Glossary of Web Development

Glossary of Top 200 Web Development Vocabulary Items - Increase your knowledge:
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‍AJAX: Asynchronous JavaScript and XML; a technique for creating fast and dynamic web pages.

API: Application Programming Interface; a set of functions and protocols for building and integrating application software.

Back-End: Server-side development, focusing on databases, scripting, and website architecture.

Bootstrap: A popular front-end framework for developing responsive and mobile-first websites.

Browser: Software used to access and view websites (e.g., Chrome, Firefox).

Cache: A storage layer that saves copies of frequently accessed data to speed up future requests.

CDN: Content Delivery Network; a network of servers that distribute content to users based on their geographic location.

CMS: Content Management System; software that helps create, manage, and modify digital content (e.g., WordPress).

CSS: Cascading Style Sheets; a language used to describe the presentation of a web page.

DOM: Document Object Model; a programming interface for web documents that represents the structure of a web page.

Framework: A platform for developing software applications; it provides a foundation on which software developers can build programs.

Front-End: Client-side development, focusing on the visual and interactive aspects of a website.

Git: A distributed version control system for tracking changes in source code during software development.

HTML: HyperText Markup Language; the standard language for creating web pages.

HTTP: HyperText Transfer Protocol; the protocol used for transmitting web pages over the internet.

HTTPS: HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure; an extension of HTTP for secure communication over a computer network.

JavaScript: A programming language that enables interactive web pages and dynamic content.

JSON: JavaScript Object Notation; a lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate.

Library: A collection of pre-written code that developers can use to optimize tasks.

MVC: Model-View-Controller; a design pattern for developing web applications.

Node.js: An open-source, cross-platform runtime environment that allows the execution of JavaScript code server-side.

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor; a server scripting language used to make dynamic web pages.

React: A JavaScript library for building user interfaces, maintained by Facebook.

Responsive Design: An approach to web design that makes web pages render well on various devices and window sizes.

REST: Representational State Transfer; an architectural style for designing networked applications.

Ruby on Rails: A server-side web application framework written in Ruby.

SASS: Syntactically Awesome Style Sheets; a preprocessor scripting language that is interpreted or compiled into CSS.

SEO: Search Engine Optimization; the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.

SQL: Structured Query Language; a standard programming language for managing and manipulating databases.

SVG: Scalable Vector Graphics; an XML-based format for vector images.

UI: User Interface; the space where interactions between humans and machines occur.

UX: User Experience; how a user interacts with and experiences a product, system, or service.

Version Control: A system that records changes to a file or set of files over time so that you can recall specific versions later.

Web Server: A computer system that hosts websites.

XML: eXtensible Markup Language; a markup language that defines rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable.

AJAX: A method for exchanging data with a server and updating parts of a web page without reloading the entire page.

Anchor Tag: An HTML tag used to create hyperlinks.

API Endpoint: A specific URL where an API can access the resources it needs to carry out a function.

Asynchronous: Operations that occur independently of the main program flow.

Attributes: Characteristics or properties of HTML elements.

Authentication: The process of verifying the identity of a user or process.

Authorization: The process of determining whether a user has permission to perform an action.

BEM: Block Element Modifier; a methodology that helps to create reusable components and code sharing in front-end development.

Babel: A JavaScript compiler that lets you use next-generation JavaScript, today.

Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS): A service that provides web and mobile developers with a way to connect their applications to backend cloud storage and APIs exposed by backend applications.

Binary: The basic language of computers, consisting of 0s and 1s.

Browser Compatibility: The ability of a web application to function across different web browsers.

Build Tools: Software that automates the process of converting source code into a binary format.

CORS: Cross-Origin Resource Sharing; a mechanism that allows restricted resources on a web page to be requested from another domain.

CLI: Command Line Interface; a means of interacting with a computer program where the user issues commands in the form of successive lines of text.

CSS Grid: A CSS layout system optimized for two-dimensional layouts.

