Asoftware framework issoftware that provides reusable, generic functionality which developers can extend or customize to create complete solutions. It offers anabstraction layer over lower-level code and infrastructure, allowing developers to focus on implementingbusiness logic rather than building common functionality from scratch. Generally, a framework is intended to enhance productivity by allowing developers to focus on satisfying business requirements rather than reimplementing generic functionality.[1] Frameworks often include support programs,compilers,software development kits,code libraries, toolsets, andAPIs that integrate variouscomponents within a largersoftware platform or environment.
Unlike alibrary, where user code controls the program'scontrol flow, a framework implementsinversion of control by dictating the overall structure and calling user code at predefined extension points (e.g., throughtemplate methods orhooks). Frameworks also provide default behaviours that work out-of-the-box, structured mechanisms forextensibility, and a fixed core that accepts extensions (e.g., plugins or subclasses) without direct modification.
A framework differs from an application that can be extended—such as aweb browser via anextension or a video game via amod—in that it is intentionally incomplete scaffolding designed to be completed through its extension points while following specific architectural patterns. For example, a team using aweb framework to develop a banking website can focus on writing banking business logic rather than handling low-level details likeweb request processing orstate management.
Software frameworks differ from standard libraries in key ways:
According to Pree,[2] software frameworks consist offrozen spots andhot spots.Frozen spots define the overall architecture of a software system, that is to say its basic components and the relationships between them. These remain unchanged (frozen) in any instantiation of the application framework.Hot spots represent the parts where the programmers using the framework add their own code to add the functionality specific to their own project.
The necessary functionality can be implemented by using theTemplate Method Pattern in which thefrozen spots are known as invariant methods and thehot spots are known as variant or hook methods. The invariant methods in the superclass provide default behaviour while the hook methods in each subclass provide custom behaviour.
When developing a concrete software system with a software framework, developers utilize the hot spots according to the specific needs and requirements of the system. Software frameworks rely on theHollywood Principle: "Don't call us, we'll call you."[3][4] This means that the user-defined classes (for example, new subclasses) receive messages from the predefined framework classes. Developers usually handle this by implementingsuperclassabstract methods.
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One potential downside of using a framework is that it adds to the size of a program, a phenomenon termedcode bloat. This can be exacerbated by using multiple, sometimes competing, frameworks in the same codebase.
Learning how to use a framework can be substantial. The intended efficiencies of using the framework may be outweighed by the cost to learn it, especially for a framework that is new to the development staff.[citation needed] However, once a framework is learned, development team speed may increase for future work.
Some claim that the most effective frameworks evolve fromre-factoring an existing solution, such as a generic one-size-fits-all framework developed by third parties for general purposes, rather than from green-field development.
A framework generally focuses on a specific problem domain, including:
Some notable frameworks:
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The dictionary definition ofsoftware framework at Wiktionary
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