Trying to include definitions for every programming language would require many more pages than we have here. However, we have created a list of some of the most common terms you will encounter as you get started on your coding journey.
As you gain experience and try new things, your coding vocabulary will naturally expand.
A…
ALGORITHM
A process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem solving operations, especially by a computer.
ANGULAR.JS
Angular.js is an open source web application framework maintained by Google.
APACHE
Apache is an open source Unix-based Web server. It was created by the Apache Software Foundation.
AJAX
AJAX stands for: asynchronous JavaScript and XML. It is a set of web development techniques utilising many web technologies on the client side in order to create asynchronous web applications.
API
An API is an application programming interface. It is a set of routines, protocols and tools for building software applications. APIs express software components in terms of their operations, inputs, outputs and underlying types.
B…
BACKBONE.JS
Backbone.js is a JavaScript framework with a RESTful JSON interface and is based on the model-view-presenter (MVP) application design paradigm.
BOOLEAN SEARCHING
Boolean searches allow you to combine words and phrases using the words and, or, not (Boolean operators) to limit, broaden or define your search.
BRACKETS
Characters often used to surround text. The different types of brackets are: Parenthesis, Curly Brackets, Angle Brackets and Square Brackets.
C…
CALL
To run the code in a function; also referred to as “running”, “executing” or “invoking” a function.
CODING
Coding is the act of computer programming in a given coding language.
COFFEESCRIPT
CoffeeScript is a programming language that trans compiles to JavaScript.
COMPILER
This is a program that takes the code you have written and translates it into the binary ones and zeros of actual machine code.
CONCATENATION
Combining two things together, such as two lists or strings of text.
CONSTANT
A variable that never changes its value. Example: the PI constant has the value 3.14.
D…
DATA STRUCTURES
A data structure is a method of organisation of data in a computer so that it can be used efficiently.
DEPLOYMENT
Software deployment is all of the activities that make a software system available for use.
DJANGO
A free open source web application framework written in Python that follows the model-view-controller (MVC) framework.
DUMP
A list of data that is saved if a program crashes, often as a text file. It is very useful for diagnosing problems.
E…
EXECUTABLE
A program, usually a single file, ready to be run.
EXPRESS.JS
Express.js is a Node.js web application server framework, designed for building single-page, multi-page and hybrid web applications.
F…
FLASK
A micro web application framework written in Python and based on the Werkzeug toolkit and Jinja2 template engine.
FRAMEWORK
A framework is often a layered structure indicating what kind of programs can or should be built and how they would interrelate.
FULL STACK
A full stack, also known as a software stack or bundle, is a set of software components needed to create a complete web application.
FUNCTION
A set of instructions that are written once to obtain a particular result and can then be used whenever necessary by ‘calling’ it.
G…
GIT/GITHUB
A micro web application framework written in Python and based on the Werkzeug toolkit and Jinja2 template engine.
GUI
General User Interface, refers to the ‘front end’ of a piece of software that the end user actually sees and interacts with.
H…
HAML
HTML Abstraction Markup Language is a lightweight markup language that’s used to describe the HTML of a web document.
HTML
HyperText Markup Language, commonly referred to as HTML, is the standard markup language used to create web pages. This is often the very first technology that beginners to web development will learn.
HTTP REQUEST
HyperText Transfer Protocol is an application protocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems. HTTP is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web.
I…
INTERPRETER
Some languages do not need a compiler but instead use an ‘interpreter’ that translates to machine code as the program is run.
IOS SWIFT
iOS Swift is a multi-paradigm compiled programming language created by Apple Inc for iOS, macOS and watchOS and tvOS development.
ITERATION
A sequence of instructions that are repeated. For example, to perform an action for every item in a list you would ‘iterate’ over that list. Each time it is repeated is one iteration.
J…
JQUERY
jQuery is a cross-platform JavaScript library designed to simplify the client-side scripting of HTML. jQuery is the most popular JavaScript library in use today.
JSON
A format for transmitting information between locations that is based on JavaScript. Many APIs use JSON.
L…
LAMP STACK
LAMP is an archetypal model of web service solution stacks: Linux operating system, the Apache HTTP Server, MySQL relational database management system and the PHP programming language.
LINUX
Linux is a unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution.
LOGICAL OPERATION
The use of simple Boolean logical such as and, or and not.
LOOP
A piece of code that keeps running until a certain condition is fulfilled; or isn’t fulfilled in the case of an ‘infinite loop’ that will crash the system running it.
M…
MONGODB
MongoDB is a cross-platform document oriented database. Classified as a NoSQL database.
MVC
Model-view-controller (MVC) is a software architectural pattern for implementing user interfaces. It divides a given software application into three interconnected parts.
MYSQL
MySQL is an open source relational database management system (RDBMS).
N…
NESTED
When one thing is contained within another it is said to be ‘nested’.
NODE.JS
Node.js is an open source, cross-platform runtime environment for developing server-side web applications. Node.js applications are written in JavaScript and can be run within the Node.js runtime on multiple systems.
O…
OBJECT ORIENTED PROGRAMING (OOP)
OOP is a programming paradigm based on the concepts of ‘objects’ that are data structures containing data, in the form of fields, often known as attributes; and code, in the form of procedures, often known as methods.
OBJECT RELATIONAL MAPPER (ORM)
ORM is a programming technique for converting data between incompatible type systems in object-oriented programming languages.
P…
PHP
PHP is a server-side scripting language designed for web development but also used as a general purpose programming language.
PYTHON
Python is a widely used general purpose, high level programming language. Its design philosophy emphasises code readability and its syntax allows programmers to express concepts in fewer lines of code than would be possible in languages such as C++ or Java.
R…
RECURSION
When something refers to itself. For example a variable may add something to itself for each iteration of a code loop.
RUN TIME
The time during which a program is actively running.
S…
SANDBOX
A place to run a program for testing and experimenting.
SASS
Sass is a scripting language that is interpreted into Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). SassScript is the scripting language itself and consists of two syntaxes.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT KITS
A ‘software development kit’ or SDK is a bundle of software tools for the creation of new applications for a specific platform or framework.
SUBROUTINE
A function or other portion of code that can be run anywhere within a program.
SYNTAX
Programming languages are just like human languages, they have their own ‘syntax’ or rules to describe how statements should be written.
V…
VALUE
A piece of data that can be contained inside a variable. Every value has a type.
VARIABLE
A way, used by many programming languages, to store a piece of data that can then be modified at any time.
W…
WRITE
To send output data values to an external destination, usually to a file. Can also refer to sending data over a network.
