Allowing overloaded methods with default arguments?

[DarkDimius]

Honestly, I'm not sure if it deserves effort to be solved, but I've had been asked why is this disallowed.

I believe that specific line is here: https://github.com/lampepfl/dotty/pull/47/files#diff-2fe35c59082b97d7128120593f9ec2e7R129
see also https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4652095/why-does-the-scala-compiler-disallow-overloaded-methods-with-default-arguments

[retronym]

I'm also hoping to loosen the restriction in 2.12: https://issues.scala-lang.org/browse/SI-8161

[xeno-by]

Right! I did remember that you've done something along these lines, but could find a pull request :)

[odersky]

I think Dotty should simply do what Scala 2.12/13 does in this respect. I do not have strong feelings about it, but am currently more doubtful than optimistic. Arguments against the change would be:

1. We want to position default arguments as an alternative to overloaded methods, why would it be desirable to mix the two?

2. Even if we do the change, we have not solved the issue, there will simply be some cases which now work but others which are still rejected.

3. We'd pay for this with a complication of the spec and possibly of the implementation. In particular I am worried about interactions with varargs,

[DarkDimius]

Closing that issue, as it seems that we have some kind of consensus.
If somebody whats to rise this question once again: feel free to reopen.