Data Binding: The process that establishes a connection between the application UI and business logic.

Data Modeling: The process of creating a data model for an information system.

Data Structures: Ways of organizing and storing data to enable efficient access and modification.

Deployment: The process of making a web application available for use.

DevOps: A set of practices that combines software development and IT operations to shorten the development lifecycle.

Django: A high-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design.

Document Object Model (DOM): A programming interface for web documents, representing the page so programs can change the document structure, style, and content.

Domain Name: The part of a network address that identifies it as belonging to a particular domain.

ECMAScript: The standard upon which JavaScript is based.

Ember.js: An open-source JavaScript web framework, based on the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) pattern.

Event Bubbling: A type of event propagation where the event starts from the deepest target element and propagates up to the root element.

Event Delegation: A technique involving adding a single event listener to a parent element that will fire for all descendants matching a selector.

Express.js: A minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework.

Fetch API: A modern interface that allows you to make network requests similar to XMLHttpRequest.

Firebase: A platform developed by Google for creating mobile and web applications.

Flexbox: A CSS layout module designed to provide a more efficient way to lay out, align, and distribute space among items in a container.

Framework: A basic structure underlying a system, concept, or text.

Full-Stack Developer: A developer skilled in both front-end and back-end development.

GitHub: A web-based platform used for version control and collaborative software development.

GraphQL: A query language for your API, and a runtime for executing those queries by using a type system you define for your data.

Grid System: A structure comprising a series of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines used to arrange content.

Gulp: A toolkit that helps you automate painful or time-consuming tasks in your development workflow.

Handlebars.js: A popular templating engine for JavaScript.

Heroku: A cloud platform as a service (PaaS) supporting several programming languages.

HTTP Methods: Methods indicating the desired action to be performed on a resource (e.g., GET, POST, PUT, DELETE).

Hyperlink: A reference to data that the reader can follow by clicking or tapping.

IIFE: Immediately Invoked Function Expression; a JavaScript function that runs as soon as it is defined.

Inheritance: A mechanism in which one class acquires the properties and behaviors of a parent class.

Input Validation: The process of ensuring that user input is clean, correct, and useful.

jQuery: A fast, small, and feature-rich JavaScript library.

JSONP: JSON with Padding; a method for sending JSON data without worrying about cross-domain issues.

Linting: The process of running a program that analyzes code for potential errors.

Local Storage: A web storage object that stores data with no expiration date.

MERN Stack: A JavaScript stack for building web applications; stands for
MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js.

Middleware: Software that provides common services and capabilities to applications outside of what's offered by the operating system.

MongoDB: A NoSQL database for storing large amounts of data in a flexible, JSON-like format.

MVC Architecture: A software design pattern for developing web applications with three interconnected components: Model, View, and Controller.

MySQL: An open-source relational database management system.

Nginx: A web server that can also be used as a reverse proxy, load balancer, mail proxy, and HTTP cache.

Node Package Manager (npm): A package manager for JavaScript, included with Node.js.

OAuth: An open standard for access delegation commonly used as a way to grant websites or applications limited access to a user's information.

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): A programming paradigm based on the concept of "objects," which are data structures that contain data and methods.

Open Source: Software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified.

PaaS: Platform as a Service; a category of cloud computing services that provides a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage applications.

Page Rank: An algorithm used by Google Search to rank web pages in their search engine results.

Parameter: A variable used in a function to refer to one of the pieces of data provided as input to the function.

Parallax Scrolling: A technique where background images move slower than foreground images, creating an illusion of depth.

Parse: To analyze a string or text and convert it into a more usable format.

Polyfill: Code that implements a feature on web browsers that do not natively support the feature.

Promises: Objects representing the eventual completion or failure of an asynchronous operation.

Proxy Server: A server that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers.

Pseudocode: A high-level description of a computer program or algorithm, using a mixture of natural language and programming language.

