What is the difference between a language and a framework?

Question

Can someone give me a clear, concise definition of the difference between a programming language and a framework? I have scoured the web and been unable to find an adequate

Answer 1

A programming language is a specified, standardized method of communication between the programmer and computer (in modern languages, technically it's between programmer and compiler, which "interprets" your code into simpler instructions the computer can work with). It is a pure abstraction that specifies its structure, syntax and semantics; implementations of the language are generally considered part of the environment in which the programmer develops, and incorporate the compiler and any virtual machine implementation.

A framework is a standardized set of pre-written code libraries designed to be used and reused by developers, and is again tied more to the environment. An environment is the intersection of the language, framework, virtual machine or runtime (an abstraction layer in which managed or interpreted code is translated from a machine-independent form into native code) and machine (the hardware layer on which native instructions are executed).

Answer 2

I hope i can explain using an example.

Dot net is a framework which consists of large libraries and supports many programming languages.. C# is a programming language through which you can give instruction to a machine mainly computer.. Now if your source code is in C# you can use Dot net framework libraries and the source code which is written in other languages..

Answer 3

Regarding the clear line between language and framework, i suppose you can count DSLs (Domain Specific Languages) as constructs that are both a Language and a Framework ( as it is a Framework in the original Language it is build upon).

Lisp is the only language i can think of now that may blur such distinction:

"The name LISP derives from "LISt Processing". Linked lists are one of Lisp languages' major data structures, and Lisp source code is itself made up of lists. As a result, Lisp programs can manipulate source code as a data structure, giving rise to the macro systems that allow programmers to create new syntax or even new domain-specific languages embedded in Lisp."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisp_(programming_language)

Answer 4

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An application framework is the organizational structure of any application's code, including choices for conventions in files/folders, classes/functions, etc.

An application framework product is any tool that helps generate the framework for an application.

An application design pattern is any conceptual approach for organizing code at the application level.

An software language is a language-based tool that can be used to build applications, utilities, libraries, frameworks, etc.

A library is any extension in functionality to the native compiled functionality of a language.

A standard library is a library packaged with the language product itself.

An external library is a library outside of the language product itself and is either called remotely or installed locally.

A code-generator is any tool that dynamically generates permanent runtime code based on the developer's input.

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Answer 5

A language is syntax, grammar, semantics (and perhaps a core library) that implementers are required to support. A framework is a cohesive set of library code that together simplifies programming in any given language.

Answer 6

At my point, a programming language looks like bunch of stuff (syntax,grammar, semantics etc.) which people are already combine them into one more convenient, more useful, easier to use, and more enjoyable - a framework, and I love to have a framework before start making a program.

I know some programming languages like C, PHP, ASP, Python, Java, and some frameworks like Yii, Zend, Pygame, Struts. All I see is there can be many frameworks built from a programming language, but a framework is built from only on programming language.