I think of it this way:

Scripting Language - This is a type of language that is meant to run scripts for another application. This means that it will not work unless run by the application the script was written for (unless another application uses the same scripting language).

Programming Languages - This is a type of language that is meant to run programs on a specific type of processor. Meaning you can distrubute the program created without any need for another application to run it.

The trick comes in with languages like Java. It produces code that cannot be ran without a Java VM (on your computer anyways). However, Java is a programing language because it produces (byte) code that is meant to be run on a Java computer (this was the original plan; it would be run on consumer appliances). Just because Java was made to be emulator friendly (ie. Java Virtual Machines really emulate the Java computer) does not mean that Java is not a programming language.

Don't get all wrapped up in the formalities. Scripting languages are in effect, programming lanuages. Sometimes it makes since not to hard code every possible element of a game into the executable. The executable would be extremely large. and the executable will have to either be patched or re-compiled for new features to be added. To prevent this, programmers started using scripts. Scripts are non-machine readable "add-ons". Atleast, this is how it is most commonly refered to as in game programming discussion. Scripts can be writting using anything. C/C++ could be used as a scripting language, eventhough I feel C is too general to make a good one.

All programming languages and subsets of them can be used as scripts. Some languages are referred to as script langauges, because scripting is there primary purpose.

Also, all interpreted languages can be considered scripts for the executable. Executables can be considered scripts for the OS, and so on.

Any language that was made for scripting can be compiled into native machine code.

Domini

Edited by - Domini on 4/11/00 1:36:23 PM

Better Definition.

Scripts are code that tells other programs what to do. Eventhough I think most people consider scripts non-machine readable "add-ons", the new def is a safer one.

Domini

Scripting language source files are interpreted by another program or they''re compiled and the compiled file is interpreted by other programs. "Programming languages" source files are interpreted by the CPU after compilation.

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