Python: A high-level, interpreted programming language known for its readability and versatility.

React Native: A framework for building native apps using React.

Redux: A predictable state container for JavaScript apps, often used with React.

Regular Expressions (Regex): Sequences of characters that form a search pattern, often used for pattern matching in strings.

Relational Database: A database structured to recognize relations among stored items of information.

Repository: A central location in which data is stored and managed.

Responsive Web Design: An approach to web design that makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen sizes.

Ruby: A dynamic, open-source programming language with a focus on simplicity and productivity.

SaaS: Software as a Service; a software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a service provider and made available to customers over the internet.

Scope: The context in which variables and functions are accessible in a program.

Script: A set of instructions executed by a program or scripting engine.

Scrum: An agile process framework for managing complex knowledge work, with an initial emphasis on software development.

Sitemap: A file where you provide information about the pages, videos, and other files on your site, and the relationships between them.

Source Code: The human-readable instructions and commands that a programmer writes—usually in a high-level language.

SQL Injection: A code injection technique that might destroy your database, one of the most common web hacking techniques.

SSL/TLS: Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security; cryptographic protocols designed to provide communications security over a computer network.

Static Site: A web page that is delivered to the user exactly as stored.

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics): An XML-based format for vector graphics.

Syntax: The set of rules that defines the combinations of symbols that are considered to be correctly structured programs in a language.

Template Engine: Software designed to combine templates with a data model to produce documents.

TypeScript: A strict syntactical superset of JavaScript that adds optional static typing.

UI Kit: A collection of resources that contains a set of design elements used to create user interfaces.

Unit Testing: A type of software testing where individual units or components of a software are tested.

User Authentication: The process of verifying the identity of a user.

User Authorization: The process of giving permission to a user to access resources.

Version Control System (VCS): A system that records changes to a file or set of files over time so you can recall specific versions later.

Virtual DOM: A programming concept where a virtual representation of a UI is kept in memory and synced with the real DOM by a library such as React.

Web Accessibility: The practice of making websites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities.

Web Application: A software application that runs on a web server, rather than being installed on the local computer.

Web Components: A suite of different technologies allowing you to create reusable custom elements.

Webpack: A static module bundler for JavaScript applications.

WebSocket: A computer communications protocol, providing full-duplex communication channels over a single TCP connection.

WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get; a system in which content displayed during editing appears very similar to the final output.

XAMPP: A free and open-source cross-platform web server solution stack package developed by Apache Friends.

YAML: YAML Ain't Markup Language; a human-readable data serialization standard that can be used in conjunction with all programming languages.

Zend Framework: An open-source, object-oriented web application framework implemented in PHP 7.

Z-index: A CSS property that specifies the stack order of an element.

.htaccess: A configuration file for use on web servers running the Apache Web Server software.

Action: A specific task or function performed in programming or within a software application.

Adapter Pattern: A design pattern that allows the interface of an existing class to be used as another interface.

AJAX Polling: A technique for repeatedly requesting data from the server at regular intervals using AJAX.

Apache: A widely-used open-source web server software.

Async/Await: JavaScript syntax for handling asynchronous operations in a more synchronous fashion.

Backbone.js: A JavaScript library with a RESTful JSON interface and is based on the Model–View–Presenter (MVP) application design paradigm.

Bcrypt: A password hashing function designed to build a cryptographically strong password hash.

Block-level Element: An HTML element that occupies the entire horizontal space of its parent element and starts on a new line.

Box Model: A CSS concept that describes the rectangular boxes generated for elements in the document tree and the layout structure.

Bundle: A package of multiple files or resources compressed into a single file.

Callback Function: A function passed into another function as an argument, which is then invoked inside the outer function.

Chaining: The practice of combining multiple methods in a single statement to achieve a desired result.

Closure: A feature in JavaScript where an inner function has access to the outer (enclosing) function’s variables.

