# Function name conflict: ADL / function merging?

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/function-name-conflict-adl-function-merging/10335>\
**Category:** Internals & Design\
**Tags:** proposal, namespaces\
**Created:** [April 14, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/function-name-conflict-adl-function-merging/10335 "2018-04-14T17:16:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tk3369](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/tk3369/32/2824_2.png) [@tk3369](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/tk3369)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/function-name-conflict-adl-function-merging/10335/1 "2018-04-14T17:16:17Z")

</div>

Is there any reason why Julia needs me to fully qualify the function name when the argument types are clear and there shouldn’t be any problem with multiple dispatch?

**Case 1: load JuliaDB before defining `Foo`**

```julia
julia> using JuliaDB

julia> stack(
stack(t::D) where D<:Union{IndexedTables.NDSparse, IndexedTables.NextTable} in IndexedTables at /Users/tomkwong/.julia/v0.6/IndexedTables/src/reshape.jl:32
stack(t::D, by; select, variable, value) where D<:Union{IndexedTables.NDSparse, IndexedTables.NextTable} in IndexedTables at /Users/tomkwong/.julia/v0.6/IndexedTables/src/reshape.jl:32
stack(t::Union{JuliaDB.DNDSparse, JuliaDB.DNextTable}) in JuliaDB at /Users/tomkwong/.julia/v0.6/JuliaDB/src/reshape.jl:7
stack(t::Union{JuliaDB.DNDSparse, JuliaDB.DNextTable}, by; select, variable, value) in JuliaDB at /Users/tomkwong/.julia/v0.6/JuliaDB/src/reshape.jl:7

julia> struct Foo end

julia> stack(f::Foo) = 1
ERROR: error in method definition: function IndexedTables.stack must be explicitly imported to be extended

```

**Case 2: define `Foo` before loading JuliaDB**

```julia
julia> struct Foo end

julia> stack(f::Foo) = 1
stack (generic function with 1 method)

julia> using JuliaDB
WARNING: using JuliaDB.stack in module Main conflicts with an existing identifier.

```

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/function-name-conflict-adl-function-merging/10335)._