Difference Between a program and a Script

What is Difference Between a program and a Script

Basically, all scripting languages are programming languages. The theoretical difference between the two is that scripting languages do not require the compilation step and are rather interpreted. For example, normally, a C program needs to be compiled before running whereas normally, a scripting language like JavaScript or PHP need not be compiled.

What is a Scripting Language?

Scripting languages, as the name suggests, is a programming language that supports scripts. A scripting language binds a set of software components that collaborate to solve a particular problem. Scripting assumes the existence of powerful components and provides the means to connect them together. Scripting languages are glue languages that integrate the execution of system utilities including compilers; command line interpretation; shell-based programming; and execution of codes written in web-based languages. The purpose of a scripting language is the development of applications by plugging existing components together and they generally favor high-level programming over execution speed. Scripting is used in a variety of applications, and scripting languages are correspondingly diverse. Python is a powerful scripting language for complex system involving operating system, networks, and web-based programming.

What is a Programming Language?

A programming language is an organized way of communicating with a computer, such that the computer behaves according to the instructions given by the programmer. A programming language is an artificial formalism in which algorithms can be expressed. In the modern era, the problems to be solved by computers lie in different problem domains such as scientific computing, database programming, business applications, process automation, and web-based applications. All these domains are quite different with varied requirements. A programming language is a specific set of instructions given to a computer in a language that the computer understands to perform specific tasks. Today’s programming languages are the product of development that started in the 1950s. The term programming languages usually refer to high-level languages such as C++, Java, Ada, Pascal, and FORTRAN.

Script :

"Scripts" are distinct from the core code of the application, which is usually written in a different language, and are often created or at least modified by the end-user.
Scripts are often interpreted from source code or bytecode, whereas the applications they control are traditionally compiled to native machine code.

A script may refer to any of the following:

1. A script or scripting language is a computer language with a series of commands within a file that is capable of being executed without being compiled. Good examples of server-side scripting languages include Perl, PHP, and Python. The best example of a client side scripting language is JavaScript. A full list of scripting languages and other programming languages can be found through our programming language definition.

Advantages of scripts

• Open source, allowing users to view and edit the script if needed.

• Does not require the file to be compiled, but may be when necessary.

• Easy to learn and write.

• Easy to port between different operating systems.

• Much faster to develop than an actual program - some individuals and companies write scripts as a prototype for actual programs.

Disadvantages of scripts

• Open source, allows others to view source code, which may be prohibited by some companies.

• Requires the user to install an interpreter or separate program before the script can be run.

• In some situations, they may be slower than a compiled program.

Program :

The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute the instructions.
The same program in its human-readable source code form, from which executable programs are derived (e.g., compiled)

Scripts vs Programs

• It is important to understand the difference between a "script" and a "real program", and which languages are appropriate for each.

• Scripts tend to be small (no more than a few hundred or a few thousand lines of code) and do not do any significant computation of their own.

• Instead, scripts run "real programs" to do most of the computational work. The job of the script is simply to automate and document the process of running programs.

• As a result, scripting languages do not need to be efficient and are generally interpreted rather than compiled. ( Interpreted language programs run an order of magnitude or more slower than equivalent compiled programs, unless most of their computation is done by built-in, compiled subprograms. )

• Real programs may be quite large and may implement complex computational algorithms. Hence, they need to be fast and as a result are usually written in compiled languages.

• If you plan to use exclusively pre-existing programs such as Unix commands and/or add-on application software, and need only automate the execution of these programs, then you need to write a script and should choose a good scripting language.

• If you plan to implement your own algorithm(s) that may require a lot of computation, then you need to write a program and should select an appropriate compiled programming language