The way in which a website is built determines how it appears on different devices. Adaptive design creates a website in several different layouts, each suited for different screen sizes. Depending on what device is being used to access the website, the website will adapt and deliver the appropriate layout.

See also: responsive design and mobile-first.

Bootstrap is a free, open-source frontend framework for designing websites and web apps. It was developed by Mark Otto and Jacob Thornton at Twitter in order to encourage  consistency across internal tools. Bootstrap includes HTML and CSS-based design templates for typography, forms, buttons, tables, navigation, modals and more, plus JavaScript plugins. Check out this beginner’s guide to Bootstrap to get you started.

See also: frameworks and frontend.

Backend development essentially refers to everything that goes on behind the scenes. What happens at the backend—or server-side—powers what happens at the frontend, i.e. what the user sees and interacts with. Backend development can be broken down into four main components of a software stack: the server, the database, the operating system, and the software. You can learn more about the difference between frontend and backend elsewhere on the blog.

A web browser is the software used to access the internet and display web pages. When you type a web address or URL into the browser, you are effectively sending out a series of requests. The browser will gather all the different elements that make up that particular webpage, such as images, ads and content, from wherever they are stored (i.e. different directories or servers) in order to display the page that you see. The most common browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari for Apple, and Opera.

If you want to work as a web developer, this is one word you’ll definitely need in your vocabulary! Put simply, a bug is an error that prevents a website or app from running as it should. In the world of web development, you’ll often deal with bug reports and be tasked with fixing said bugs.

A cache is a temporary storage space for data. When you visit a website, the files that you request are automatically stored in the cache. If you return to that same website in the near future, your browser  will retrieve the necessary files from your cache rather than from the original server—so the webpage will load quicker.

Of course, you can’t call yourself a web developer until you know what code is! Code is essentially what web developers write using programming languages (scroll down to languages in this glossary!). To see exactly what code looks like, right-click on your internet browser window and click “view page source”. You’ll then be able to see the code that’s behind this particular website.

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. It is a markup language responsible for the visual elements of a website. HTML (another markup language) is used to determine the structure and content of the webpage. Web developers will then use CSS to style this content; in other words, CSS tells the browser how the HTML elements should be displayed. CSS is used to apply colors and to determine font, text size and alignment, to name just a few. Interested in learning more about it? We’ve got a detailed guide to CSS.

A crucial aspect of development and programming, data structures are a way of organizing and storing data for maximum efficiency—much like books in a library. Data structures make it easy to find, access, sort, insert and delete data. There are many different types of data structures, including linked lists, stacks, queues and sets.

Remember those bugs we talked about? Well, debugging is the process of identifying and dealing with them. Debugging is a multistep process: the developer locates the problem, isolates the source and then either gets to work fixing it or comes up with a workaround. The debugging process ends with testing and, if necessary, further fixes.

Deployment is a key step in the web development process. Once a website or an app has been developed and tested, it’s ready to go live; in other words, it’s ready to be deployed. There are several different stages to deploying a website, with the last being hosting it. These days, you can host a website on the internet for free—all you need is an email address!

A crucial part of web development and software engineering, documentation is essentially the central point of reference for anyone involved in managing, maintaining or using a website or piece of software. Documentation may provide information on requirements, architecture and design, technical properties, information for the end user, or marketing.

A website’s domain name is essentially its address on the world wide web. It’s the address that users type into the browser in order to view a website—such as “CareerFoundry.com”. Every website can be identified by its IP address (a series of numbers), and the domain name is just a more user-friendly label for these numbers. Domains are split into two levels: in the case of CareerFoundry’s website, the “CareerFoundry” part is the top-level domain, while the “.com” part is the second level domain.

Frameworks were invented to make the process of building a website faster and easier. You can think of a framework as a collection of solutions, tools and components that you can access in one central location—rather than seeking them all out separately each time. Some common frameworks include Ruby on Rails, Bootstrap, AngularJS and Joomla.

Remember how the backend is everything that goes on behind the scenes, and powers what goes on at the frontend? The frontend of a website, also known as client-side, is what the end user sees and interacts with. Frontend languages include HTML, CSS and JavaScript, which all have a hand in determining the visual output of a website.

20. Full-stack

We’ve already covered both the frontend and the backend: now it’s time to throw full-stack development into the mix. Full-stack developers work across all three layers: the frontend, the backend, and the database layer. Because of the sheer depth of their knowledge across the entire tech stack, this kind of developer tends to have years of industry experience and gets paid well for it, as our full-stack salary guide shows.

An absolute staple in the web development world, Git is a version control system where developers can store and manage their code. As a web developer, you’ll make constant changes to your code whenever you’re in the process of creating something, be it an app or a website. Git enables you to track these changes and reverse them if necessary, and also to work together with other teams and manage multiple projects at once.

GitHub is a cloud interface for Git. It has been around since 2008 and now has over 28 million users worldwide, making it the largest host of source code in the world! GitHub offers all the version control functionality of Git, but also offers its own features, such as bug tracking, task management and project wikis. Discover why GitHub is so important for web developers.

