Question

I was trying to find an answer for my question today using google and StackOverflow search engines… but no luck 🙂

I was wondering what are the key features of every framework for end user, and how can you characterize every framework from the end-user point of view (I’ve looked into Framework Design Guidelines by K. Cwalina, but I’ve found only concepts and guidelines for framework architects), for me:

• it should be extensible
• should let build extensible and reusable components
• and of course : Simple things should be simple, complex things should be possible. (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alan_Kay)

I think there is much more out there.

Please share your knowledge.

Answer 1

Here are two good quotes from Ralph Johnson and Brian Foote

A framework is a reusable, “semi-complete” application that can be specialized to produce custom applications

One important characteristic of a framework is that the methods defined by the user to tailor the framework will often be called from within the framework itself, rather than from the user’s application code. The framework often plays the role of the main program in coordinating and sequencing application activity. This inversion of control gives frameworks the power to serve as extensible skeletons. The methods supplied by the user tailor the generic algorithms defined in the framework for a particular application.

There was a special issue of CACM that you might want to take a look at too.

Here’s one more link The Hollywood Principal. "Don’t call us, we’ll call you." About how the framework inverts the typical control so the framework calls your code instead of you calling some library code.