Difference between Method and Function? [duplicate]

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.

Emanative

Function is the process-oriented name, method the OO name. Since C# (and VB.NET) are object oriented languages you should use method. – Merman

Mean to say that both are same ?? – Emanative

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). – Merman

Well, the difference is in the spelling. Just like the difference between soccer and football(not American football.) – Endamoeba

And with regard to second part of your question, what do you want help with, function or method? – Endamoeba

Answer 1

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.

Triquetrous

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. – Mitch

@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 – Triquetrous

i don't care about the implementation (C#), i was just saying the answer contradicts itself. – Mitch

@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. – Triquetrous

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 – Mitch

@EliranMalka, so do you see a "function" in C# ? – Triquetrous

again, i'm not referring C#, just the abstract concept of functions vs methods. maybe i'm too meticulous here, but semantics matter. – Mitch

@EliranMalka, well the question is tagged in C# :) but again it is about terminology and everybody's own definition/understanding. – Triquetrous

See @Vitali Kaspler's answer for a clearing up of this semantic argument. – Overrun

@Triquetrous They're not the same thing in C#. Take a look, for example, at anonymous functions and anonymous methods. – Sidman

There are several kinds of functions in C# namely methods, constructors, properties, events, indexers and finalizers etc. – Peers

Answer 2

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...

Peeved

Answer 3

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.

Tso

Answer 4

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<>

Heroics

All methods are functions. Not all functions are methods. – Nevsa

Did you read my link to msdn? There is no term "function" in c#. – Heroics

Answer 5

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.

Lateral

Answer 6

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.

Lasky

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. – Berga

Answer 7

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?

Roue

Answer 8

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.

Lail