23. HTML

HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. Simply put, it’s a computer language used to create websites. HTML describes how a document should be displayed by an internet browser as a webpage. It consists of tags, elements and attributes and, once you’ve got the hang of it, is pretty simple to work with! This beginner’s guide to HTML will tell you more.

Yet another acronym to get your head around: HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, and is used to transfer data across the internet. HTTP sends the data (say, a HTML document or an image) from an HTTP server program (a web server) to an HTTP client program (a web browser).

Information architecture is the practice of organizing complex information in a clear and logical way. In terms of websites and apps, this means creating a user-friendly structure that makes it easy for the user to find their way around. IA is not just for designers; developers are information architects, too, in the way they structure their code. Generally speaking, site maps, hierarchies, categorizations, navigation and metadata are all part of IA.

Java is one of the most popular programming languages out there. One of the main reasons it is so popular is that it is platform-independent, meaning that programs built using Java can be run on any device, regardless of what operating system is being used. Java has been around since 1995, and is a concurrent, class-based and object-oriented language. Learn more about Java in this beginner’s guide to the 10 most popular programming languages.

While we’re on the subject of popular programming languages, let’s talk about JavaScript. JavaScript is primarily used as a client-side language, meaning that it is embedded into the HTML of a page and sent to the browser. Web developers use JavaScript to add automation, animations and interactivity to  web pages.

Remember JavaScript? Well jQuery is a JavaScript library (we’ll go into libraries further down the glossary). jQuery basically simplifies the task of using JavaScript on your website by condensing several lines of JavaScript code into a single line. Rather than adding many lines of JavaScript code, the developer can simply take the “compact version” from the jQuery library.

L is for languages, and web development is full of them! We’ve already mentioned a few languages in this glossary (remember CSS, HTML and Java?), but what exactly is a language in this context? Languages are basically what programmers use to build websites, apps and software. There are programming languages, markup languages, style sheet languages and database management languages—check out this list of all the different languages.

As we saw with the example of JavaScript (the programming language) and jQuery (a JavaScript library), libraries can save developers considerable time and effort. Libraries are stores of pre-written code, or modules, that programmers can take and insert into the code they’re writing.

Minification is one of my favorite web development buzzwords—it’s the process of minimizing code and markup in order to reduce the file size. When creating a HTML file, for example, developers will most likely use spacing, comments and variables to make the code more readable as they work with it. To minify the code once the webpage is ready to go live, developers will remove these comments and spaces to ensure a quicker page-load time (crucial for delivering a good user experience!)

Mobile-first is an approach to web design and development that prioritizes mobile devices. Rather than building a website with desktop in mind and then considering how it might look on a mobile device, with a mobile-first approach, the website is first built for the small screen. Mobile-first means adopting either responsive or adaptive design (both are included in this glossary!).

It’s crucial not to get your sports buzzwords and your web development buzzwords mixed up. Programmers might often hear talk of “MVP”—or minimum viable product. The minimum viable product is the most pared-down version of a product that can be released to market. When adopting an MVP approach, developers will first focus on the core features and functions that are absolutely crucial. Then, once the product has been released and user feedback has been gathered, they will continue to build the complete set of features.

MySQL is the world’s most popular open-source database management system. If you’re brand new to web development, this might not mean much to you just yet, so let me explain. A database is a structured collection of data, and an essential component of most websites. A database management system is a type of software that manages these databases. What does that have to do with your website code? Find out here.

You can search "pronunciation of MySQL" over the internet, or visit:

https://database.guide/is-it-pronounced-s-q-l-or-sequel/

(it includes a  1 min, 30 sec video portraying Bill Gates using the term).

An operating system, or OS, is a type of software that enables the user to run applications on a device. Say you have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone; the operating system in this case is Android. Any apps that have been built for the Android OS can run on your Samsung. The iPhone, on the other hand, uses the iOS operating system and can only run apps that have been built with this in mind.

PHP stands somewhat confusingly for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor, which is an example a recursive acronym. Confusing naming origin aside, PHP is a server-side (or backend) scripting language. Among other things, PHP can be used to generate dynamic page content, to send and receive cookies, to control user access and to encrypt data. Why PHP? Well, it’s compatible with almost all servers used today, it’s fairly easy to learn, supports a wide range of databases, and it’s free to download!

A plugin is basically an extension that adds extra functionality to an existing software, such as plugins for your browser or add-ons for the WordPress CMS. Why would you build an app to support plugins? First of all, it’s an easy way to add new features as it enables third- party developers to build upon the existing app, and secondly, it can help to reduce the size of an app.

Another programming language, Python was named after Monty Python—true story! Python is widely adopted and supported; Google, Reddit, Nasa and Dropbox are among some of the most well-known companies using it. Python is especially useful for data science, machine learning, automation and API development. At the same time, it’s known for its readability and is therefore fairly easy for beginners to learn and use.

