Documentation says that static methods can be called as regular functions, but I don't see how from the documentation

[khatchad]

Documentation

The documentation states that static methods can be called as "regular" functions, but I don't see how that's possible from the documentation.

Moreover, they can be called as regular functions (such as f()).

I tried the following example that didn't work:

class C:
    @staticmethod
    def the_static_method(x):
        pass

the_static_method(5)

I get:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "....py", line 6, in <module>
    the_static_method(5)
NameError: name 'the_static_method' is not defined. Did you mean: 'staticmethod'?

Linked PRs

• gh-117903: Clarify that the staticmethod descriptor is callable #117925
• [3.12] gh-117903: Clarify that the staticmethod descriptor is callable (GH-117925) #118509

[jamestwebber]

I think that is referring to the example below: if f() is defined as a regular function but also attached to C it could be called either way.

def the_static_method(x):
    pass

class C:
    the_static_method = staticmethod(the_static_method)

the_static_method(5)
C.the_static_method(5)  # calls the same function

[pochmann3]

Googling "Moreover, they can be called as regular functions" finds previous discussions about this, for example this.

[terryjreedy]

In general, questions about using Python should be directed to help forums such as https://discuss.python.org/c/users/7 (or stackoverflow, where there have been numerous questions about staticmethod). However the quoted sentence from the staticmethod entry, especially "(such as f())"), is actively misleading. The latter is only valid in class code. I am thinking about a suggested improvement.

[serhiy-storchaka]

It means that the staticmethod descriptors are callable:

class C:
    @staticmethod
    def the_static_method(x):
        pass
    the_static_method(5)

It should be worded more directly ("the staticmethod descriptors are callable"), and you usually can ignore this feature, it is almost never used.

[khatchad]

In general, questions about using Python should be directed to help forums ...

I've reworded the issue.

[serhiy-storchaka]

Fixed by #117925.