Language-agnostic programming or scripting (also called language-neutral, language-independent, or cross-language) is a software paradigm in which no particular language is promoted.
In introductory instruction, the term refers to teaching principles rather than language features.
For example, a textbook such as
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
''Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs'' (''SICP'') is a computer science textbook by Massachusetts Institute of Technology professors Harold Abelson and Gerald Jay Sussman with Julie Sussman. It is known as the "Wizard Book" in ha ...
is really a language-agnostic book about programming, and is not about programming in
Scheme A scheme is a systematic plan for the implementation of a certain idea.
Scheme or schemer may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''The Scheme'' (TV series), a BBC Scotland documentary series
* The Scheme (band), an English pop band
* ''The Schem ...
, ''per se''.
As a development methodology, the concept suggests that a particular language should be chosen because of its appropriateness for a particular task (taking into consideration all factors, including ecosystem, developer skill-sets, performance, etc.), and not purely because of the skill-set available within a development team.
For example, a language agnostic Java development team might choose to use Ruby or Perl for some development work, where Ruby or Perl would be more appropriate than Java.
"Cross-Language" in programming and scripting describes a program in which two or more languages are used to good effect within a program's code, with each contributing its distinctive benefits.
Related terms
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Language-independent specification
A language-independent specification (LIS) is a programming language specification providing a common interface usable for defining semantics applicable toward arbitrary language bindings.
LIS's are language-agnostic; they mitigate the risk th ...
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Cross-language information retrieval
Cross-language information retrieval (CLIR) is a subfield of information retrieval dealing with retrieving information written in a language different from the language of the user's query.
The term "cross-language information retrieval" has man ...
, referring to natural languages, not programming languages
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Language independent datatypes
ISO/ IEC 11404, General Purpose Datatypes (GPD), are a collection of datatypes defined independently of any particular programming language or implementation. These datatypes can be used to describe interfaces to existing libraries without having ...
See also
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Bilingual (disambiguation)
Bilingual may refer to:
* Bilingualism, the use of more than one natural language (for instance, English and German)
* ''Bilingual'' (album), a Pet Shop Boys album
*"Bilingual", a song by Ivy Queen and Remy Ma from the album '' There's Something A ...
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Language-independent (disambiguation) Language-independent may refer to:
*Language-independent specification, a programming language specification applicable toward arbitrary language bindings
* Language independent arithmetic, a series of ISO/IEC standards on computer arithmetic
* Lang ...
*
Glue language
A scripting language or script language is a programming language that is used to manipulate, customize, and automate the facilities of an existing system. Scripting languages are usually interpreted at runtime rather than compiled.
A scripting ...
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Language binding
In programming and software design, binding is an application programming interface (API) that provides glue code specifically made to allow a programming language to use a foreign library or operating system service (one that is not native to th ...
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Middleware
Middleware is a type of computer software that provides services to software applications beyond those available from the operating system. It can be described as "software glue".
Middleware makes it easier for software developers to implement co ...
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Polyglot (computing)
In computing, a polyglot is a computer program or script written in a valid form of multiple programming languages or file formats. The name was coined by analogy to multilingualism. A polyglot file is composed by combining syntax from two or more ...
References
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Software development