Illustration of states vs modules and function arguments

gistfile1.txt

# in a /srv/salt .sls file
my_state: <- State ID
  file.managed: <- State function
    - name: /tmp/foo
    - contents: hello world
    ^ state function arguments

{% if salt['file.directory_exists']('/tmp/bar') %}
            ^ module function        ^ module function arguments

# on the command line
salt minion-name test.ping
                 ^ module functions
                 v
salt minion-name state.apply test=True
                             ^ module function arguments

Technically "state functions" should be "state module functions" and "module functions" should be "execution module functions", but they're more commonly referred to just states and modules.