What is meant by framework, programming language and scripting language?

Question

What is meant by framework, programming language and scripting language?

Answer 1

I think Daniel Pryden's points are excellent - I voted him up. I'd just like to add a couple of minor additions.

Programming languages, like C and C++, used to have a compiling and linking step that rendered the source code into a machine-language form that was run by the operating system.

Scripting languages, like the Unix Bourne, Korn, and C shell, were not compiled or linked like C and C++. (Thanks to Daniel Pryden's correction and citation of the Unix scripting languages.)

Since virtual machines have become so common in languages like Java, Python, and C#, the distinction between scripting and programming has been blurred.

As for the distinction between libraries and frameworks: your code links in libraries and calls them. This is different from a framework, because your code is plugged into the framework. It's known as the Hollywood principle: "Don't call us, we'll call you."

Answer 2

The distinction between programming languages and scripting languages is ill-defined. In my opinion, we should dispense with the term "scripting language" and just call them all programming languages.

A framework, on the other hand, is a collection of code that uses an inversion-of-control mechanism to help you structure your code. Frameworks are similar to libraries in that they provide building blocks you can use to build a bigger system.