c# - Calling constructor overload when both overload have same signature

Question

Consider the following class,

class Foo
{
    public Foo(int count)
    {
        /* .. */
    }

    public Foo(int count)
    {
        /* .. */
    }
}

Above code is invalid and won't compile. Now consider the following code,

class Foo<T>
{
    public Foo(int count)
    {
        /* .. */
    }

    public Foo(T t)
    {
        /* .. */
    }
}

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    Foo<int> foo = new Foo<int>(1);
}

Above code is valid and compiles well. It calls Foo(int count).

My question is, if the first one is invalid, how can the second one be valid? I know class Foo<T> is valid because T and int are different types. But when it is used like Foo<int> foo = new Foo<int>(1), T is getting integer type and both constructor will have same signature right? Why don't compiler show error rather than choosing an overload to execute?

Answer 1

There is no ambiguity, because the compiler will choose the most specific overload of Foo(...) that matches. Since a method with a generic type parameter is considered less specific than a corresponding non-generic method, Foo(T) is therefore less specific than Foo(int) when T == int. Accordingly, you are invoking the Foo(int) overload.

Your first case (with two Foo(int) definitions) is an error because the compiler will allow only one definition of a method with precisely the same signature, and you have two.