Glossary Terms for Web, App, & Software [Jargon Explained]

Glossary of Software, Mobile, and Web Development Terms

Welcome to our comprehensive glossary, designed to help you navigate the complex world of software, mobile, and web development. Whether you’re a startup founder, an enterprise leader, or just curious about the tech industry, this glossary will clarify the key terms and concepts that are essential for understanding and success in the digital space.

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Agile Development

The development process the software code undergoes in flexible, collaborative, and customer feedback-driven loops, mostly employed in project management.

API (Application Programming Interface)

The set of rules in software applications that let them communicate with each other; by extension, it facilitates third-party services through integration. “

AI, Artificial Intelligence

Machine-generated human-like intelligence, which features learning, reasoning, and self-correction capabilities.

Alpha Testing

The initial testing phase in software development, where internal staff or developers test the software for bugs before it moves to beta testing.

Architecture

The conceptual structure and logical organization of a computer or software system, defining how different components interact.

A/B Testing

The process whereby two varying versions of a web page or application are compared to determine the version that elicits the best user engagement or conversion.

Backend Development

Development that specializes in servers, including databases, scripting, and the overall architecture of a site or an app.

Blockchain

A type of decentralized digital ledger distributed across a network of computers recording transactions immutably in a secure and transparent manner.

Burn Rate

The rate at which a startup is depleting its capital before the business turns up with a pretty face.

Branch

In version control, a branch represents an independent line of development, allowing developers to work on features or fixes separately from the main codebase

Bootstrap

An open-source CSS framework for responsive and mobile projects on the web. Developed by Twitter.

Beta Testing

The second phase of software testing where a sample of the intended audience tests the product to find any remaining issues before final release.

Build

A version of software that is ready for testing or deployment, often produced as part of the continuous integration process.

Caching

A way of storing temporary copies of either data or files to save load time and increase performance.

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management

It refers to software that is used to manage interactions of a company with its existing and potential customers. It is all about enhancing the relationship and sales of the company.

CI/CD Pipeline

Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment is an automated process that integrates and deploys code changes frequently and reliably.

Cloud Computing

The delivery of computing services like storage, processing, and networking over the internet (the cloud), allowing for scalable and on-demand resource usage.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

A style sheet language used to describe the presentation of a document written in HTML or XML, controlling the layout, colors, fonts, and overall visual design.

Cross-Platform Development

A software development process that strives to create products that can work on different operating systems using only one codebase.

Database Management

Organizing data is the structuring of data in databases like MySQL or MongoDB that help in the effective retrieval and storage of data.

DevOps

Based on a set of practices that involve the combination of IT operations (Ops) and software development (Dev) to shorten the development lifecycle.

Data Encryption

Encoding data so that it cannot be accessed by an unauthorized person, which ensures privacy and security.

Docker

A platform that enables the development, shipping, and running of applications using containers—lightweight, portable, and consistent environments.

Debugging

The process of identifying, analyzing, and removing errors or bugs in a software application.

Deployment

The process of releasing and installing software on a production environment where it will be used by end users.

Design Pattern

A general, reusable solution to a commonly occurring problem in software design, providing a template for solving issues in a particular context.

ERP—Enterprise Resource Planning

Software in which core business processes, such as finance, HR, and supply chain, are managed in one system.

Edge Computing

Distributed computing that brings computation and data storage near the location to be closer to where it’s needed, reducing latency and bandwidth consumption.

Encryption

The process of converting information or data into codes to prevent unauthorized access, hence safeguarding sensitive data.

End-to-End Testing

Testing done to confirm that the integrated application functions correctly from beginning to end.

Encapsulation

A fundamental concept of object-oriented programming where data and the methods that operate on that data are bundled together, restricting direct access to some of the object’s components.

End User

The final consumer or user of a product, typically the person for whom the software is designed.

Environment

A collection of hardware and software in which an application operates, such as development, testing, or production environments.

Frontend Development

Client-side development, which involves the management of the user interface components; hence, it works with the appearance and arrangement of a website or an app. This includes layout, design, and interactivity.

Firebase

A platform developed by Google that is used for the development of both mobile and web applications; it includes a number of backend services, such as real-time databases, authentication, and hosting.

Full-Stack Developer

One who is well versed in the programming of both the back-end and the front-end and can take care of complete development that relates to a web or a mobile application.

Framework

A program structure on which to base the development of other applications; this can be Angular for a web application or Django for Python projects.

Geofencing

The technology that defines virtual geographic boundaries or activates some action whenever a mobile device leaves or enters the area.

GraphQL

An API query language that allows clients to request data selectively, making it more effective and flexible compared to REST.

Git

Distributed Version Control System used to track changes in source code while software is being developed. The system supports collaboration and version management.

Gantt Chart

A project management tool used to visualize a project schedule, showing how all the components relate to one another. The tool shows when each item is supposed to begin and finish.

Hybrid App

An application that has the features of native as well as web applications. It is constructed using frameworks like Ionic or Cordova.

