imaginary =2};

        var c2 = new ComplexNumber { Real = 2, Imaginary = 2 };

        var c3 = c1 + c2;

    }

    public struct ComplexNumber

    {

        public int Real { get; set; }

        public int Imaginary { get; set; }

        public static ComplexNumber operator +(ComplexNumber c1, ComplexNumber c2)

        {

            var result = new ComplexNumber {Real = (c1.Real + c2.Real), Imaginary = (c1.Imaginary + c2.Imaginary)};

            return result;

        }

    }

  

}

I could also provide a method to convert an integer to a complex number, using a converter operator as shown below.

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Threading;

internal class Playground

{

   

    private static void Main(string[] args)

    {

        var c1 = new ComplexNumber {Real = 1,Imaginary =2};

        var c2 = new ComplexNumber { Real = 2, Imaginary = 2 };

        var c3 = c1 + c2;

        var c4 = (ComplexNumber) 5;//Convert an int into a complex number

    }

    public struct ComplexNumber

    {

        public int Real { get; set; }

        public int Imaginary { get; set; }

        public static implicit operator ComplexNumber(int i)

        {

            return new ComplexNumber {Real = i};

        }

        public static ComplexNumber operator +(ComplexNumber c1, ComplexNumber c2)

        {

            var result = new ComplexNumber {Real = (c1.Real + c2.Real), Imaginary = (c1.Imaginary + c2.Imaginary)};

            return result;

        }

    }

  

}