Updated September 22, 2023
Differences Between Programming Languages and Scripting Languages
Programming languages are those that use compilers, and Scripting languages are those which use interpreters. Focusing on compiler and interpreter, what exactly are they compilers, and what role they play. A compiler converts the high-level language to machine language, which an interpreter does.
So the obvious question arises is there any difference between Programming Languages and Scripting Languages? Yes, though they do some work, the way they perform the execution differs from compiler and interpreter. The system does not accept this HLL, so the compiler helps us by converting these HLL into machine languages. These machine languages have a pseudo name of a binary language. Which is in the form of 0’s and 1’s?
The interpreter does the same functionality by compiling the HLL to Machine language, but it does it line by line. The interpreter does code compilation line by line, whereas the compiler does it simultaneously (in one chunk).
Programming Languages vs Scripting Languages (Infographics)
Below are the top 15 comparisons between Programming Languages vs Scripting Languages:
Key Differences Between Programming and Scripting Languages
Below are the most important Differences Between Programming and Scripting:
- Code with Programming language takes longer to develop as more code needs to be written, whereas, with Scripting, it takes less time to code as it needs less coding.
- Programming languages do not require a host; they are executable, whereas Scripting languages need a host.
- Programming languages are complex and tedious to learn, whereas Scripting languages are easier to learn, write, and master than Programming languages.
- Programming languages are generally compiled and create an executable file, whereas Scripting languages are interpreted and do not create an executable file.
- Programming language code is compiled, and binaries are converted into machine code in one shot, whereas, in Scripting, high-level instructions are converted into machine language straightaway.
- Programming languages are most often used to build something from scratch, whereas Scripting languages can be used to combine existing components or modules.
- Programming languages are designed in such a way a developer can take full advantage of the features of a language, whereas Scripting languages are designed to make coding faster and simpler.
- While it is true that scripting languages often require fewer lines of code to accomplish certain tasks, the distinction between “programming languages” and “scripting languages” is not always clear-cut, and both types of languages can be used to write functions.
- Furthermore, the number of lines of code required to write a function can depend on various factors, such as the complexity of the function, the specific language being used, and the programmer’s coding style and preferences.
- Therefore, while it may be generally true that scripting languages require fewer lines of code to write functions compared to some programming languages, it is not a hard and fast rule that applies universally.
- The maintenance cost of a software system depends on many factors, such as the size and complexity of the system, the quality of the code, the skill level of the development team, and the frequency and type of updates and changes required over time.
- While it is true that some programming languages may require more maintenance effort than some scripting languages, this is not a universal rule. Some scripting languages can also lead to increased maintenance costs if they are used inappropriately or if the code is poorly written.
- In general, the choice of programming language or scripting language should be based on the specific requirements of the project, the capabilities of the development team, and other factors that may impact the long-term maintenance costs of the software system.
- C, C++, C#, Java, VC++, COBOL, Pascal, etc., are examples of programming languages, whereas JavaScript, VB Script, Python, Ruby, etc., are examples of Scripting languages.
Programming Languages vs Scripting Languages Comparison Table
Following is the comparison table between the Programming and Scripting Comparison Table.
| Comparison | Programming languages | Scripting languages |
| Examples | Java, C, C++, etc | JavaScript, Perl, Python, etc |
| Execution | Compiled | Interpreted |
| Learning | It can take a significant amount of time | Easier to learn than a programming language |
| Nature | Code intensive | Less code intensive as compared to a traditional Programming language |
| Requirement | Create binaries or executables which execute from the system’s memory | Does not create any binary files or executables; no memory will be allocated |
| Complexity | It can be a tricky affair for a beginner to understand | Easier to write and understand code as compared to Programming language |
| Formation | The program has a set of instructions converted to executables | Based on an idea of Scripts written to control another program |
| Running | Run independently of an exterior program | Run inside another program |
Conclusion
One can say that the SL is a subset of PL after looking at all the points mentioned above. The execution environment is the deciding factor that sets the difference between programming and Scripting languages. Scripts are generally written to control application behavior, and Programming languages are used to build an application.
Before concluding this discussion on Programming languages and Scripting languages, I want to quote some statements about the topic discussed When we classify the difference between Programming languages and Scripting languages based on scripts or programs related to the environment is a must to consider. One live example says that we can design an interpreter for C language and use it as a scripting language, and at the same time, vice-versa also holds its value. V8 is the JavaScript engine for Chrome, compiling the JavaScript code into machine language rather than interpreting it.
The bottom line is that the environment decides the features and generates the difference between Programming and Scripting languages.
Recommended Articles
This has been a guide to Programming Languages vs Scripting Languages. Here we discussed Programming Languages and Scripting Languages head-to-head comparison, key differences, infographics, and comparison table. You may also look at the following articles to learn more –
