April 22, 2010
The Basics of the Scripting Programming Language
The term “scripting” is often tossed around amongst the technologically savvy leaving the rest of us average Joe’s wondering what they’re talking about, why it’s used and the industry jargon that accompanies the language.
Scripting is a programming language primarily used for the development of software applications. Scripts are not a segment of the primary code, instead they are often written in a different programming language and created by the end-user to control specific applications.
While scripting is a method of programming, there are numerous variants of this language that serve specific functions. The most common variations include the following:
Job control languages and shells - These have evolved from the starting and control of the behavior of systems programs. Most of these languages translate command-line interpreters like MS-DOS, Unix Shell and AppleScript.
Graphical user interface scripting - This interacts with the various features a system generates. These features include windows, menus and buttons. The most common use of GUI scripting is to automate user actions by simulating the actions of a user.
Application-specific languages - These are designed for a single application such as what is found with a computer gaming system. This language allows for the customization of many features. Since video games are interactive, this language is the perfect choice.
Web browsing scripting - This specifically controls the operation of a web browser. Well known languages include VBScript, JavaScript, XUL and XSLT. A combination of the XML content and JavaScript has been coined AJAX.
Text processing languages - These are some of the oldest scripting languages. These basic languages simply automate necessitated tasks that are text based or log files. Perl is an example of a text processing language that was developed to streamline these tools and has since evolved into one of the most popular all-purpose languages.
General-purpose dynamic languages - These are more commonly used for applications and are not formally referred to as scripted languages by the programming community. However most began as scripting languages and developed into a general purpose use.
Extension/embedded languages - These are designed to be embedded in applications with the main advantage of allowing transfer from application to application. This language gives users the luxury of additional control and functionality by use of user interface.
Each language serves its own specific function to allow applications to be more streamlined and robust. Some are outdated but still used, others, like JavaScript, are widespread due to functionality and control. These are the languages that assist web pages, browsers and applications in being what they are today.
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General-purpose dynamic languages,
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Unix Shell,
Text processing languages,
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Scripting,
programming language,
primary code
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