Glossary

A collection of terms and acronyms that are good to know.

Term Definition
API An API or Application Programming Interface contains a set of rules that allows your code to communicate with third party software or websites.
argument An argument is a value that is passed into a function. Also referred to as a parameter.
array An array is a type of value that contains a sequence of other values.
asynchronous task queue An asynchronous task queue is one where tasks are executed at a different time from when they are created, and possibly not in the same order they were created.
backing service A backing service is any service that an app consumes over the network as part of its normal operation. Examples include datastores, messaging/queuing systems, SMTP services for outbound email and caching systems.
branch A fork from the master branch that allows a developer to work on a specific area of the application without interfering with others.
clickjacking Clickjacking refers to when a malicious site tricks users to click on a concealed element of another site that they have loaded in a hidden frame or iframe.
codebase A codebase is any single repository or any set of repositories who share a root commit.
console A console is a tool that lets you interactively create create code and/or run commands.
constant A constant is a variable that never changes its value.
CRUD An acronym used when discussing database functions that stands for Create, Read, Update and Delete/Destroy.
CSS CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a language that web developers use to style the HTML content on a web page. It is used to modify colors, font types, font sizes, shadows, images, element positioning, and more.
database A database is a collection of data that is stored permanently and typically has an interface allowing user interaction.
DRY An acronym that stands for Don't Repeat Yourself and means to write simple, clean code in a way that you are not writing the same piece of code somewhere else.
ECMA The ECMA (European Computer Manufacturers Association) is responsible for developing standards for several languages including COBOL, C# and others. JavaScript is officially named ECMAScript and its versions are often prefaces with "ES" (e.g., ES6 or ES2015).
float A float is a type of value that represents a number with fractional parts and no fixed number of digits before or after the decimal point.
form An HTML form is a group of one or more fields/widgets on a web page, which can be used to present information to the user or to collect information from users for submission to a server. (MDN-Django, 2017)
framework A standardized set of concepts, practices and criteria for addressing a common type of problem and can be used as a reference for settling new problems of a similar nature. A collection of modules that make development easier.
function A function defines a block of code that you can call many times. Functions only execute when you call them and return a value back to the code that called them. (Similar to 'subroutines' in other languages.)
git Git is an open source version control system that lets you store key changes to project and gives you the ability to revert to earlier versions if needed.
GUI A GUI or graphical user interface is what the user sees and interacts with when using the application. It is the "front end" of the application.
HTTP HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol) is the way that web browsers communicate with web servers.
HTML HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard language used to create web pages displayed in a web browser. It provides a logical way to structure content for web pages.
IDE An IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is a software application that provides basic tools used for software development. Typical tools included are a code editor, a compiler, a debugger and a graphical user interface (GUI).
IIS IIS (Internet Information Services manager) is a manageable Web server built by Microsoft that is used on Windows servers and laptops.
integer An integer is a whole number with no fractional parts.
immutable Cannot be changed.
iteration A sequence of instructions which are repeated. To perform an action on each item in a list, you iterate over the list.
lambda operator The lambda operator or function is a way to create small anonymous functions or functions without a name. These functions are throw-away functions that are only needed where they have been created.
loop A loop is a piece of code that runs itself repeatedly. Also referred to as an iteration.
markup language A markup language is a computer language that defines the structure and presentation of raw text. Markup languages work by surrounding raw text with information the computer can interpret, "marking it up" for processing.
method A method is a function that is attached to an object. Methods are defined in a class and belong to that class.
nested When one object is contained within another it is said to be 'nested'.
normalization Normalization of data refers to the process of cleaning up the structure of the data in order to reduce redundancy and dependency of the data.
ORM ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) is a programming technique for converting queries written in code to SQL and tabular results into objects.
OOP OOP (Object-Oriented Programming) uses objects (data fields) and methods to simplify programming. It allows for a modular approach to developing applications.
object An object is a value that is created from a class.
parameter A parameters is a value that is passed to a function for processing. Parameters can be mandatory or optional. Can also be referred to as argument.
pseudo code Pseudo code is an informal general description of what a piece of code should do and is written in a regular speaking language. Once the code is written, the pseudo code can be turned into comments.
repository A repository or repo is a storage location for software packages. It can be located on your local machine or in a remote location like GitHub or GitLab.
responsive design Responsive design is an approach that refers to designing web pages that look good on a variety of devices and window / screen sizes.
SASS SASS (Syntactically Awesome Style Sheets) is a style preprocessor language that is compiled into CSS.
script A script is a file that contains a collection of command statements that are run together when the script is executed.
semver Refers to Semantic Versioning, a standard that dictates how version numbers are determined and what the meaning is behind the version number used.
SEO SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and is the process of making your web page more visible and easier to be found by Internet search engines.
SMTP SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a communication protocol for e-mail transmission.
string A string is a type of value that represents text.
syntax Syntax refers to the rules and patterns used by a particular programming language for writing commands and code.
test-driven Development (TDD) A development practice where the developer writes an automated test case that defines a desired improvement or new function, then produces the minimum amount of code needed to pass that test.
template A template is a text file defining the structure or layout of a file (such as an HTML page), with placeholders used to represent actual content. (MDN-Servers, 2016)
two-factor authentication Two-factor authentication (2FA or MFA) requires users to authenticate by combining two separate means of identification.
user story A description of how the application will work from the user's point of view.
utf-8 UTF-8 stands for Unicode Transformation Format 8 Bits and is the encoding text convention used by Python.
variable A variable is an object that stores a value for reuse throughout the application.
working directory Refers to the current directory in which you are currently working.
XXS XXS stands for Cross-Site Scripting and refers to attacks that occur when users enter malignant JavaScript that is then rendered into a template directly.