A tag framework

Question

The tag framework means… um, as far as I can tell, that the software allows one to do stuff in it. It seems to be mainly about libraries, sometimes about tools to use during development, sometimes about tools that aren't about development. There isn't a meaningful way in which questions tagged framework are about frameworks — the tag might as well be called “stuff”.

Should we:

• Just burninate framework?
• Synonymize it to software-development (not completely correct, but close), after a bit of cleanup?
• Retag as applicable, either removing it or changing it to “something-framework” on those questions that are in a community where the word “framework” has a specific meaning?

Answer 1

A Framework is more than just a library, although most frameworks consist of some libraries themselves.

Frameworks are explicitly different from software-development as some programming languages don't have (m/any) frameworks to pick from in the first place, and software development doesn't require frameworks.

I recommend we retag the questions to php-framework, python-framework etc. and then blacklist framework to keep in from reappearing (with the note to use the language specific tag).

The idea behind this is that there are most likely no experts in frameworks in general, but there are php-framework experts as there are java-framework experts. I would add java-framework to my favorites, but not php-framework or framework.

The tag-wiki of the new tags should be:

A framework is a collection of common functions, that enable the programmer in a consistent way, to have common tasks handled automatically.

In my area of work frameworks are so important and distinct that I usually see them in job-ads and can tell what the project is about by the frameworks they use. Unfortunately some people don't separate their use of framework and library consistently, but that shouldn't stop us from doing it.