What is an Open Source Framework?

Software development is a complex process that requires significant time and investment. Many companies have created starter frameworks in an attempt to reduce development time. An open source framework is a template for software development that is designed by a social network of software developers. These frameworks are free for public use and provide the foundation for building a software application.

Using a framework is free. There is no cost to the developer or consumer of a software applications. The open source framework is a set of tools that can be used to create websites, user interfaces and basic software applications. The framework is not a complete system, but rather a device that increases productivity for a development team.

Using the open source framework community has quickly become a viable option for many businesses. These frameworks are developed by a community of software engineers who are dedicated to modernizing the information technology landscape. The developers in the open source community are not compensated but instead work to support the general population in developing software. These individuals are working to produce better quality, reliability, and flexibility in the area of software development in general.

The primary goal of most open source framework communities is to provide reusable products at a lower cost for developers. These frameworks can then be used by developers to produce software applications. These applications can be created much faster because the framework provides "out of the box" modules to do specific functions.

There are many open source frameworks available today. These frameworks specialize in specific areas of software development. Some examples of open source frameworks include databases creation, screen design, collaboration software, and general website creation.

Social networking sites have become the rage in the last decade across the Internet. These sites require specific processes to track information on users including photos, music, and instant messaging. There are many open source frameworks designed specifically to support the creation of social networking websites. These frameworks provide the outer skeleton modules that are required to create a social networking website.

Media software is another specialty area within the development community. This type of software is designed specifically to support movies and audio file management within computers. Open source media frameworks are the frameworks that assist developers in creating media devices for websites and software programs. Using this type of open source framework reduces the time and cost that would be required to build a video software program.