Glossary

A reference list of common terms and acronyms used in full-stack development.

API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of rules and protocols for building and interacting with software applications, enabling different systems to communicate.

Backend
The server-side part of an application responsible for business logic, database interactions, and server configuration.

Caching
The process of storing frequently accessed data in memory to improve performance and reduce database load (e.g., using Redis or Memcached).

CI (Continuous Integration)
A practice where code changes are automatically built and tested to detect issues early in the development cycle.

CD (Continuous Deployment/Delivery)
Automated processes for deploying code to production or staging environments after passing automated tests.

CMS (Content Management System)
Software that allows users to create, manage, and modify website content without needing to code.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
A language used to describe the presentation and layout of web pages.

CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
The four basic operations for managing data in a database or application.

DevOps
A set of practices that combines software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) to shorten the development lifecycle and deliver high-quality software.

Docker
A platform for developing, shipping, and running applications in containers, which are lightweight, portable, and self-sufficient units of software.

ES6 (ECMAScript 6)
A major update to JavaScript that introduced new syntax and features, making the language more powerful and easier to work with.

DOM (Document Object Model)
A programming interface that represents the structure of HTML or XML documents as a tree of objects, allowing scripts to update content, structure, and style.

Frontend
The client-side part of an application that users interact with directly, typically built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Full Stack
Refers to development across both frontend and backend, encompassing all layers of an application or website.

GraphQL
An open-source query language and runtime for APIs that enables clients to request exactly the data they need. It reduces over-fetching and under-fetching of data and allows for more efficient, flexible queries.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
The standard language for creating web pages and web applications.

HTTP/HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol / Secure)
Protocols for transferring data over the web; HTTPS adds encryption for security.

IDE (Integrated Development Environment)
Software that provides comprehensive tools for software development, such as code editing, debugging, and testing.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
A lightweight data-interchange format, easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate.

JS (JavaScript)
A programming language used to create dynamic and interactive effects within web browsers.

JWT (JSON Web Token)
A compact, URL-safe token format used for securely transmitting information between parties, commonly used for authentication and authorization.

Load Balancer
A system that distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers to ensure reliability and scalability.

Middleware
Software that acts as a bridge between different systems or layers, commonly used in web frameworks to process requests and responses.

NoSQL
A category of database systems that store and retrieve data in formats other than relational tables, such as key-value, document, columnar, or graph formats. Popular NoSQL databases include MongoDB, Cassandra, and Redis.

ORM (Object-Relational Mapping)
A programming technique for converting data between incompatible type systems in object-oriented programming languages. It allows developers to interact with a database using objects instead of SQL queries.

PWA (Progressive Web Application)
A type of web app that uses modern web capabilities to deliver an app-like experience to users.

Rate Limiting
A technique used to control the number of requests a user or service can make to an API within a given time frame.

REST (Representational State Transfer)
An architectural style for designing networked applications, commonly used for building APIs.

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

SPA (Single Page Application)
A web application that loads a single HTML page and dynamically updates content as the user interacts with the app.

SQL (Structured Query Language)
A standard language for managing and manipulating relational databases.

TypeScript
A strongly-typed superset of JavaScript that adds static typing, interfaces, and other features to improve code quality and maintainability, commonly used in both frontend and backend (Node.js) development.

UI (User Interface)
The visual elements of an application that users interact with.

UX (User Experience)
The overall experience a user has when interacting with a product or service, focusing on ease of use and satisfaction.

Version Control
A system (like Git) for tracking changes to code, enabling collaboration and history tracking.

WebSocket
A protocol for full-duplex communication channels over a single TCP connection, commonly used in real-time web applications.