Esos aparatos del demonio

The distinction between a library and a framework is subtle, but I think critical. A library is a collection of code that I don't have to write myself. It provides me with a set of objects and methods that I can use to build me application. If the library doesn't do quite what I want, I can make some small modifications or throw it away and use a different library.

A framework, on the other hand, always attempts to redefine the entire applilcation architecture. And, if the framework ends up not meeting my needs, I need to throw away my entire application, because everything I've written is defined in terms of the framework's methodology.

A library is something *contained* within my code.

A framework is a *container* for my application.

Any computing problem can be solved by adding another level of abstraction—except the problem of having too many layers of abstraction.