A software framework is a software model for development of software applications. These developed software applications may be of any type like web or stand alone applications.

A software framework is made up of one or many components. These components generally include programs and code libraries. API’s interfaces make sure all different components interact with each other for development of desired software application.

Software framework can be considered as a set of object-oriented software library. This library ensures reusability of developed software.

A framework decides the working flow of software developed based on these frameworks.

How Software Framework Model the Real World

Real world applications can be easily model with the help of software framework. The objects and methods implemented in the framework library are instantiated at the need of application. You can easily use these frameworks with the help of these objects and methods for custom application to work. Generally frameworks are made up of abstract or virtual methods. These methods of framework classes can be overridden at the accurate point of application execution.

Advantages of Software Framework

Software Development framework have many advantages that helps software professionals to a great extent. These are some common advantages of this framework.

• Frameworks are really efficient way of creating software.
• Frameworks generally help in increasing productivity.
• Software required features like Quality, reliability and robustness improves to a significant level.
• Software framework significantly reduces the overall efforts in creating software. Less programming and testing effort are required for developing software with the help of software framework.
• Design patterns and new programming tools are easy to introduce.
• A framework can be upgraded fast and easily. This ensures adding new functionality fast to existing framework. The behavior of these frameworks can extend.
• GUI builders based framework makes possible to create applications with drag and drop user interface generally called widgets.

Disadvantages of Software Framework

Software frameworks also have some deficiencies and disadvantages, these common disadvantages are listed as follows.

• In general creating a framework is time-consuming, it takes lot of time, efforts and resources for making a software framework. This all makes software framework expensive and time consuming.
• Creating a new framework needs high proficient skills of particular computer languages.
• A framework can become obsolete soon due to extra features needed by the outside real world.
• Software frameworks are made for general purpose so complexity is seen most of the time.
• The frameworks have predefined rules and every user of these frameworks must follow these rules in each and every circumstances.

Software Development frameworks are very popular way to create applications in today’s computer world. Some frameworks offer certain features and certain frameworks offer another features. You must investigate carefully and choose wisely which framework best fit to your current application requirements.

In short software development frameworks offer great flexibility in development of computer applications.  Framework based applications are fast and easy to create. These are less error prone and ensure great reliability. Frameworks are getting high popularity these days and simply dominate in creating every type of applications.