Method

A function that belongs to an object and is called on it with a dot, like text.upper().

A method is a function defined inside a class. Its first parameter is self, the particular object it was called on, so it can read and change that object's attributes.

You call a method with a dot and parentheses: account.deposit(50). Built-in types have methods too — "hi".upper() and [3, 1, 2].sort() are method calls.

Example
class Counter:
    def __init__(self):
        self.total = 0

    def add(self, n):          # a method; self is this object
        self.total += n

c = Counter()
c.add(5)
c.add(3)
print(c.total)
Output
8

Where this shows up in real Python

Methods are the behaviour attached to objects — text.upper(), items.append(x) — and the actions on your own classes.

Commonly used Method tools

  • obj.method() — call a method with the dot
  • self — the instance the method belongs to
  • @property — expose a method as if it were an attribute
  • @staticmethod / @classmethod — methods not tied to one instance

Official documentation: Python Tutorial: Method Objects