Knowledge base
The glossary
Every term we use with clients, defined plainly. Browse a subject area, jump to a letter, or search.
- 16 concepts
- 9 subject areas
Browse by subject
Each area collects the concepts that belong together.
Web Development
The terms that come up when we build or rebuild a website or a web application.
2
Cybersecurity
How systems are attacked, and the words we use for defending them.
2
Hosting & Infrastructure
Where software actually runs, and what the numbers in a hosting contract mean.
2
SEO & Marketing
The vocabulary of being found — search, content and measurement.
2
Programming Languages
The languages software is written in, and what each one is genuinely good at.
8
Frameworks & Platforms
The toolkits built on top of a language so teams do not rewrite the same foundations every time.
0
Databases & Data
Where your records actually live, and why the choice changes what the system can do.
0
Cloud & Operations
How software gets shipped, run and kept alive after it is written.
0
AI & Automation
What the machines are actually doing when a product says it uses AI.
0
Most read
Where people start.
Java
The language large organisations standardised on decades ago, chosen for systems that must keep running unchanged for a very long time.
Programming Languages
Python
A language written to be read like plain English, which made it the default choice for data work, automation and almost everything labelled artificial intelligence.
Programming Languages
JavaScript
The only language every web browser runs on its own, which is why anything that reacts on a page without reloading it is written in JavaScript.
Programming Languages
PHP
A language built specifically for producing web pages on a server, and still the engine behind a large share of the websites in daily use.
Programming Languages
Rust
A language that refuses to compile code with a whole family of memory bugs in it, used where a crash or a breach is unacceptable.
Programming Languages
Go
A deliberately small language from Google, built for services that must handle very many simultaneous requests without falling over.
Programming Languages
TypeScript
JavaScript with labels on the data, so mistakes are caught while the code is being written instead of after it ships.
Programming Languages
C# and .NET
Microsoft platform for building business software: C# is the language, .NET is the runtime and library set it ships with.
Programming Languages
Structured Data
Machine-readable labels added to a page that tell a search engine what its content actually is — a product, a recipe, a definition, a question and its answer.
SEO & Marketing
Canonical URL
The one address you declare as the real home of a page, so that search engines credit it rather than splitting the value across duplicates.
SEO & Marketing
Uptime
The share of time a system is available and working, usually quoted as a percentage over a month.
Hosting & Infrastructure
Service Level Agreement
SLA
The part of a contract that says what level of service you are actually promised, and what you get back when it is not delivered.
Hosting & Infrastructure
All concepts, A to Z
A
Application Programming Interface API A defined way for one piece of software to ask another for data or for an action, without either one knowing how the other is built.C
C# and .NET Microsoft platform for building business software: C# is the language, .NET is the runtime and library set it ships with. Canonical URL The one address you declare as the real home of a page, so that search engines credit it rather than splitting the value across duplicates.G
Go A deliberately small language from Google, built for services that must handle very many simultaneous requests without falling over.J
Java The language large organisations standardised on decades ago, chosen for systems that must keep running unchanged for a very long time. JavaScript The only language every web browser runs on its own, which is why anything that reacts on a page without reloading it is written in JavaScript.P
Phishing A message built to look like it came from someone you trust, so that you hand over a password, a code or a payment. PHP A language built specifically for producing web pages on a server, and still the engine behind a large share of the websites in daily use. Python A language written to be read like plain English, which made it the default choice for data work, automation and almost everything labelled artificial intelligence.R
REST REST A style for building web APIs around addressable resources and the standard HTTP verbs, rather than around custom commands. Rust A language that refuses to compile code with a whole family of memory bugs in it, used where a crash or a breach is unacceptable.S
Service Level Agreement SLA The part of a contract that says what level of service you are actually promised, and what you get back when it is not delivered. Structured Data Machine-readable labels added to a page that tell a search engine what its content actually is — a product, a recipe, a definition, a question and its answer.T
Two-Factor Authentication 2FA A sign-in that needs two different kinds of proof — usually something you know and something you hold — so a stolen password is not enough on its own. TypeScript JavaScript with labels on the data, so mistakes are caught while the code is being written instead of after it ships.U
Uptime The share of time a system is available and working, usually quoted as a percentage over a month.Still not sure how this applies to your project?
Tell us what you are building and we will answer in plain language.