From: Trans <transfire@...>
Date: 2006-09-25T09:30:06+09:00
Subject: Re: Please define these terms


Devin Mullins wrote:
> Trans wrote:
> > Also clarifying terminology helps discussion.
>
> All right, now I feel guilty for derailing the thread.
>
>    Application
> A set of executable code with a human interface -- command-line or GUI.
>
>    Program
> A more general term than application. A set of executable code which
> requires a human to "start it" (so, not a device driver), but might not
> have a human interface after that.
>
>    Library
> A set of executable code with no human interface, an exposed code
> interface, a theme of some sort.
>
>    Toolkit
> Larger in scope than a library, and, I guess, also includes some
> programs. Say, a windowing toolkit, which includes an app for generating
> resource files.
>
>    Framework
> A set of executable code that takes control of the main event loop, and
> to some extent dictates the structure of your code. Usually includes
> library code (and that's usually the reason you use it), though of a
> much wider scope than a library (e.g. "full-stack").
>
>    Package
> 1. Collection of files.
> 2. Something that The Todd is quite fond of.
>
>    Project
> A set of goals + at least one doer at any time (may not be the same over
> time).
>
> > T.
> Mostly, though, I'll use a lot of these terms interchangeably. Why are
> you codifying this? Is there not a more general approach you can take?

A Project Management Application, i.e. Build Tool. Partly I'm just just
curious but I am also wrestling with one naming issue so I thought it
might help to ask. I have a Project class which contains methods for
acting upon a... er... "Program" (?), and a Library class for utilzing
"it". Both share much of the same "metadata" so they both delegate to
another class which stores that. Don't know what to name that class
though. Right now it's called er... well... Program :-) But then again
maybe I haven't named any of them optimally. For instance, I was
suprised to see UML refer to what I would call a "library" as a
"package".

T.