Glossary · Automation software engineering and architecture
Software framework
Also known as: Framework
German: Software-Framework
In software engineering, a software framework is a reusable software structure that provides generic functionality and a defined control flow, into which developers insert application-specific code at designated extension points.
- Software engineering
In one sentence
A software framework provides reusable structure and control flow into which developers plug application-specific code.
Example
The company's PLC framework provides state handling, alarms and HMI communication for every machine module; developers only implement the module-specific sequences.
Explained in context
Context cards connect this term with others to answer one question. Also in British English and German.
How it applies
- Engineering: Frameworks enforce consistent structure across projects, such as uniform state machines per ISA-88-style module or uniform alarm handling. They speed up development but create a strong dependency on the framework version.
- Maintenance: Framework updates affect all projects built on it. Framework teams need versioning, migration guides and long-term support policies.
- Documentation: A framework needs developer documentation explaining its concepts, extension points and conventions, not just a reference. Where the framework defines standard machine behavior, such as state models, the user documentation can reuse the same descriptions.
Framework vs. library
Your code calls a Software library. A framework calls your code, which is known as Inversion of control.