Difference between framework and library
Javascript library Vs. Framework is one of the top searched google topics of 2022 so far. Read on to know more. Frameworks and libraries are two different types of tools used to speed up the development process. You’ll not often hear these terms used interchangeably, but the concepts are somewhat related. In this guide, we’ll look at the general difference between framework and library so that you can decide which tool is right for you. Let’s jump into framework Vs. Library;
What is a Framework?
The framework is a collection of libraries that works together to provide a solution for commonly occurring problems.
A pre-written code framework library allows developers to create applications quickly and easily. Frameworks are used to build complex applications from simple components that have been tested thoroughly by other developers. This reduces the time and effort needed to build an application, but it also limits the flexibility of the application because the developer must work within the framework’s limitations.
1. What is a Library?
The library is designed to be used in any language which supports calling functions from outside.
A library is a collection of functions or procedures used in your own programs. Libraries provide functionality you cannot easily write yourself or want to use repeatedly in different applications. For example, if you want to do file input/output (I/O) on Linux or Unix systems, there are many different I/O libraries available for each type of file system supported by those platforms (such as read() and write() functions).
2. What’s the use?
The framework provides the foundation on which your application is going to be built but doesn’t provide concrete functionality.
A framework is a set of tools and utilities that provides a foundation for your application. Frameworks are not concerned with how you build your applications; they only provide the foundation. For example, if you wanted to build an app that lets users post photos and write short captions about them, you could use a CMS (Content Management System) like WordPress or Drupal. These tools provide all of the features your site needs—they’re frameworks. You can then customize the look and feel of these platforms as needed.
Library gives you a set of tools to add to your application.
A library gives you a set of tools to add to your application. For example, if you want to add an image viewer to your app, you could use a library like Picasso that provides easy-to-use APIs for downloading images from the Web.
3. Dependencies
Library has explicit dependencies, and it needs an external execution environment, while Frameworks have implicit dependencies that are linked to the program at runtime.
Frameworks have implicit dependencies that are linked to the program at runtime. This means that if a framework is used, it’s not possible to use multiple versions of the same framework. If a version upgrade is needed, you must update all your apps that use the framework together.
Libraries, on the other hand, don’t have implicit dependencies. They’re compiled into static libraries that can be shared across projects and can be linked into applications at compilation time or included as part of an iOS app bundle itself.
4. Inversion Control
Using Inversion of control, the framework calls a function in your code base.
The key difference between a library and a framework is that a framework is a set of pre-written functions and routines used by other programs while the control remains in your hands. The code calls into the framework, and the framework calls back into the code it depends on. A library can be thought of as a function for an application, but a framework is more like the skeleton of an application—it defines how features are implemented within it.
5. Implementation
A framework has one or more abstract layers, whereas a library has a concrete implementation.
A framework is a collection of programs with a common architecture or design, making it easier for developers to build applications using the framework’s code and capabilities. Frameworks don’t have any concrete implementation but instead provide a set of rules and guidelines for building software applications.
Libraries are sets of pre-written code that can be incorporated into an application to perform tasks such as processing data, creating graphics, playing sound effects, etc. Libraries offer concrete implementations of particular tasks that developers can use without needing to write their code.
6. Function & Logic
The library calls a function that is part of the library code base.
A web application usually does this by writing the function name in the view or calling an action method whose name is passed to it as a parameter.
On the other hand, a framework handles this logic for you by providing an interface that allows you to call methods directly from your views or controllers.
7. Who does what?
With the library, everything is done by you, but with the framework, everything is done by them. You plug different parts of your application into the framework’s already-defined regions.
With libraries, you plug different parts of your application into the regions already defined by the framework. In fact, when you go to any website that uses WordPress, you can see that it’s not just one big file – there are many small ones (and some large ones) that make up the website. This is because each part of the website has its own file, making it easier for people to update and maintain different parts of their site.
With frameworks, however, everything is already defined for you (even though you can still customize it). For example, if you want to create an iPhone app using Swift 3, then instead of having to write code from scratch every time something new comes up like how we did in Objective-C 2 or even Swift 1, all of those details have been taken care of for us so that we don’t have to worry about them anymore – we just have to plug in our data into each region provided by Xcode and voila! We have an iPhone app ready for distribution.
8. Complexity
Frameworks are more complex than libraries and much harder to develop.
Frameworks are built on top of a programming language and provide additional features or functions. Frameworks are often used to create applications. Libraries are not as complex and designed to provide certain functionalities. Libraries are also used in creating applications, but they don’t have any extra features that frameworks provide.
9. Advantages
Framework
1. Framework provides structure and guidance for creating new code.
2. Framework helps avoid redundancy by reusing existing code.
3. Framework reduces code maintenance costs by allowing developers to focus on the unique problems of their applications instead of having to build everything from scratch.
4. Frameworks help us understand things in a different way and make connections between concepts that were previously unrelated.
Library
1. You can access the code of the library in any project.
2. It is easier to update a library than a framework.
3. You can use it as many times as you need, without having to install it every time you want to use it.
4. Libraries are updated more often than frameworks, which means that you have access to the latest features and bug fixes as soon as possible.
A Quick Sneak peek of Library Vs. Framework:
Frameworks:
Frameworks provide users with a set of pre-built components organized together so that other developers can reuse them easily. The main advantage of using frameworks is that you can focus on what you need for your application and leave the rest for the framework developer to handle. Most frameworks give you many options for customization and allow users to easily change the way their applications work without having to rewrite them from scratch every time something changes in their business needs.
Libraries:
Libraries offer a way for developers to reuse code from previous projects so that they don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time they start working on something new. Libraries offer some basic functionalities, but if you want more control over how something works or looks, then maybe it’s best to take care of it yourself instead of relying on someone else’s code that might not fit your needs exactly right away.
Conclusion
Both framework and library can be useful in the programming context.
Although both a framework and a library can be used to deliver reusable code, they each provide very different functions. If you want efficiency and flexibility, then choose a framework. If you want utility and ease of use, go with a library. The choice is yours for now, but which one will it be? Let us know in the comment box.
