[Tutor] methods and functions

[Alan Gauld]

> I'm with you.  A method is a function.  The differences lie
> in how each is found, and of course the first parameter
> is grabbed from "before the dot".  

Sorry, I have to disagree. Within Python the similarities are 
so great that you get away with thinking of them as identical 
99% of the time but in theory, and in several languages in 
practice too, there is a big difference between methods and 
functions. Or more specifically there is a difference between 
sending a message to an object and calling a function.

And under the covers that difference exists in Python too. 
Once you start playing with the getattr methods you can change 
the behaviour of an object quite a long way away from behaving 
like a function call.

It is much better to get into the habit of thinking of passing 
messages to objects and objects responding by executing a piece 
of code - and which piece only the object knows...

Alan G.