"Associated function" is used incorrectly

[AJTJ]

This language in chapter 19 is confusing for a new rust user:
However, associated functions that are part of traits don’t have a self parameter.

I'm wondering if it would be better to declare something along the lines of Associated functions that are not methods, do not have the self parameter, in order to help with understanding.

[ibraheemdev]

referenced section in the book

The terminology used here is ambiguous:

However, associated functions that are part of traits don’t have a self parameter.

Because Animal::baby_name is an associated function rather than a method, and thus doesn’t have a self parameter...

The Rust reference clearly states:

Associated functions whose first parameter is named self are called methods

Therefore, methods are a subset of associated functions, so the terminology used here is actually wrong.

[jyn514]

Associated functions whose first parameter is named self are called methods

This seems wrong to me, or at least inconsistent with the implementation. https://doc.rust-lang.org/nightly/nightly-rustc/rustc_middle/ty/struct.AssocItem.html#structfield.fn_has_self_parameter clearly allows associated items to have a self parameter.

[AJTJ]

To whom it may concern, I am happy to submit a PR for this fix.

[sudeepdino008]

@AJTJ Please do. In the section 5.3 in The Book:

Another useful feature of impl blocks is that we’re allowed to define functions within impl blocks that don’t take self as a parameter. These are called associated functions because they’re associated with the struct. They’re still functions, not methods, because they don’t have an instance of the struct to work with. You’ve already used the String::from associated function.

this is clearly wrong? Reading this gives an indication that associated functions are like static/class methods in other languages.