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The best distinction I've read is: When something is a library, your code calls functions on it. When something is a framework, it calls functions on your cod

by syspec 6y ago

The best distinction I've read is: When something is a library, your code calls functions on it. When something is a framework, it calls functions on your code

brundolf 6y ago
I think that can be more precisely defined as Inversion of Control: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_of_control https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_of_control which has a strong association with "framework" thinking, but I think it's still useful to treat them as distinct concepts
galaxyLogic 6y ago
That seems like the only precise definition I've seen for what is a framework. From this perspective it would be interesting to see some rationale for why libraries not frameworks. I would say that libraries are not the opposite of frameworks at all. You can have a library which contains a set of framework-classes.
uryga 6y ago
it's a rough rule of thumb at best though – higher-order-functions or other things that take a callback blur the line a lot (IoC, what a sibling comment said). or say a library has an event-loop, or maybe does networking and you only provide some handlers – would that make it a framework? i guess it's about frameworks being "the main thing happening". i.e. a framework controls the whole program's execution, occasionally yielding control to your code. which is a bit wordier to be sure :)
- snorremd 6y ago
  I agree. Otherwise every library for languages with first class functions and callbacks would be frameworks.
- goto11 6y ago
  The article also makes a good point that there is no hard line between library and framework, it is spectrum.
grecy 6y ago
I'd add to that and say When something is a framework, it calls functions on your code AND it does a lot of the heavy lifting for you. I studied Frameworks in my Software Engineering degree, but really had no appreciation for them until developing large software in WebObjects. Until you've extensively used a well-written Framework, libraries seem great. After, you realize a library just helps you here and there, but a Framework is so much more.

by syspec 6y ago

The best distinction I've read is: When something is a library, your code calls functions on it. When something is a framework, it calls functions on your code

brundolf 6y ago

I think that can be more precisely defined as Inversion of Control: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_of_control https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_of_control which has a strong association with "framework" thinking, but I think it's still useful to treat them as distinct concepts

galaxyLogic 6y ago

That seems like the only precise definition I've seen for what is a framework. From this perspective it would be interesting to see some rationale for why libraries not frameworks. I would say that libraries are not the opposite of frameworks at all. You can have a library which contains a set of framework-classes.

uryga 6y ago

it's a rough rule of thumb at best though – higher-order-functions or other things that take a callback blur the line a lot (IoC, what a sibling comment said). or say a library has an event-loop, or maybe does networking and you only provide some handlers – would that make it a framework? i guess it's about frameworks being "the main thing happening". i.e. a framework controls the whole program's execution, occasionally yielding control to your code. which is a bit wordier to be sure :)

snorremd 6y ago
I agree. Otherwise every library for languages with first class functions and callbacks would be frameworks.
goto11 6y ago
The article also makes a good point that there is no hard line between library and framework, it is spectrum.

grecy 6y ago

I'd add to that and say When something is a framework, it calls functions on your code AND it does a lot of the heavy lifting for you. I studied Frameworks in my Software Engineering degree, but really had no appreciation for them until developing large software in WebObjects. Until you've extensively used a well-written Framework, libraries seem great. After, you realize a library just helps you here and there, but a Framework is so much more.