Script vs Program

[James T. Dennis]

Cameron Laird <claird at starbase.neosoft.com> wrote:

> In article <bHnV5.96503$U46.3094705 at news1.sttls1.wa.home.com>,
> Greg Jorgensen <gregj at pobox.com> wrote:
> 			.
>>Python is often called a scripting language, but I've never heard Java
>>called a scripting language. Perhaps Python seems more script-like because
>>you can start up the interpreter and get it to interpret and execute code
>>directly, whereas Java tools don't have immediate execution modes (at least
>>not that I've seen).
> 			.
> I have--heard Java called "a scripting language", that
> is.  'Happens all the time, particularly among those
> with shaky educations.


	I think the difference between "scripts" and 
	"programs" relates to the human processes that 
	are involved in their development.

	A script is basically written directly, possibly
	going through several iterative cycles of refinement.
	Scripts generally have a reasonably simple architecture
	(even if they are quite long and complex in actuality).

	A program is *designed* and code is written to
	implement that design.  

	I mostly write scripts.  Generally this is no real
	"design" involved.  Certainly there is some 
	analysis of my needs (desired outputs and/or 
	effects) and my inputs and resources (expected
	inputs, available tools or data, etc).  However, 
	the necessary filtering, transformation and 
	manipulations of my inputs are generally pretty
	straightforward enough of obviate any formal
	design process. 

	Naturally I do my scripting using languages that
	are particularly well suited to this process
	(interpreted, high-level languages that offer
	flexible manipulations of strings, lines of input,
	whole files, etc).  Obviously there are many 
	scripting languages that are particularly apropos
	for tasks in specific domains (awk and text
	processing, expect for automation of interactive
	processes, TCL/Tk for GUI interfaces, procmail for
	e-mail filtering, sorting and auto-response generation,
	etc).

	I don't think of Python as a "scripting" language
	though it certainly has "scripting" features.