Q: But operator overloading makes class look ugly; isn't it assumed to make my code clearer?

A: Operator overloading makes life simpler for the users of a class, not for developer of the class!

Assume the following example.

class Array {

public:

int& operator[] (unsigned i); // Some people don't like this syntax

...

};

inline

int& Array::operator[] (unsigned i) // Some people don't like this syntax

{

...

}

Some programmer doesn't like the keyword operator or the somewhat humorous syntax which goes with it in the body of the class itself. However the operator overloading syntax isn't imagined to make life simpler for the developer of a class. It's imagined to make life simpler for the users of the class:

int main()

{

Array a;

a[3] = 4; // User code should be obvious and easy to understand...

...

}

Remember: in a reuse-oriented world, usually there will be many people, who employ your class, although there is only one person who builds it (yourself); thus you should do things that favor the several instead of the few.