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Scripting vs. Programming

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gjehle:
html & css = w3c conform text formatting

scripts get interpreted
java gets interpreted
c# gets interpreted
pascal gets interpreted
perl gets interpreted

well, um, per defintion calling a perl scripter not a coder also means that java is not programming, or c#

if one takes a step back and looks at the principle, it's all programming
instructing the machine to do something or instructing something that instructs the machine is just another layer of abstraction
aslong as you write something that looks like code i'd say you're a coder/programmer

housetier:
In school I learned that every (part of a) program could be seen as following the principal "input-process-output". A function/method/procedure/sub is called with parameters (input), does something with them (process), and has thus changed the data, sometimes explicitely "return"ing it.

This uhmm metaphor can be extended: not only do functions call each other, programs can call each other; and to extend it even more: computers can "call" other computers to get a certain task done.

And when we are willing to accept that "The Internet" is a giant program, then a one-liner such as
--- ---echo There are $(dpkg -l *glib*|grep ^ii|wc -l) \"glib\"-packages installed. should be considered a program too.

So what my teacher was getting at was not the looks, but how it was used: it's a program if it does something (anything!) with given data. No mentions of "professional" or "compilation".

f0dder:
housetier: somehow, I don't see that oneliner as a program... but it's one of those fuzzy feelings. I don't see a person using VB to make a buttonclick change a textfield's color as "Programming", either.

On the other hand, scripting languages (whether we're talking perl, python, LUA, bash scripts or even .BAT files) can certainly be used for programming - and even shell scripts can do pretty complicated things. So why isn't the above oneliner "programming" to me? What does it lack?

Good question. I think it has something to do with variables, algorithms, program flow control, etc. When those are lacking, it just isn't programming to me. Hell, I don't think of writing RegExes as programming, although one could probably argue it is.

It's not really meant as patronization; but I think there's some usefulness in being able to differ between "I wrote a little program" vs. "I wrote a little script"... but there's a zillion shades of gray :)

zridling:
Good point. I can write simple scripts, but I couldn't write a program to spell my own name.

Unless it was a script.  :P

housetier:
but I think there's some usefulness in being able to differ between "I wrote a little program" vs. "I wrote a little script"
-f0dder (July 30, 2006, 03:26 PM)
--- End quote ---

Where is the difference? And much more importantly: What's the use? (Many songs have been writting about this question, it seems kinda fundamental)

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