confused about definition of scripts.

[benmartin101]

What's the difference between writing scripts and creating an actual program? or are they the same thing? Are scripts basically short lines of codes?

[szlamany]

I've always considered scripts to be more of a 4GL, not 3GL thing. With 3GL being our programming languages like VB and C...

Scripts in my opinion are written in things like T-SQL (if a stored procedure) or DOS-like (if a .BAT or .CMD file). Or DCL if doing VAX/VMS mini-computer scripting. Or whatever JCL was used on IBM mainframes...

But that's just my opinion ;)

[DigiRev]

One main difference.

Programs are compiled/executed.
Scripts are interpreted.

For example, PHP is a scripting language. PHP is interpreted by PHP.EXE (a program).

You do not compile PHP files.

[rory]

Scripts are not compiled or installed such as with EXE programs. The particular scripting engine (which has to already be installed) interprets the scripted code and utilizes installed features to perform a particular task. Typically scripts do not include a user GUI. Scripts are "on the fly" type applications that can be useful for temporary tasks. They can also be much quicker and easier to create to perform a certain task, as opposed to compiling an EXE.

Internet applications also utilize scripting languages, since EXE programs must first be downloaded, while scripts can run on a web server and perform tasks specific to that server and display the results as HTML, when EXE programs would generally be blocked, especially when using a 3rd party hosting company.