Multiple Dispatch in C++: Challenges and Solutions

This article explores the challenges of implementing multiple dispatch in C++. Multiple dispatch allows dynamic function selection based on the runtime types of multiple objects, useful when handling interactions between objects of different types, such as computing intersections of various shapes. The article compares several approaches, including the visitor pattern and brute-force if-else checks, analyzing their pros and cons. The visitor pattern, while efficient, is intrusive and hard to maintain; brute-force is maintainable but verbose and inefficient. The article also briefly mentions a C++ standardization attempt proposing multiple dispatch and previews subsequent articles exploring its implementation in other programming languages.