is it safe to assume that, in VB.net, methods mean a sub or function?

Question

Beginner question: In a VB.net development environment, is it safe to assume the word "method" eventually refer us to the concept of functions or subroutines?

Eventually function is a block of instructions, created for modular programming purposes. It may have arguments that get passed into it and it certainly has to return something. Subs are likewise with no returns.

Excuse my ignorance but I'm just starting out to learn VB.net.

generic for either. Subs don't return anything, functions do. — OneFineDay, Dec 19 '14 at 17:27
For VB.Net, Yes: Method, Procedure, Sub, Subroutine, Function are all pretty much interchangeable with the understanding that a Function explicitly returns something. — Idle_Mind, Dec 19 '14 at 17:29
Newbie C# programmers call methods that don't return anything "voids". VB.NET gives them a proper name :) — Hans Passant, Dec 19 '14 at 17:32

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 19 '14 at 17:29

5

In the OOP world, a "method" is technically a function or sub that is associated with a class.

For example:

Public Class [MyClass]
    Public Sub MyMethod()
    End Sub
End Class

MyMethod() is a method. If the sub was outside the class, it'd just be called a Sub or Function

You may hear other programmers refer to a method that is outside a class, but that is technically not correct.

answered Dec 19 '14 at 17:29

Icemanind

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so methods inevitably invoke classes? – Amen Jlili Dec 19 '14 at 17:59
No. Methods are a part of a class. You must instantiate an instance of the class before you can invoke the method (unless its a `Shared` method. – Icemanind Dec 19 '14 at 18:18

score 2 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:20

Kind Of.

In Object Orientation, a method must belong to a class

However, VB.Net still allows Modules which are a hangover from procedural days, although these are implemented under the hood as static classes.

But the other way around, a method must be implemented as either a Sub (which has no return value and implies side-effects), or a Function (which has a return value, and in theory implies no side effects), if you follow CQS style convention.

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:49

0

Assuming VB.net doesn't throw away general standards, a method is what you defined as a function or subroutine, but is attached to a particular object.

See this SO post for more information on the difference between methods and functions.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:49

Community

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answered Dec 19 '14 at 17:28

Eric Palace

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is it safe to assume that, in VB.net, methods mean a sub or function?

3 Answers3