Technical Glossary

Learn the Language of Code

160 technical terms with clear definitions and code examples.

A
10 terms
B
4 terms
C
17 terms

Cache

intermediate
Programming Concepts

Temporary storage that saves copies of data for faster access next time.

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Callback

beginner
JavaScript

A function passed as an argument to another function, to be called later when something finishes.

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CDN

intermediate
DevOps

A network of servers around the world that delivers your files faster by serving them from the closest location.

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CI/CD

advanced
DevOps

Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment — automating the process of testing and deploying your code.

Includes code example
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Claude Code

beginner
AI & Development

An AI coding assistant by Anthropic that writes, explains, and debugs code alongside you.

Includes code example
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CLI

beginner
Developer Tools

A text based way to interact with software by typing commands instead of clicking.

Includes code example
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Client-Side

beginner
Development

Code that runs in the user's web browser, including React components, event handlers, and UI rendering.

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Code Editor

beginner
Developer Tools

A specialized text editor designed for writing code, with features like syntax highlighting and auto-complete.

Includes code example
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Commit

beginner
Developer Tools

A saved snapshot of your project at a specific point in time, like a checkpoint in a video game.

Includes code example
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Component

beginner
Frontend

A reusable building block of a user interface, like a button or card.

Includes code example
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Conditional

beginner
Programming Concepts

Code that runs only when a certain condition is true, using if/else statements.

Includes code example
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Console (Browser)

beginner
Tools

A panel in DevTools where you can see JavaScript errors, warnings, and log output from your application.

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Container (CSS)

beginner
Frontend

A wrapper element (like a div) that holds and organizes other elements on the page.

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Container (Docker)

advanced
DevOps

A lightweight, isolated environment that packages everything needed to run an app — code, runtime, and settings.

Includes code example
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CORS

intermediate
Web Fundamentals

A browser security rule that controls which websites can request data from your server.

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CRUD

beginner
Programming Concepts

The four basic data operations: Create, Read, Update, Delete.

Includes code example
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CSS

beginner
Web Fundamentals

The language that makes websites look good -- colors, layouts, fonts.

Includes code example
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D
13 terms

Database

beginner
Backend

An organized collection of data that your application can store, retrieve, and update.

Includes code example
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Database Trigger

intermediate
Backend

A function that runs automatically when a specific database event happens, like inserting, updating, or deleting a row.

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Debugging

beginner
Programming Concepts

The process of finding and fixing errors (bugs) in your code.

Includes code example
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Dependency

beginner
Developer Tools

An external package or library that your project needs to function.

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Deployment

beginner
DevOps

The process of making your app available on the internet for everyone to use.

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Destructuring

beginner
JavaScript

A JavaScript shortcut for extracting values from objects and arrays into individual variables.

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DevTools

beginner
Tools

The built-in developer tools in your browser that let you inspect, debug, and monitor your web application.

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DNS

advanced
DevOps

Domain Name System — the system that translates human-readable domain names into server IP addresses.

Includes code example
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DNS Record

intermediate
DevOps

An entry in a DNS database that maps a domain name to an IP address or another domain, directing internet traffic to the right server.

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Docker

advanced
DevOps

A tool that packages your app and its dependencies into a portable container that runs the same everywhere.

Includes code example
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Dockerfile

intermediate
DevOps

A text file containing instructions for building a Docker container image, specifying the base system, dependencies, and how to run the app.

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DOM

beginner
Web Fundamentals

The Document Object Model — a tree-like structure that represents your HTML page, allowing JavaScript to read and change it.

Includes code example
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Domain

beginner
Web Fundamentals

The human readable address of a website, like google.com or myapp.dev.

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E
9 terms
F
7 terms
G
2 terms
H
9 terms
I
3 terms
J
4 terms
L
5 terms
M
2 terms
N
5 terms
O
6 terms
P
10 terms
Q
1 term
R
14 terms

React

beginner
Frontend

A popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces with reusable components.

Includes code example
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React Native

intermediate
Mobile

A framework for building native mobile apps (iOS and Android) using React and JavaScript.

Includes code example
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React Router

beginner
React

A library for React that handles page navigation, data loading, and form submissions in single-page applications.

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Realtime

intermediate
Backend

A feature that automatically pushes data updates to connected users without them refreshing the page.

Includes code example
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Redirect

beginner
React

A function that sends the user to a different page after a successful action, like navigating to a post after creating it.

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Refresh Token

intermediate
Authentication

A long-lived token used to obtain new access tokens without requiring the user to log in again.

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Rendering

beginner
Frontend

The process of turning your code into visible elements on the screen.

Includes code example
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Repository

beginner
Developer Tools

A folder tracked by Git that stores your project files and their complete change history.

Includes code example
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Responsive Design

beginner
Web Fundamentals

Making websites look great on any screen size -- phones, tablets, and desktops.

Includes code example
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REST API

intermediate
Backend

A set of rules for how apps communicate over the internet using standard HTTP methods like GET and POST.

Includes code example
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RLS Policy

beginner
Database

A rule in Supabase that controls which rows a user can read, create, update, or delete in a database table.

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Route

beginner
Frontend

A URL path that maps to a specific page or API endpoint in your app.

Includes code example
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Row Level Security

intermediate
Backend

A Supabase/PostgreSQL feature that controls which database rows each user can see or modify.

Includes code example
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RSA

advanced
Security

A widely used encryption algorithm based on a public-private key pair.

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S
14 terms

Schema

intermediate
Backend

The structure and organization of your database — which tables exist and how they relate to each other.

Includes code example
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Scope

beginner
Programming Concepts

The area in your code where a variable is accessible — where it "exists."

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Server

beginner
Web Fundamentals

A computer (or program) that listens for requests and sends back responses.

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Session

intermediate
Authentication

A temporary record that keeps a user logged in as they navigate between pages.

Includes code example
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SQL

beginner
Backend

The language used to communicate with databases -- query, insert, update, delete data.

Includes code example
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SSH

intermediate
DevOps

A secure way to connect to and control remote servers from your terminal.

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SSL

advanced
DevOps

Secure Sockets Layer — the technology that encrypts data between a user's browser and your server (the 'S' in HTTPS).

Includes code example
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SSL Certificate

intermediate
Security

A digital certificate that enables HTTPS encryption between a browser and a server, shown as the padlock icon in the address bar.

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Stack Trace

beginner
Development

A list of function calls shown in an error message that tells you exactly where in your code the error occurred.

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State (CSS)

beginner
Frontend

A visual condition of an element based on user interaction — like hover, focus, active, or disabled.

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State (React)

beginner
Frontend

Data in a React component that can change over time, triggering the UI to re-render.

Includes code example
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Status Code

beginner
Networking

A three-digit number returned by a server that tells you whether an HTTP request succeeded or failed, and why.

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String

beginner
Programming Concepts

A piece of text in your code, wrapped in quotes like 'hello' or "world".

Includes code example
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Supabase

beginner
Backend

An open source backend platform with a database, auth, and APIs -- all ready to use.

Includes code example
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T
7 terms
U
9 terms
V
5 terms
W
3 terms
Z
1 term

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