High Availability

The capability of a system to be available continuously and immediately in cases of failure, breakdown, or dislocation; it should not cause extensive downtime.

HTTP

Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the bedrock protocol used for transmitting data over the web.

Hardware

The physical components of a computer system, such as the CPU, memory, storage devices, and peripherals.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

The standard language used to create and design documents on the web, defining the structure and content of web pages.

Hashing

A process that converts data into a fixed-size string of characters, which typically represents the data more securely for storage or transmission.

Hypervisor

Software enables the creation and running of virtual machines; therefore, it permits various operating systems to share a single hardware host.

IoT (Internet of Things)

Interconnection of devices with the capacity to communicate and exchange data, enabling automation with the execution of smart technology applications.

IP (Internet Protocol)

Rules that decide on the formatting of data being sent through the Internet or other networks, making it possible for the destination to receive data correctly.

Iteration

repetition of a software development process. Each iteration improves and refines the software with feedback.

IDE (Integrated Development Environment)

A software suite which consolidates the basic tools essential in writing and testing software, such as code editors, compilers and debuggers.

Integration Testing

Testing in which individual units or components of software are combined and tested as a group to ensure they work together correctly.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

is a lightweight data exchange format which is easy for humans to read and write and for machines to read and write.

Java

A general-purpose, class-based, object-oriented language specifically designed with the aim to have as few implementation dependencies as possible, enabling application developers to “write once, run anywhere”.

Jenkins

An automation server free of source code, generally used to automate the building, testing, and deployment of software.

JIRA

Project management software widely used by the development teams for the management and tracking of agile software development projects.

JavaScript

A high-level programming language used to create interactive effects within web browsers, enabling dynamic content on websites.

Kubernetes

Open-source orchestration platform; it automates deploying, scaling, and running application containers in a cluster of hosts.

Kafka

A distributed event streaming platform capable of handling trillions of events daily, and mainly used in building real-time data pipelines and streaming applications.

Kanban

A development board for agile project management in such a way that a team can track and optimize the flow of work and continuously improve.

Kernel

The element at the core of an operating system ensures the proper management of resources and effective communication between the software and hardware.

Landing Page

A single page from a website created specifically for some marketing, selling, or advertising campaigns, where people are directed to take action to develop possible leads or customers.

Load Balancing

The distribution of incoming network traffic across many servers to offer reliability and performance, which will prevent any single server from being overwhelmed.

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)

A protocol enabling access and management of directory information on a networking environment. Commonly used in authentication and user access management in enterprise configurations.

Linting

The process of checking code for the potential occurrence of errors, bugs, style errors, or suspicious constructs often before compilation or running.

Library

A collection of pre-written code that developers can use to optimize tasks, enhance functionalities, and avoid rewriting common functions from scratch.

Lambda Functions

Serverless computing functions offered by cloud providers like AWS, allowing developers to run code without provisioning or managing servers.

Microservices

An architectural style that structures an application as a set of single-function modules or services.

MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

The smallest thing that can be built to test a single business hypothesis—essentially, a portable prototype.

MongoDB

A popular, flexible, and scalable NoSQL database commonly in use in modern web applications.

Middleware

Software that assigns communication tasks and data management between an operating system/database and applications, mainly functioning on a network.

Machine Learning

A subset of AI that enables systems to learn from data, identify patterns, and make decisions with minimal human intervention.

Middleware

Software that acts as a bridge between different applications or between an application and the operating system, enabling communication and data management.

Methodology

A system of methods used in a particular area of study or activity, such as Agile or Waterfall methodologies in software development.

MVC (Model-View-Controller)

An architectural pattern that separates an application into three main logical components: Model (data), View (UI), and Controller (business logic).

Native App

A mobile application developed with a specific platform in mind—either iOS or Android—using the official development tool of that platform.

Node.js

A runtime environment built using Chrome’s V8 engine for building fast and scalable network applications done with the use of JavaScript.

Nginx

It is a high-speed web server that can also be used for reverse proxy, load balancing, and HTTP caching.

NLP (Natural Language Processing)

A subset of machine learning/artificial intelligence that deals with speech recognition, natural language understanding, language translation, among others.

NoSQL

A type of database that provides a mechanism for data storage and retrieval that is modeled in ways other than tabular relations used in relational databases.

OAuth

An open standard for access delegation. It is widely used to grant websites or web applications limited access to the user’s information, without actually exposing the password.

ORM

Object-Relational Mapping is a programming technique that is used to convert data from incompatible type systems to those found in object-oriented programming languages.

Open Source

This refers to software that has its code, which is otherwise private, made both accessible and distributable along with the source code and altered to suit use—free to alter.

Orchestration

Automatically arranging, coordinating, and managing computer systems, applications, and services.

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

A programming paradigm based on the concept of “objects”, which can contain data and code to manipulate the data.

Optimization

The process of making a system or application as effective, efficient, or functional as possible, often improving performance or reducing resource usage.

Pivot

A significant change in a startup’s business model based on feedback or changing circumstances, most likely involving a strategic or product orientation shift.

