Framework

This article is about the general software development term; Framework is also the name of an office application suite, and Mac OS X frameworks are application frameworks.

In software development, a framework is a defined support structure in which another software project can be organized and developed. A framework may include support programs, code libraries, a scripting language, or other software to help develop and glue together the different components of a software project.

Frameworks are designed with the intent of facilitating software development, by allowing designers and programmers to spend more time on meeting software requirements rather than dealing with the more tedious low level details of providing a working system. For example, a team using Apache Struts to develop a banking web site can focus on how account withdrawals are going to work rather than how to control navigation between pages in a bug-free manner. However, there are common complaints that using frameworks adds to "code bloat", and that a preponderance of competing and complementary frameworks means that one trades time spent on rote programming and design for time spent on learning frameworks.

Outside of computer applications, a framework can be considered as the processes and technologies used to solve a complex issue. It is the skeleton upon which various objects are integrated for a given solution.

Example frameworks

Apache Cocoon — from Apache Software Foundation
Apache Struts — from Apache Software Foundation
BREW - from Qualcomm
Cactus - an open source framework for high performance computing, originally developed for gravitational physics simulations
Catalyst — an open source web application framework written in Perl
CakePHP — an open source web application framework written in PHP
CodeIgniter - Code Igniter is a powerful PHP framework with a very small footprint written in PHP
Canvas — an open source web application development framework written in PHP
Cocoa — from Apple Computer
Django — an open source web application framework written in Python
Eclipse — from IBM
EVA cms — from EVA Soluções
Fusebox — a web application framework for ColdFusion and PHP.
Gantry — an open source Perl web application framework
MARF — an open source Java framework for audio/speech/voice and natural language processing
NetBeans — an open source Java framework from Sun Microsystems
.NET Framework — from Microsoft
Mach-II — an MVC web application framework for ColdFusion and PHP
Maypole framework — an open source web application framework written in Perl
Model-Glue — an open source object-oriented MVC web application framework for ColdFusion
Mono - an open source implementation of the Microsoft .NET Framework
OpenXava - an open source J2EE framework for developing business application in a simple way
PlanetSim - an object-oriented simulation framework for overlay networks and services
PHROOT — PHP Rapid Object Oriented Technology Framework Project (PHP)
Qt - an open-source C++ framework used in KDE project
PRADO — component-based, object-oriented PHP web application framework
Radicore — an open source web application framework that uses transaction patterns, written in PHP
RIFE — an open source web application framework written in Java
Rational Unified Process — a process framework for developing software
RNA — an open source component-based, object-oriented PHP web application framework
Ruby on Rails — an open source web application framework written in Ruby
Sails framework — an open source web application framework written in Java
Seagull — an open source framework written in PHP
Spring framework — an open source framework which provides an MVC framework, transparent ways of integrating AOP into software and a well-structured exception hierarchy including automatic mapping from proprietary exception hierarchies
Symfony — an open source web application framework written in PHP
ThinWire - an open source Rich Internet application framework written in Java
TurboGears — an open source web application framework written in Python
WASP — an open source web application framework written in PHP
Wicket — component-based Java web application framework
Molins — PHP Struts-like framework for enterprise web applications
web.framework — PHP MVC based framework for web applications
Xaraya — Xaraya is a web application framework and content management system, written in PHP and released as free software under the GNU General Public License.
Zheta — PHP objects framework for enterprise web applications
XINS — Java-based framework for web applications
Zend Framework — open source framework for developing web applications and web services.
ZNF — PHP Struts-like framework for enterprise web applications
Zoop Framework — open source component-based, object-oriented PHP web application framework
Zope — a Python-based application server
ZK Framework — an open source Ajax/XUL web application framework written in Java

Example frameworks

See also