What is a Script?

Cory Smith, implies in a comment to my line feed post, that a compiled language (VB.NET) and scripting are mutually exclusive.

"I'm not sure what you mean by "scripting" product... VB.NET is compiled to the exact same framework in the exact same way as C#. Don't make statements like this about something that you have even expressed yourself that you don't know about. It's just different, not any better or worse than C#."

If you ask any number of developers exactly what scripting is,your likely to receive a plethora of answers rather than any consensus on what actually constitutes a "script". A lot of the answers will describe attributes of scripting. Amongst them...

  • Script languages are "simple languages".
  • Scripts are interpreted rather than compiled.
  • Script languages are "lightweight".
  • Scripting allows "typeless" programming.
  • Script languages are associated with a particular application or task.

While all these may or may not be correct, the problem is that most articles and books do not offer a definition. The reader is left in the same state as one of those three monkeys describing an elephant.

So let me propose one...

"A script is program code whose method or unit of re-use and distribution is text."

As such, any of the .NET languages can be used as a script language.

3 Comments

  • Watch out for that guy. He is the "VB Defender" and will comment harshly on anything specifically related c# and not vb.net.

  • Cory, I wasn't making any judgement about the two languages. Rather, I need to solve the specific problem described in regards to a actual product used by a large number of users. That product produces an unexpected result which is clearly unacceptable. I sought your help, not what I believe was a quite innappropriate response.

  • Alex





    You are saying that you weren't making a judgement; it came across that way by way of your frustration with the differences between the languages. Even now, you state that "product produces an unexpected result which is clearly unacceptable." It's just the way the language is... you might consider it unacceptable; but most of these items are easily solvable (which I even provided). There are things in C# that I don't like (and yes, I use C# and C++ everyday as well); but it's part of the langauge and I accept it. I don't have to like it; I have to solve my business problems.





    Are you saying the information that I provided was not useful? Or did you completely ignore everything I commented on since you deemed me as being "rude"?





    AGAIN, I APPOLOGIZE FOR COMING ACROSS AS RUDE!!!!





    If you have any specific questions about VB.NET; I will be more than happy to answer them. Just bounce over to GotDotNet and go into the VB.NET messageboard and I (and many others; including C# guys (Boss, Kardax, etc.)) will answer them as quickly as possible.





    To Jeff "The Instigator" Julian; SHUT UP! <meant to be rude>. This was not a VB.NET vs C# thing... it was trying to clear up that VB.NET is not a "scripting" langauge and to provide some ways to solve his problems with non-strongly typed behavior (which, yes, VB.NET does by default).

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