difference between method and function

A function is a small piece of code which will return something.
In methods we want to write a code which will perform some operations.
Methods must be called by creating object of that class.

Posted 19-May-11 2:24am

Ramalinga Koushik

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Tarun.K.S 19-May-11 8:28am

I think both are same.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-May-11 16:43pm

No, this is not quite correct. Ramalinga, You don't know the whole story.
Please see my answer.
--SA

Solution 7

This is asked so many times.
Google is easy to use, and your teachers should let you use that instead of other resources.

You should also investigate Structures and Functions whilst you are at it!

Posted 19-May-11 21:26pm

Dalek Dave

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R. Erasmus · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-19T21:09:00

In today's time there is no real difference between functions and methods. They are the same thing. The term method and function is very much language dependant. People tend to use the name method for certain languages and function for others.

C++ - "Functions stand alone and methods are members of a class."

C# - "A method is a code block containing a series of statements."
- "Methods are declared within a class or struct by specifying the access level, the return value,
the name of the method, and any method parameters. Method parameters are surrounded by parentheses,
and separated by commas."

VB - "A Method is a procedure built into the class."
"There are two types of methods in VB .NET: those that return a value (Functions) and those that do
not return a value (Sub Procedures)."

C - In C there is no such term as methods. The term, function, is accepted across the board regardless of
whether is returns something or not.

My advice would be to use the term which the language specification uses.
E.g. When programming in c, use the term function for all.
When programming in vb, use methods for the general term and function for those returning an object
and the term sub-procedure for those that does no return an object.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-19T10:41:00

Historically, in some languages there was a notion (and still is) of functions and procedures; with functions being those returning some objects and procedures returning nothing. In C/C++ both were called functions, and to avoid notion of procedures, the artificial type void was invented. In this way, procedures appeared to be functions but returning void.

In languages like Basic and Pascal there are still functions and procedures (sub (subroutines like in Fortran) in Basic). Later on, in Object Pascal the functions and procedures being the members of some class both got the name of methods. Compare: VMT = Virtual Method Table, in contrast to C++ with vtbl.

Now, Object Pascal and Delphi became a major predecessor of C# and .NET. As in .NET every method can be only a member of a class or structure, all kinds of method are always called methods. As the result type void is used in C# in the same meaning as in C/C++, there is no special need to make difference between functions and procedures.

That's the whole story, to best of my knowledge.

—SA

CS2011 · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-19T16:55:00

Solution 5

In C# function and method are different name for same thing and there is no difference at all. However in language like VB.net these two things are different. Method (also called as sub routine in vb) is block of code which does not have any return type where function is a block of code which has some return type.

Posted 19-May-11 16:55pm

CS2011

Comments

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 20-May-11 2:28am

Not exactly so. For a whole story, please see my answer.
--SA

Wonde Tadesse 21-May-11 9:47am

Please see --SA answer

difference between method and function

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