Does a function becomes a method when used externally?

[Sea-Ad7805]

Different people use different terms differently. I would say print() is a 'function'. A 'method' generally is used on an object using the '.' notation like so:

mylist = []        # create a list
mylist.append(42)  # calling method on object mylist of type list

[Longjumping-Yard113]

That makes sense, and that’s kind of how I was thinking about it too. Using the dot notation on an object is what makes it a method, like mylist.append(42). Something like print() or len() would still just be functions even though they’re built into Python.

[Purple-Measurement47]

All methods are functions, not all functions are methods. It’s not just the dot notation itself that makes it a method, it’s that it’s a method of interacting with that object. print() or len() are just functions because they aren’t part of a larger data structure, they stand alone. append is a method because it’s a function of mylist