Welcome! Today, we're diving into an essential topic in C++ programming: defining and utilizing methods. Methods, also known as member functions, are functions inside a class that can access its members. By the end of this lesson, you'll know how to define methods and call these methods to perform operations.

Why do we need methods? Imagine you have a robot. This robot can do tasks like walking, talking, and picking up items. In programming, these tasks are methods that belong to the robot class. Methods help organize our code, making it easier to manage and understand.

Let's define a simple class with a method. In C++, methods are defined in a class.

Here's an example:

Here, we have a Robot class with a talk() method that prints a message to the console.

To keep the class definition clean, methods are usually implemented outside the class using the scope resolution operator ::.

Here's an example:

In this example, the talk() method is declared inside the class but implemented outside, keeping the definition simpler.

You can also add parameters to the methods. Let's create a Calculator class with a method to add numbers.

In this code, we define a Calculator class with an add method.

Let's add more functionality to the Calculator class by including a subtract method.

To use a method, create an instance of the class and call the method on it. Let's see an example:

Here, we create an instance of our Calculator class. Then, we utilize its methods add and subtract to get results. As you can see, these methods work just like functions, but they are the part of the class, which makes the code more structured.

Congratulations! You’ve learned how to define and use methods in C++. Here are the key points:

1. Defining Methods: Methods are defined in a class and can be implemented outside using the scope resolution operator ::.
2. Using Methods: To use a method, create a class instance and call the method using dot notation.

Now, it's time to practice! Next, you'll get hands-on experience by creating classes with methods and calling these methods. This will help reinforce the concepts and improve your skills in defining and using methods in C++. Happy coding!