Add overloading experiment blog post

content/inside-rust/overloading-experiment.md

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+path = "inside-rust/2026/08/10/overloading-experiment"
+title = "Rust Function Overloading - Call for Experimentation"
+authors = ["teor"]
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+
+In partnership with the [Rust Foundation's Rust-C++ Interop Initiative][interop-initiative],
+the Rust Project has been experimenting with
+[function overloading for FFI bindings][overloading-goal]. This experiment is now at a stage
+where compiler and interop tool developers can start exploring function overloading.
+
+[interop-initiative]: https://rustfoundation.org/interop-initiative/
+[overloading-goal]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-project-goals/2026/overloading-for-ffi.html
+
+Stable Rust already supports [a form of overloading using tuples and traits][stable-example], but
+calling these overloaded functions looks strange, because the overloaded arguments have to be
+passed as a single tuple argument, like this: `hypot((2.0, 3.0, 6.0))`. Stable Rust also allows
+overloading of built-in operators with user-defined types, via traits like
+[`Add` (the `+` operator)][add-docs] and [`Neg` (the `-` value negation operator)][neg-docs].
+
+[stable-example]: https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/pre-pre-rfc-splatting-for-named-arguments-and-function-overloading/24012
+[add-docs]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/std/ops/trait.Add.html
+[neg-docs]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/std/ops/trait.Neg.html
+
+We are running an unstable nightly Rust language experiment to answer questions like:
+
+- How much overloading can we do with Rust’s existing trait system?
+- Could this help us call C++ from Rust ergonomically?
+
+In the tradition of [yeet][yeet-issue] (to [avoid bikeshedding][bikeshed-defn]), we are using basic
+syntax in the first stage of the experiment: the `#[rustc_splat]` attribute.
+[Alternative syntaxes][splat-defn] can be considered later, if the experiment generates useful
+outcomes.
+
+[yeet-issue]: https://github.com/rust-lang/compiler-team/issues/501
+[bikeshed-defn]: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bikeshedding
+[splat-defn]: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/splat#Noun_2:~:text=An%20operator%20indicating%20a%20variable-length%20argument%20list
+
+## Experimental Function Overloading
+
+Rust nightly builds [from 2026-07-31 onwards][rustup-components] have experimental support for
+more ergonomic function and method overloading, using the incomplete "splat" compiler feature;
+if you're a compiler or interop tool developer, we encourage you to experiment with it!
+
+[This experiment][splat-tracking] lets overloaded functions be called with separate arguments,
+like this: `hypot(2.0, 3.0, 6.0)`. No double parentheses required! But type inference and type
+checking still happen as they would in a stable Rust overload.
+
+We are experimenting with splat to get a feel for the complexity of the implementation, and to see
+if it solves some language interoperability use cases. Like most
+[Rust language experiments][lang-exp-howto], this nightly feature has no RFC, and can change or be
+removed at any time.
+
+[rustup-components]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rustup-components-history/
+[splat-tracking]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/153629
+[lang-exp-howto]: https://lang-team.rust-lang.org/how_to/experiment.html
+
+### Experiment Design
+
+We expect the feature to change significantly in future, or to be replaced by a more ergonomic
+interface. In this spirit, [Ajay Singh][gh-ajay], a
+[Rust Project Outreachy intern][ajay-blog], is working on a macro to make splat-based
+overloading more ergonomic. You can find his work in the
+[rust-foundation/overloading-macros][overloading-macros] repository on GitHub.
+
+The design axioms for this feature are:
+
+- **"keep Rust nice"**
+- make calling overloaded FFI functions easy
+- preserve foreign language maintainability
+- select the overload most developers would expect
+
+This could be a challenging design, because different programming languages have different overload
+resolution rules.
+
+[gh-ajay]: https://github.com/ajay-singh1
+[overloading-macros]: https://github.com/rustfoundation/overloading-macros/tree/main/splat-overload
+[ajay-blog]: https://ajay-singh1.github.io/posts/outreachy/
+
+### Example Usage
+
+Rust overloading aims to support a range of programming languages. This example uses C++ because it
+is well known, and has significant existing interop tooling.
+
+Here is some Rust code that calls the overloaded C++ `hypot` (hypotenuse) function, using "splat"
+to create corresponding overloads in Rust.
+
+```rust
+#![feature(splat, tuple_trait)]
+#![expect(incomplete_features)]
+
+use cpp::cpp;
+use std::{ffi::c_double, marker::Tuple};
+
+cpp! {{ #include <cmath> }}
+
+/// The arguments of an overloaded C++ `hypot` function.
+trait HypotArgs: Tuple {
+    type Output;
+    fn call_hypot(self) -> Self::Output;
+}
+
+/// Calls the overloaded C++ `std::hypot` function with the given arguments.
+fn hypot<Args: HypotArgs>(#[rustc_splat] args: Args) -> <Args as HypotArgs>::Output {
+    args.call_hypot()
+}
+
+/// A 2-argument `hypot` overload.
+impl HypotArgs for (c_double, c_double) {
+    type Output = c_double;
+    fn call_hypot(self) -> c_double {
+        let (x, y) = self;
+        unsafe {
+            cpp!([x as "double", y as "double"] -> c_double as "double" {
+                // This is C++ code!
+                return std::hypot(x, y);
+            })
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// A 3-argument `hypot` overload.
