Hi guys, after a whole year of studying java i tink i’m finally ready to start hardcore game development. d problem is a game engine and framework looks the same to me.
please whats the difference between the two?
PS: i know java2d
By my definition:
A library is a collection of code made for a specific purpose. e.g. networking, file IO.
A framework is a collection of systems and code that already works together to form a complete application in it’s domain. e.g. The framework provides everything for a game like audio, graphics, file IO, networking, etc. You fill the gaps in the system by interfacing with these systems.
An engine is a complete application which reads in game data (e.g. from a file), and then handles all execution of this data. e.g. Give Unreal Engine your game data, which you create through the editor, and pass it to the engine when you want to run it.
Each level of abstraction has increasing benefits and drawbacks. Benefits are that it does more for you, saving development time. Drawbacks are loss of flexibility, control, potential performance, and simple things may be made more complex.
Have you tried googling “framework vs library”? Here are the first few results:
http://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-a-JavaScript-framework-and-a-library
http://www.programcreek.com/2011/09/what-is-the-difference-between-a-java-library-and-a-framework/
However, why do you care about this distinction? This shouldn’t really affect you starting game development.