python - Is it conventional to say that functions are called and methods are invoked? -

i’m reading think python: how think computer scientist. author uses “invoke” methods , “call” functions.

is convention? and, if so, why distinction made? why functions said called, methods said invoked?

not really, maybe easier new readers make explicit distinction in order understand invocation different. @ least why suspect author might have chosen different wording each.

there doesn't seem convention dictates in reference manual python language. seem them doing choosing invoke when call made function implicit , not explicit.

for example, in callables section of the standard type hierarchy see:

[..] when instance method object called, underlying function (__func__) called, inserting class instance (__self__) in front of argument list. [...]

^{(emphasis mine) explicit call}

further down in basic customization , for __new__ can see:

called create new instance of class cls. __new__() static method [...]

^{(emphasis mine) explicit call}

while couple of sentences later you'll see how invoked used because __new__ implicitly calls __init__:

if __new__() not return instance of cls, new instance’s __init__() method not invoked.

^{(emphasis mine) implicitly called}

so no, no convention seems used, @ least creators of language. simple better complex, guess :-).