+impl HypotArgs for (c_double, c_double, c_double) {
+    type Output = c_double;
+    fn call_hypot(self) -> c_double {
+        let (x, y, z) = self;
+        unsafe {
+            cpp!([x as "double", y as "double", z as "double"] -> c_double as "double" {
+                return std::hypot(x, y, z);
+            })
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    println!("|(3, 4)|    = {}", hypot(3.0, 4.0));
+    println!("|(2, 3, 6)| = {}", hypot(2.0, 3.0, 6.0));
+}
+```
+
+This example uses [the cpp crate][cpp-crate] to inline C++ code in a Rust file. A full runnable
+example [is available on GitHub][overloading-examples]. You can also run a minimal Rust-only
+example online, [in the Rust playground][playground-hypot].
+
+[Nadrieril’s original "Overloading at Home" code][pre-pre-rfc] from his recent write-up of "splat",
+can also be run [in the Rust playground][playground-at-home].
+
+[cpp-crate]: https://crates.io/crates/cpp
+[overloading-examples]: https://github.com/rustfoundation/overloading-examples
+[playground-hypot]: https://play.rust-lang.org/?version=nightly&mode=debug&edition=2024&gist=d9494d84fa32271b3517fa293d3215ff
+[pre-pre-rfc]: https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/pre-pre-rfc-splatting-for-named-arguments-and-function-overloading/24012
+[playground-at-home]: https://play.rust-lang.org/?version=nightly&mode=debug&edition=2024&gist=fcf1ead0e431166177fd9f05d5e33fd0
+
+### Limitations
+
+As stated above, splat is currently an incomplete compiler feature, and is only available in the
+nightly Rust compiler. Splat is also unergonomic, and we want to change that as part of the next
+design phase.
+
+Splat isn’t currently supported [on function pointers][fnptr-bug], but hopefully
+[that implementation][fnptr-pr] will be merged soon. If you want overloading support for function
+pointers, please let us know about your use case in the
+[#t-lang/interop channel on Zulip][t-lang-interop].
+
+Experimenters will find other bugs – [some have already been found in the last few months][f-splat]
+– and some overloading functionality is out of scope for now. If you think you've found a bug or
+limitation, ask us about it in the [#t-lang/interop channel on Zulip][t-lang-interop].
+
+[fnptr-bug]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/158603
+[fnptr-pr]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/pull/158645
+[t-lang-interop]: https://rust-lang.zulipchat.com/#narrow/channel/427678-t-lang.2Finterop
+[f-splat]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues?q=label:F-splat
+
+### Credits
+
+This work would not be possible without Google’s generous funding and support of the Rust
+Foundation’s Rust-C++ [Interop Initiative][interop-initiative].
+
+It is driven by the [Nightly support for function overloading in FFI bindings][overloading-goal]
+Rust Project goal, and it is an outcome of the
+[C++/Rust Interop Problem Space Mapping][interop-goal] Rust Project goal.
+
+[interop-goal]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-project-goals/2026/interop-problem-map.html
+
+Thank you also to everyone who has contributed to the overloading work, including [Oli][gh-oli],
+[Ajay][gh-ajay], [Nadrieril][gh-nadri], [Scott][gh-scott], [Taylor][gh-taylor], [Tyler][gh-tyler],
+[Matthias][gh-matthias], [Tim][gh-tim], [Devin][gh-devin], [Ralf][gh-ralf], [Jacob][gh-jacob], and
+the many project members who have given suggestions, feedback, testing, bug reports, and reviews.
+
+[gh-oli]: https://github.com/oli-obk
+[gh-nadri]: https://github.com/nadrieril
+[gh-scott]: https://github.com/scottmcm
+[gh-taylor]: https://github.com/cramertj
+[gh-tyler]: https://github.com/tmandry
+[gh-matthias]: https://github.com/matthiaskrgr
+[gh-tim]: https://github.com/theemathas
+[gh-devin]: https://github.com/ssbr
+[gh-ralf]: https://github.com/RalfJung
+[gh-jacob]: https://github.com/programmerjake
+
+## Future Work
+
+### Overloading, In The Shiny Future
+
+```rust
+#[overload]
+impl f64 {
+    /// Returns the 2-dimensional distance from the origin.
+    fn hypot(self, y: f64) -> f64 { … }
+
+    /// Returns the 3-dimensional distance from the origin.
+    fn hypot(self, y: f64, z: f64) -> f64 { … }
+}
+```
+
+_(This example is a variant of a design shared by [Taylor Cramer][gh-taylor].)_
+
+In the shiny future, Rust might have an `#[overload]` attribute that "just works" to call
+overloaded foreign functions with the same name. No traits, tuples, or `#[rustc_splat]` required,
+the compiler handles it all for you.
+
+This might happen through macros that hide compiler implementation internals, or it might not need
+any macros. It's hard to guess what the final shape of the feature will be: we’ve only just started
+the first experiment.
+
+### Future Designs
+
+We have a lot of work to do before we can discuss overloading designs in detail. The "splat"
+experiment will help us find the limits of the Rust type system, how it handles typical foreign
+language overloads, the diagnostics needed to guide overloading users, and any design gaps for
+future work.
+
+We’ll also need to find a syntax for overloading, if it is accepted. Naming things is hard, as many
+users of function overloading have discovered 😅
+
+Stay tuned for future interop updates on our blog. You can see the
+[full list of Project Goals here][goals-2026], many of which are
+[working towards better interop][interop-goals] with a range of programming languages.
+
+[goals-2026]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-project-goals/2026/goals.html
+[interop-goals]: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pFOUJXcs3bZKsCwrMOVHaCbjSe8XEb5ZtHux_4nTwp0/edit?usp=sharing