Technical Glossary
A plain-english guide to the terminology of modern software development.
Frontend
The part people actually see and click.
Backend
The part that does work you don't want happening in someone's browser.
Database
The thing that remembers information after someone closes the tab.
API
A structured way for two pieces of software to talk to each other.
Browser
The program that downloads your website and draws it on screen.
Repository
The tracked home of your project's code and its full history.
Commit
A saved checkpoint of your project.
Push
Sending your local commits up to the remote repository.
Branch
A parallel line of work.
Hosting
Someone else's always-on computer that serves your website to the world.
Deployment
Taking the code from your repository and making it live.
Domain
The human-readable address people type to reach your site.
DNS
The internet's address book.
A record
A DNS record pointing a domain straight at a numeric server address.
CNAME
A DNS record pointing one name at another name.
Nameserver
The servers that decide who answers DNS questions for your domain.
SSL
The lock icon. Encryption between the browser and your site.
Environment variable
A configuration value stored outside your code.
Framework
A pre-built structure so you don't reinvent everything.
Dependency
Code written by someone else that your project uses.
Build
Turning your source code into the optimised files a browser can run.
package.json
Your project's ID card and shopping list.
.gitignore
A list of files Git should pretend do not exist.
Terminal
A text window where you type commands to your computer.
Localhost
Your website running on your own computer, visible only to you.
Responsive design
One site that works on a phone, a tablet and a 32-inch monitor.
Accessibility
Making sure people with disabilities can actually use your site.
404
The page that appears when a URL doesn't exist.
Version control
An extremely sophisticated save button with trust issues.