What's the Difference Between Methods and Functions in Programming?

In programming, both methods and functions are code units that perform specific operations, but the main difference lies in their definitions and invocation.

Functions are relatively independent code segments that accept inputs (parameters), perform specific tasks, and return outputs (results). Functions can be defined anywhere in the program, and their invocation typically does not depend on object instances. The primary purpose of functions is to encapsulate code for reuse and modularity.

For example, a function definition in Python:

python
def add_numbers(x, y):
    return x + y

Methods are functions associated with objects. They are defined within a class and are typically used to perform operations related to the class's objects. Methods can access not only their parameters but also other attributes and methods within the class. Method invocation typically depends on class instances.

For example, a method definition in Python:

python
class MathOperations:
    def add_numbers(self, x, y):
        return x + y

In summary, methods are part of a class and depend on class instances, whereas functions are more independent and can execute without any class.