Define a set of overloaded functions instead of using default arguments.

The mechanism is more powerful than default arguments:

• Default arguments can only be specified for the last arguments.
• An overloading function can provide a default value for any argument by delegation. The value of the missing argument can be determined using more elaborate computations than is possible with default arguments (see example below).
• Overloaded functions eliminate the problem of whether the default value should be specified in the function's declaration or definition: [INT#028].

example:

Instead of writing a function with a default argument:

void  // declaration; definition omitted
PrintName(
  std::string name,
  bool uppercase = false);

define a set of overloaded functions:

inline void  // definitions; declarations omitted
PrintName(
  std::string name)
{
  bool uppercase = is_local(name);  // determine value missing arg
  PrintName(name, uppercase);       // delegate to two arg version
}

void
PrintName(
  std::string name,
  bool uppercase)
{
  // actual implementation to print the name with specified case
}