Difference Between Scripting and Programming

LEFT: Java | RIGHT: Lua

The Debate

I (Crazyman32) have debated many times on the Roblox  forums whether scripting on Roblox  can be considered programming or not. For a long time, I argued that the two are interchangeable  scripting is the same as programming. However, others argued that they are totally different and not related to each other. Other crazy arguments flowed through as well.

Over the few years I have been programming and scripting on Roblox (approx. 5 years), I have learned what the true differences are. To end the debate once-and-for-all, I want to share my knowledge with you, the Roblox players.

The Truth

Have you ever heard the phrase "a square is a rectangle, but a rectangle isn't always a square"? This is the truth about scripting.

By the definition of computer programming, scripting IS programming, however there is a large gap between what scripting languages do and what programming languages do.

The big difference is that Scripting is the process of writing source code that another already-existing program will interpret how it wants to. This allows scripting languages to be very dynamic, for the programmer can tell the program how to interpret the scripts.

Example:

The Roblox game is written primarily in the programming language C++. Lua is then implemented inside the C/C++ code, which us Roblox players then use to write Lua scripts. The C++ developers of Roblox can add/delete/change the functionality of Lua within Roblox so it has different effects on the game.

TLDR

Scripting is used to control a program. Programming is used to control the computer.