I understand what a language is, stuff like Python, Java, Javascript, Swift etc. And I understand what an IDE is, it’s basically an advanced text editor tailored to helping you with writing code.
But I’m lost after that. I’ve heard that react is a framework? Is that because it’s kind of an add-on to JavaScript? If so, how is that different to a package or a Library? Or is a framework a type of library? Where do things like Spring, or Gradle or Flutter fit into this as well? Until recently, I thought Flutter was a language, but now I’m learning that the language might be Dart?
I’ve finished a full degree in Computer Science, and have been in Software Development for over a year now, but this has become no less clear to me.
In: Technology
A library is like a toolbox. It sits next to your program and provides you with the tools you need.
A framework is like driving an excavator: you get inside it and operate it the way it tells you to, but you chose it in the first place because it does what you need to do.
An environment is just that, everything surrounding the program. This can mean the operating system, the editor/IDE you’re using, compiler/interpreter, etc.
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