Are "class functions" referred to as "functions" or "methods" in Python

Question

See the code below

class HelloWorld:
    def print(self):
        print "Hello World"

Is HelloWorld.print(self) called a method or a function in Python?

Wooble · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-07 11:23:33Z

8

They are referred to as class methods or instance methods.

edited Mar 7, 2012 at 11:23

Wooble

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answered Mar 7, 2012 at 11:03

Jakob Bowyer

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1 Comment

Jakob Bowyer Over a year ago

Sometimes the simplest answer is the best answer.

Daniel Roseman · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-07 11:34:21Z

2

Just to add to Jakob's clear answer, in languages like Python there is no requirement that everything lives within a class, unlike (say) Java. So whereas in Java every function is a method, in Python this isn't true: many or even most functions aren't part of a class. That's why it makes sense to have this terminology distinction between methods and functions.

answered Mar 7, 2012 at 11:34

Daniel Roseman

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