If you have started learning Python after working in Java for many years you would have wondered over one thing; while in Java you always call an enclosed group of statements doing a specific task a method, in Python you would have noticed use of both functions and methods. If you think both terms can be used interchangeably then you must know there is a subtle difference between function and method in Python and that’s what is the topic of this post.
Function Vs Method in Python
While both function and methods in Python are written the same way as given below-
def function_name(param1, param2, ..) : """function doc string""" function suite
How these two differ is that a function in Python is a group of statements that can be written individually in a Python program. You can call that function using its name and passing arguments if any.
A function that is written with in a class and called using an object of the class or using class name is known as method. A method in Python is implicitly passed the object on which it is called using self.
You can understand it this way too, Python can be used to do both procedural as well as object oriented programming. When you are writing a procedural program then you can place common tasks in functions that are called using function name. When you are writing an object oriented program then you use methods to write the logic and call those methods using the objects of the class.
Example of function in Python
def sum(a, b):
"""This function adds the passed values"""
sum = a + b
return sum
# calling function
result = sum(5, 6)
print('Sum is', result)
Output
Sum is 11
Here we have a function called sum that takes two arguments and return the sum of those two arguments. You call the function using its name.
Example of method in Python
class Person:
'''Class Person displaying person information'''
#class variable
person_total = 0
def __init__(self, name, age):
print('init called')
self.name = name
self.age = age
Person.person_total +=1
def display(self):
print(self.name)
print(self.age)
# printing doc string
print(Person.__doc__)
# creating class instances
person1 = Person('John', 40)
person1.display()
person2 = Person('Lila', 32)
person2.display()
print('Count- ', Person.person_total)
Output
Class Person displaying person information init called John 40 init called Lila 32 Count- 2
That's all for this topic Difference Between Function and Method in Python. If you have any doubt or any suggestions to make please drop a comment. Thanks!
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