Python

A programming language that is high-level, interpreted and emphasizes readability in its design. Python has manifold applications, including web development, data science, etc.

Prototyping

The activity of building a preliminary version of a product to check and demonstrate ideas before full-fledged development starts.

Push Notifications

Messages initiated by an app to remind a user of something or to send alerts or updates, whether the application is actively used or not.

Pull Request

A method of submitting contributions to a development project, typically within a version control system like Git, allowing team members to review and discuss changes before integrating them into the main codebase.

Plugin

A software component that adds specific capabilities to an existing program, allowing customization and extension of its functionalities.

Performance testing

A type of testing to determine how a system performs in terms of responsiveness and stability under a particular workload.

Quality Assurance (QA)

A way of preventing mistakes or defects in software by ensuring the product meets specified requirements before it is released to end users.

REST

An architectural style specifying a set of rules when making network applications. It is based on sending HTTP requests to access and can work with data according to some operation applied on the URI.

Responsive Web Design

is an approach that allows web pages to render well on different devices and screen sizes, be it a desktop or handheld gadget display.

Redux

A predictable state container for JS apps, most commonly used with React, that helps to structure applications and minimize the number of bugs in them.

Rate Limiting

Basically, this is a method of service or API management that controls the number of incoming requests to a certain chance of optimizing performance and abuse prevention.

REST (Representational State Transfer)

An architectural style for designing networked applications that use HTTP requests to access and manipulate data.

Runtime

The period when a program is running, from start to finish, during which it executes commands and performs tasks.

Repository

A central location in which data, often code, is stored and managed, commonly used in version control systems like GitHub.

SaaS – Software as a Service

Software delivery model where applications are hosted in the cloud and accessed via the internet. No local installation is required.

Scalability

Is the ability of a system, network, or process, to handle a growing amount of work, or its potential to be enlarged in order to accommodate growth.

Scrum

An agile framework of managing work with an emphasis on software development that is designed for an iterative and incremental approach.

SQL (Structured Query Language)

A standard language, commonly applied for managing and manipulating logical databases in the context of a relational model.

Software

A set of instructions, data, or programs used to operate computers and execute specific tasks, distinct from the physical hardware.

Software Lifecycle

The stages a software product goes through from initial concept to retirement, including development, testing, deployment, and maintenance.

Serverless Computing

A cloud computing execution model where the cloud provider dynamically manages the allocation and provisioning of servers, allowing developers to focus on writing code.

Source Code

The original code written by a programmer in a programming language before it is compiled into machine code.

TDD (Test-Driven Development)

A software development process in which tests are written before the code so that the developer writes just enough code to ensure that the test passes.

Tech Debt

The nominal price of extra rework that will ensue from choosing an easy solution now over a better one that will take longer.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

This is a process in which the user would provide two different authentication factors to verify themselves.

TypeScript

A superset of JavaScript that adds on static typing, making the development of large, complex software easier to write and maintain.

Tokenization

The process of substituting a sensitive data element with a non-sensitive equivalent (token) that has no exploitable value, commonly used for securing payment information.

UI (User Interface)

The point of human–machine interaction, which aims to make the application visually appealing and user-friendly in every aspect.

UX (User Experience)

The process by which overall user satisfaction can be increased by level of usability, accessibility, and pleasure provided when interacting with the product.

Unit Testing

A kind of software testing whereby development tools, as well as test scripts/unit testing, scrutinize the behavior of single software units.

Uptime

The time during which a computer, server, or service is on and operational, available for use.

Version Control

A system that records the changes made to a file over time so that specific versions can be recalled later. Very popular with Git.

Virtual Machine (VM)

Software that imitates a physical computer, allowing running many operating systems on a single physical machine.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

It is an internet connection service that encrypts the connection for privacy and security between a user’s device and unad.

Vue.js

A progressive JavaScript framework mainly used for building user interfaces, especially single-page applications.

Webhooks

User-defined HTTP callbacks that triggered by specific events. It makes two-way interacting real-time systems possible.

Wireframe

A visual guide representing the skeletal framework of a website or application, focusing on the layout and elements prioritization of an interface.

Workflow

the sequence of processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion.

WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get)

A system where the output appears very similar to the final output, for example, in the case of a text and HTML editor.

Wrapper

A function or program that provides a simplified interface to a more complex underlying code or process, often used to make code more modular or reusable.

Web Services

A standardized way of integrating web-based applications using open standards such as XML, SOAP, and WSDL to allow communication between different applications.

Waterfall Model

A linear and sequential software development methodology where each phase must be completed before the next phase begins.

XML (eXtensible Markup Language)

A markup language specifying a set of rules for encoding documents in a human and machine-readable format.

XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)

A web application security vulnerability, that universally enables an attacker to insert this type of malicious code into contents fetched from a web page originating from an otherwise trusted site.

XPath

A general-purpose expression language for the selection of parts of the nodes in an input document or tree the same way it takes place in an XML document. This is one most common languages used in the context of XSLT for the tree processing it performs.