frameworks
 

So... I wanted to ask this here to make sure I understood what a framework is. It's my understanding they are basically a set of functions you add to shortcut your programming? These new functions add new features and simplify existing ones?

Typically a set of functions inside a set of classes, that are ideally able to be used independent of one another. Although some dependencies are naturally unavoidable. They hasten the most common of tasks, such as interacting with a database. And prevent us from reinventing the wheel time-and-time again, as it were.

Insofar as I can see, the only reason Ruby, quite an old language, made a brief return was because of the Rails framework. Many people seem to be unable to grasp the fact that Rails is a framework, however.

So in the most basic example, let's say you have a database class in your framework. That won't be specific to any particular project, but instead a configuration file of some type, which will be specific to a project, although retain the same syntax throughout, will be used to change specifics. Such as the database's credentials.

This saves the time of writing out all your SQL statements time-after-time, and repeating the code to connect to your database each time. A good framework will consist of many various classes, such as the Zend Framework.

Do they usually have oop and non-oop functions? The only time I looked at a framework it seemed to be oop and I have to admit that oop eludes me. The lightbulb just hasn't come on.

Usually just OOP, but a framework really can be anything that facilitates programming.

Where are you struggling with OOP? Its usefulness?