A framework in software development is a construct, built on a specific programming language, that simplifies application development. A framework can also be seen as a template; it typically has pre-existing code that helps developers set up an application without writing every part from scratch. Software frameworks are available for mobile, web, and desktop applications.
Characteristics of a framework
Because code in software frameworks has already been tested, it’s a solid foundation for developers to create a more complex program. A software framework abstracts the process of developing an application so that it’s easier to repeat for a later application. It also gives software developers additional time that they aren’t required to spend building each application from the ground up.
Software frameworks exist for both front-end and back-end programming. The front end describes what web users see, such as the effects of HTML on a web application. The back end describes the servers and databases that manage the application’s computing resources and data.
Examples of software frameworks
Two examples of frameworks in software development are AngularJS (which uses the programming language JavaScript) and Apache Spark. AngularJS is an open source framework that uses HTML and makes Create, Retrieve, Update, Delete (CRUD) applications easier to build. AngularJS features data binding, routing, and dependency injection, which allow developers to create a web application with HTML, a web markup language that can’t host an application on its own.
Apache Spark, developed by the Apache Foundation, is a software framework for data analytics, specifically big data and machine learning applications. It can use multiple programming languages as its base. Apache Spark helps developers create data processing programs with its API.
