Subject area
Web Applications
Software that runs in a browser and does real work — dashboards, portals and systems staff use all day.
23 concepts in this area
Web Applications
A
Audit Trail An audit trail is the record a system keeps of who changed what and when, so an argument about a cancelled invoice can be settled in two minutes. Read the definition
B
Backend The backend is the part of a system you never see, where the records are kept and the rules are checked for every screen that asks. Read the definition
C
Change Request A change request is anything you ask a software team to add or alter after the price was agreed and the work began. Read the definition Cross-Platform App A cross-platform app is one system that opens in a browser, on an Android phone and on an iPhone, with all three sharing the same records. Read the definition
D
Dashboard A dashboard is the first screen a person sees after logging in, and a good one carries today's numbers and the decisions still waiting for an answer. Read the definition Data Synchronisation Data synchronisation is the work of keeping the same numbers on every device, so the phone in a van and the office computer never disagree. Read the definition
J
Job Queue A job queue is the waiting line where a system parks heavy work, like five hundred invoices, so the screens people are using stay fast. Read the definition
K
Key Performance Indicator KPI A key performance indicator is a single number you have chosen to watch because someone on your team can actually act on it. Read the definition KPI Dashboard KPI A KPI dashboard is one screen holding the five or six numbers an owner checks each morning before deciding what to do that day. Read the definition
M
Multi-Branch Management Multi-branch management is running two or more shops, clinics or gyms from a single system, so the owner can see every branch on one page. Read the definition
O
Offline Mode Offline mode is what a system keeps doing when the internet drops in the middle of a sale, so the work carries on until the connection returns. Read the definition
P
Progressive Web App PWA A progressive web app is a website that staff add to the phone's home screen and open like a normal app, with nothing to install from a store. Read the definition Push Notifications A push notification is a short message that lands on someone's phone or browser without them opening your app, which is why they have to give permission first. Read the definition
S
Scalability Scalability is how well a system keeps its speed as more people use it at the same time, instead of slowing to a crawl. Read the definition Single Sign-On SSO Single sign-on is one username and password that opens every system a member of staff is allowed to use, on the computer and on the phone. Read the definition
T
Total Cost of Ownership TCO Total cost of ownership is what a system really costs over five years once hosting, support, changes and training are added to the build price. Read the definition
U
User Acceptance Testing UAT User acceptance testing is the buyer's own check of a new system before signing it off, run on the real machines over a few ordinary working days. Read the definition User Roles and Permissions User roles and permissions decide who may do what inside a system, so a receptionist can book an appointment without ever seeing what the treatment cost. Read the definition
V
Vendor Lock-In Vendor lock-in is what you discover on the day you try to change supplier and find out how little of your own system you actually own. Read the definition Vulnerability Scan A vulnerability scan is an automatic check that searches a website or an app for weaknesses attackers already know about and reports what it finds. Read the definition
W
Web App vs Website The difference between a web app and a website is that a website tells people things, while a web app does real work for them once they sign in. Read the definition Web Application A web application is a program you use in a browser that does real work and remembers it, so it keeps your accounts, records and reports. Read the definition
Z
Zero-Downtime Deployment A zero-downtime deployment puts a new version of a system live while customers keep using it, with a quick way back if something goes wrong. Read the definition
Other subject areas
Web Development The terms that come up when we build or rebuild a website or a web application. 4 Cybersecurity How systems are attacked, and the words we use for defending them. 31 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. 30 Programming Languages The languages software is written in, and what each one is genuinely good at. 12 Frameworks & Platforms The toolkits built on top of a language so teams do not rewrite the same foundations every time. 6 Databases & Data Where your records actually live, and why the choice changes what the system can do. 4 Cloud & Operations How software gets shipped, run and kept alive after it is written. 5 AI & Automation What the machines are actually doing when a product says it uses AI. 4 Design & User Experience How a screen is laid out, and why some sites feel easy while others feel confusing. 0 Mobile Apps The words you meet when you build an app for a phone and put it in a store. 28 Digital Marketing Paid ads, email, offers and the numbers that tell you whether any of it worked. 29 Social Media Posts, followers, reach and the everyday words of running an account well. 0 E-commerce Systems Selling online: the cart, the checkout, the stock and everything after the order. 29 Shops & Point of Sale The counter, the barcode, the till and the stock room of a real shop. 1 Maintenance Centres Repair jobs, spare parts, warranty and getting a device back to its owner. 0 School & University Systems Students, classes, attendance, marks and fees — the software a school runs on. 0 Hospital Management Beds, admissions, departments and the file that follows a patient through a hospital. 0 Clinic Management Appointments, visits, prescriptions and payments in a small medical practice. 0 Medical Laboratories Samples, tests, reference ranges and how a result reaches the person who ordered it. 0 Radiology Centres Scans, images, reports and the systems that store and share them safely. 0 Property & Rentals Units, tenants, contracts and rent — the paperwork of property, done in software. 0 Property Developers Projects, phases, instalment plans and selling a unit that is not built yet. 0 Salons & Spas Bookings, chairs, staff commission and keeping regulars coming back. 0 Gyms & Fitness Memberships, check-ins, classes and trainers — how a gym keeps track of everyone. 0 Custom Software Building a system around how a business actually works, instead of changing the business to fit a product. 0 Integrations & APIs Making two systems talk to each other, so the same number does not get typed twice. 0 Payments & Billing Taking money online, sending invoices and knowing exactly who has paid and who has not. 0 ERP & Accounting One set of books behind every department, so the numbers agree at the end of the month. 0 Software Projects How a software project is scoped, priced, built and handed over — and where they usually go wrong. 0 CRM & Customer Support Keeping track of who your customers are, what they asked for, and what you promised them. 0