What is the difference between a JavaScript library and a framework?

Question

Accepted Answer

You call a library's functions, whereas a framework provides the overall structure and calls your code (inversion of control).

Library
Framework

You call library functions
Framework calls your functions

You control program flow
Framework controls program flow

Add features to your code
You build within the framework

Example: jQuery, Lodash
Example: Vue.js, React, Angular

Frameworks provide a "skeleton" - you fill in the specific parts for your application.
Go deeper:

Vue.js (Wikipedia) — overview, history, and where Vue sits among front-end frameworks.
 Why Vue (official intro) — the framework's own pitch: declarative rendering + reactivity vs. hand-written DOM code.

Library	Framework
You call library functions	Framework calls your functions
You control program flow	Framework controls program flow
Add features to your code	You build within the framework
Example: jQuery, Lodash	Example: Vue.js, React, Angular