At the end of my previous blog post, I incorrectly referred to React.js as a framework. It is actually a JavaScript library. Although the two can be used to achieve a common goal, the two terms are not exactly interchangeable. Allow me to use the following analogy to explain my understanding of the two.
The main difference is when you’re using a library, you’re asking for it to assist you with completing your code. Frameworks on the other hand can be used to write your code but require you to “relinquish ownership” and abide by its rules. To discern the two, let’s look at the code to be written in terms of sharing information with one another.
Scenario A.
You’re browsing StackOverflow and you come across a user who is asking a question about how to use various functions/methods in a particular programming language. You, being a well-seasoned programmer and active user in the StackOverflow community, wish to give this user a bit of assistance. So you decide to do some research on said programming language and functions/methods. Once you’ve gotten a firm understanding of the concepts, you give a friendly and in-depth response to the user, which helps to solve their problem.
Scenario B.
You’ve been assigned to write a paper explaining how to use various functions/methods in a particular programming language by your professor. They require the paper to be written in an accepted formatting style (MLA/APA) of your choosing. You, being a top student of your class, do some research to produce a high quality paper that reflects your standing. As you write your paper, to adhere with formatting guidelines, you use in-text citations. Once your paper has been completed you also cite your sources on your works cited page. Your professor gives you perfect marks on your paper due to the accuracy and proper formatting of your paper.
In both of these scenarios, we were able to relay the information (write our code) in different ways. While the method of finding the information was roughly the same the end product is what differed.
In scenario A the user was able to answer the question in any manner that suited their needs with no restriction. In scenario B, however, the student was not granted the same leisure and was required to structure their response according to a specific set of guidelines. Scenario A represents the usage of a library in your code, while scenario B represents the use of a framework. While the tools used were essentially the same, the control over the end product was not. The correlation to be made here is the control over the code that highlights one of the main differences between how libraries and frameworks operate.
From the blog CS@Worcester – You have reached the upper bound by cloudtech360 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.