What's the difference between a method and a function?

Question

Can someone provide a simple explanation of methods vs. functions in OOP context?

Answer 1

They're often interchangeable, but a method usually refers to a subroutine inside a class, and a function usually refers to a subroutine outside the class. for instance, in Ruby:

# function
def putSqr(a)
   puts a ** 2
end


class Math2
   # method
   def putSqr(a)
      puts a ** 2
   end
end

In Java, where everything (except package and import statements) must be inside the class, people almost always refer to them as "methods".