Incomputer programming, anapplication framework[1] consists of asoftware framework used bysoftware developers to implement the standard structure ofapplication software.[2]
Application frameworks became popular with the rise ofgraphical user interfaces (GUIs), since these tended to promote a standard structure for applications. Programmers find it much simpler to create automatic GUI creation tools when using a standard framework, since this defines the underlying code structure of the application in advance. Developers usually useobject-oriented programming (OOP) techniques to implement frameworks such that the unique parts of an application can simply inherit from classes extant in the framework.[citation needed]
Apple Computer developed one of the first commercial application frameworks,MacApp (first release 1985), for theMacintosh. Originally written in an extended (object-oriented) version ofPascal termedObject Pascal, it was later rewritten inC++. Another notable framework for the Mac is Metrowerks'PowerPlant, based onCarbon.Cocoa formacOS offers a different approach to an application framework, based on theOpenStep framework developed atNeXT.
Since the 2010s, many apps have been created with the frameworks based onGoogle'sChromium project. The two prominent ones areElectron and theChromium Embedded Framework.
Free and open-source software frameworks exist as part of theMozilla,LibreOffice,GNOME,KDE,NetBeans, andEclipse projects.
Microsoft markets a framework for developingWindows applications in C++ called theMicrosoft Foundation Class Library, and a similar framework for developing applications withVisual Basic orC#, named.NET Framework.
Several frameworks can buildcross-platform applications forLinux, Macintosh, and Windows from commonsource code, such asQt,wxWidgets,Juce,Fox toolkit, orEclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP).
Oracle Application Development Framework (Oracle ADF) aids in producingJava-oriented systems.
Silicon Laboratories offers an embedded application framework for developing wireless applications on its series of wireless chips.
MARTHA is aproprietary software Java framework that all of the RealObjects software is built on.