Difference between Method and Function?

Question

I am a beginner in c# and have a keen interest to learn c#, but I am confused. When I asked some one what the difference is between Function and method, he said to me that there is no difference, that they both have the same functionality.
Now I am quite confused and want to know from good developers what methods and functions are?

Are they both the same? If not, then how do I initialize each one??

Is this way to initialize a function correct?

public void UpdateLeaveStatus(EmployeeLeave objUpdateLeaveStatus)

Please provide proper help as I am new.

Function is the process-oriented name, method the OO name. Since C# (and VB.NET) are object oriented languages you should use method. — Tim Schmelter, Sep 04 '12 at 07:51
VB-Side-note: don't mix up `Functions` in VB.NET with _functions_, they are also methods with return values as opposed to `Subs` which don't return anything (but are also methods). — Tim Schmelter, Sep 04 '12 at 08:01
Well, the difference is in the spelling. Just like the difference between soccer and football(not American football.) — Shakti Prakash Singh, Sep 04 '12 at 08:17
And with regard to second part of your question, what do you want help with, function or method? — Shakti Prakash Singh, Sep 04 '12 at 08:19

score 80 · Answer 1 · edited Jun 03 '15 at 15:41

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When a function is a part of a class, it's called a method.

C# is an OOP language and doesn't have functions that are declared outside of classes, that's why all functions in C# are actually methods.

Though, beside this formal difference, they are the same...

edited Jun 03 '15 at 15:41

Eliran Malka

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answered Sep 04 '12 at 07:57

Vitali Kaspler

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score 58 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 06 '13 at 14:47

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Both are same, there is no difference its just a different term for the same thing in C#.

Method:

In object-oriented programming, a method is a subroutine (or procedure or function) associated with a class.

With respect to Object Oriented programming the term "Method" is used, not functions.

edited Dec 06 '13 at 14:47

BenMorel

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answered Sep 04 '12 at 07:50

Habib

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the quote implies that there **is** a difference, and that a method is a **special case** of a function. please change your answer to reflect this. – Eliran Malka Jun 03 '15 at 10:04
@EliranMalka, there is no difference between a method and a function in C#, do you know any **function** in .Net framework ? It is mostly a matter of opinion, but most are of the view that in OOP there is only a method, See [another answer on the linked question](http://stackoverflow.com/a/155633/961113) – Habib Jun 03 '15 at 12:17
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i don't care about the implementation (C#), i was just saying the answer contradicts itself. – Eliran Malka Jun 03 '15 at 15:26
@EliranMalka, where do you see method is a special case of function in the quoted statement in answer? for me it means a method is a subroutine/procedure or a function, so it could be any of those three things. – Habib Jun 03 '15 at 15:28
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correct - if a method **is** (a kind of) a function **that is associated with a class**, there is a difference, hence they're **not** the same. just plain logic – Eliran Malka Jun 03 '15 at 15:30
@EliranMalka, so do you see a "function" in C# ? – Habib Jun 03 '15 at 15:32
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again, i'm not referring C#, just the abstract concept of functions vs methods. maybe i'm too meticulous here, but semantics matter. – Eliran Malka Jun 03 '15 at 15:33
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@EliranMalka, well the question is tagged in C# :) but again it is about terminology and everybody's own definition/understanding. – Habib Jun 03 '15 at 15:34
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See @Vitali Kaspler's answer for a clearing up of this semantic argument. – Kristopher Oct 07 '15 at 13:50
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@Habib They're not the same thing in C#. Take a look, for example, at [anonymous functions](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb882516.aspx) and [anonymous methods](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/0yw3tz5k.aspx). – igorcadelima Dec 16 '15 at 15:09
There are several kinds of functions in C# namely methods, constructors, properties, events, indexers and finalizers etc. – RBT Oct 14 '16 at 01:35

score 14 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 26 '12 at 07:09

In C#, they are interchangeable (although method is the proper term) because you cannot write a method without incorporating it into a class. If it were independent of a class, then it would be a function. Methods are functions that operate through a designated class.

score 3 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 04 '12 at 07:51

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There is no functions in c#. There is methods (typical method:public void UpdateLeaveStatus(EmployeeLeave objUpdateLeaveStatus)) link to msdn and functors - variable of type Func<>

answered Sep 04 '12 at 07:51

Kirill Bestemyanov

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All methods are functions. Not all functions are methods. – Gavin Towey Sep 04 '12 at 08:16
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Did you read my link to msdn? There is no term "function" in c#. – Kirill Bestemyanov Sep 04 '12 at 09:24

score 3 · Answer 5 · answered Sep 04 '12 at 07:52

well, in some programming languages they are called functions others call it methods, the fact is they are the same thing. It just represents an abstractized form of reffering to a mathematical function:

f -> f(N:N).

meaning its a function with values from natural numbers (just an example). So besides the name Its exactly the same thing, representing a block of code containing instructions in resolving your purpose.

Jamiec · Answer 6 · 2012-09-04T09:17:53.357

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Both are the same, both are a term which means to encapsulate some code into a unit of work which can be called from elsewhere.

Historically, there may have been a subtle difference with a "method" being something which does not return a value, and a "function" one which does. in C# that would translate as:

public void DoSomething() {} // method
public int DoSomethingAndReturnMeANumber(){} // function

But really, I re-iterate that there is really no difference in the 2 concepts.

edited Sep 04 '12 at 09:17

answered Sep 04 '12 at 07:53

Jamiec

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I always thought of it as function are stateless, and methods are functions that use/change the state of the object the function is associated with. – aj.toulan Nov 18 '15 at 04:23

score 3 · Answer 7 · answered Nov 04 '12 at 19:52

From Object-Oriented Programming Concept:

If you have a function that is accessing/muttating the fields of your class, it becomes method. Otherwise, it is a function.

It will not be a crime if you keep calling all the functions in Java/C++ classes as methods. The reason is that you are directly/indirectly accessing/mutating class properties. So why not all the functions in Java/C++ classes are methods?

score 2 · Answer 8 · edited Aug 21 '17 at 10:22

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Programmers from structural programming language background know it as a function while in OOPS it's called a method.

But there's not any difference between the two.

In the old days, methods did not return values and functions did. Now they both are used interchangeably.

edited Aug 21 '17 at 10:22

Community

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answered Sep 04 '12 at 08:20

Sathyaseelan Kumaran

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Difference between Method and Function?

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