Compiler: A program that translates code written in a high-level programming language into machine code.

Containerization: A lightweight form of virtualization that involves encapsulating an application and its dependencies in a container.

Continuous Integration (CI): The practice of automating the integration of code changes from multiple contributors into a shared repository.

CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing): A mechanism that allows restricted resources on a web page to be requested from another domain.

Custom Elements: A Web Components specification that allows developers to define their own HTML tags.

Database Index: A data structure that improves the speed of data retrieval operations on a database table.

Dependency Injection: A design pattern in which an object receives other objects that it depends on, called dependencies.

Destructuring: A JavaScript expression that allows you to extract data from arrays or objects into distinct variables.

Distributed Systems: Systems where components located on networked computers communicate and coordinate their actions by passing messages.

Docker: A platform used to develop, ship, and run applications inside containers.

Document Object Model (DOM): A programming interface for web documents, representing the page so programs can change the document structure, style, and content.

DynamoDB: A fully managed NoSQL database service provided by Amazon Web Services.

EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud): A web service that provides resizable compute capacity in the cloud, offered by Amazon Web Services.

Event Loop: A programming construct that waits for and dispatches events or messages in a program.

Event Propagation: The process by which an event travels through the DOM tree to the target element.

Firebase: A platform developed by Google for creating mobile and web applications.

Foreign Key: A field (or collection of fields) in one table that uniquely identifies a row of another table.

Gatsby: A free and open-source framework based on React that helps developers build blazing fast websites and apps.

GraphQL: A query language for your API, and a runtime for executing those queries by using a type system you define for your data.

Hashed Password: A password that has been converted into a fixed-length string of characters, which is typically not reversible.

Higher-Order Function: A function that takes one or more functions as arguments, or returns a function as a result.

Hybrid App: An application that combines elements of both native and web applications.

HTTP Headers: Fields in an HTTP request or response that define the operating parameters of an HTTP transaction.

Identity Provider (IdP): A system entity that creates, maintains, and manages identity information and provides authentication services to relying applications.

Immutable: An object that cannot be modified after it is created.

IndexedDB: A low-level API for client-side storage of significant amounts of structured data, including files/blobs.

Instance: A specific realization of any object or class.

Jest: A JavaScript testing framework maintained by Facebook, designed to ensure correctness of any JavaScript codebase.

JWT (JSON Web Token): A compact, URL-safe means of representing claims to be transferred between two parties.

Kubernetes: An open-source system for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.

Lambda: A serverless compute service provided by Amazon Web Services that runs code in response to events.

Load Balancer: A device that distributes network or application traffic across a number of servers.

Microservices: An architectural style that structures an application as a collection of small autonomous services modeled around a business domain.

Middleware: Software that provides common services and capabilities to applications outside of what's offered by the operating system.

OAuth2: An open standard for access delegation, commonly used as a way to grant websites or applications limited access to a user's information.

ORM (Object-Relational Mapping): A programming technique for converting data between incompatible type systems using object-oriented programming languages.

Packet: A small segment of data transmitted over a network.

Polymer: An open-source JavaScript library for building web applications using Web Components.

PWA (Progressive Web App): A type of application software delivered through the web, built using common web technologies including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Query Parameter: A way to pass information to and from a website by adding that information to the end of a URL.

Recursion: The process in which a function calls itself directly or indirectly.

Refactoring: The process of restructuring existing computer code without changing its external behavior.

Scaffolding: The process of generating code to create a basic structure for a web application.

Shell: A user interface for accessing an operating system's services.

SPA (Single Page Application): A web application or website that interacts with the user by dynamically rewriting the current page rather than loading entire new pages from the server.

Virtual Machine (VM): An emulation of a computer system that provides the functionality of a physical computer.

This glossary covers a wide range of terms essential for web development, providing concise definitions for each. You can use this outline to create a detailed mind map, organizing the terms into relevant categories to aid learning and reference.