When is a language considered a scripting language?

Question

What makes a language a scripting language? I've heard some people say "when it gets interpreted instead of compiled". That would make PHP (for example) a scripting language. Is that the only criterion? Or are there other criteria?

See also:

• What’s the difference between a “script” and an “application”?

Answer 1

A scripting language is a language that "scripts" other things to do stuff. The primary focus isn't primarily building your own apps so much as getting an existing app to act the way you want, e.g. JavaScript for browsers, VBA for MS Office.