Resolution is a metric used to describe the size and quality of an image. It also refers to the display capabilities of a computer or mobile device—i.e. how many pixels a screen is able to display both horizontally and vertically. In a web development context, it’s important to think about how different images will render on different screen sizes.

Responsive design ensures that a website is displayed correctly no matter what device the user is viewing it on. Responsive websites are built in such a way that they adapt to different screen sizes, so the user gets the same quality and ease-of-use regardless of whether they’re browsing on desktop, mobile, or tablet. You can learn the differences between responsive and adaptive web design.

Ruby is another programming language—a dynamic, open-source programming language with a focus on simplicity and  productivity, in fact. Ruby on Rails is a framework (remember frameworks?) that is built in Ruby. In the web development world, you might hear Ruby on Rails referred to simply as “Rails”. A question many beginner web developers ask is “Is it worth learning Ruby on Rails?”.

A sitemap is an outline of all the pages on a website. There are three different types of sitemaps: those used by web designers when planning a website, hierarchical listings intended for the human user, and structured listings intended for search engines. Web developers use XML sitemaps to publish lists of links across their websites, in line with Google’s Sitemaps Protocol.

Software stacks make up the backend of a website, and they are essentially bundles of software that work together. In the case of a smartphone, for example, the software stack would be made up of the operating system, the phone app, the web browser and other basic applications.

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It’s a standard security protocol for ensuring that all data transmitted between the web server and the browser remains encrypted—and therefore unreadable to the naked eye. You can tell if a website has an SSL certificate by looking at the web address: if the URL starts with “https”, the website is secure. You’ll also see a padlock symbol in the browser bar.

One of the key tools you’ll use in web development is a text editor. A text editor is just a type of software used to write plain, unformatted text. You’ll use a text editor such as SublimeText, TextEdit, or TextWrangler to write your initial code. Then, later on, it will be formatted to make it computerreadable.

UI design stands for user interface design, and it’s all about the screens and interactive touchpoints that make up a website or an app. Swiping motions, scrollbars and clickable buttons are all part of UI design—essentially anything that makes up the user interface. There are many different parts to what a UI designer exactly does.

As a web developer, you’ll also work closely with UX designers, so it helps to understand what they do. UX design stands for user experience design, and it’s all about providing a smooth, user-friendly experience for the end user as they navigate around a website or an app. You can learn more about UX design elsewhere on the blog.

Version control is all about recording and managing the changes you make along the way—be it changes to the code you’re writing, to a website, a computer program or a document. As already mentioned, Git is one of the most popular version control systems used by developers because it allows them to track and reverse any changes to their code.

It’s important to distinguish between mobile apps and web apps, as they are built differently. Native mobile apps are built for a specific platform, such as iOS for iPhone, and are installed and run on the device itself. Web apps, on the other hand, are accessed via the internet browser and will adapt to whichever device you’re viewing them. They’re not native to a specific system, nor do they need to be downloaded or installed.

Wireframes help designers to communicate to web developers how a website should be structured. A wireframe is essentially a bare-bones blueprint of the website, showing the page layout, how the content should be arranged, which interface elements and navigational systems should be included, and how all these components work together. The focus is on functionality rather than aesthetics.

An Application, which is usually a piece of software that performs a specific function (e.g. accounting software) If the app connects to the internet, or is run through a web browser, it is sometimes known as a Web App.

A policy where an employee can decide to use their own private technology for business use. Typically a phone or computer, but also can include tablets. It is important to have regular updates applied to BYOD’s as virus and hacking threats are common without updates.

The term ‘carrier’ is short for ‘wireless carrier’. Other terms used that refer to the same thing include mobile network operator, cellular company, and wireless service provider.

The ability to store data and applications on virtual servers outside the physical office locations. This is typically done through third-party companies that provide the service.

SaaS stands for "Service as a Software." This acronym categorizes platforms that help professionals and B2B employees with daily tasks or other aspects of their own job. Examples of SaaS platforms are HubSpot, Slack, and DocuSign.

You can also search for "pronunciation of SaaS" over the internet or visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oQjPlS2gSg

A CMS, or content management system, is a platform that allows less-techy people to build websites and content from professionally designed templates. More tech-savvy users can often further customize these templates or website themes with HTML editors or plug-ins, which you'll learn more about on this list. Notable examples of CMSs include WordPress and WIx.

An application that allows businesses to manage business relationships and the data and information associated with them. Used to store customer and prospect contact information, accounts, leads, and sales opportunities in one central location usually in the cloud for immediate accessibility.

A small file that a web server automatically sends to your personal computer when you browse certain websites. The identifying information they contain includes login credentials (including usernames and passwords), shopping cart information, and preferences. They're stored as text files on your hard drive so servers can access them when you return to websites you've visited before.

Domain Name System; a service for accessing a networked computer by name rather than by numerical, (IP) address.

The coding and scrambling of data to prevent it from being viewed by anyone who is not the intended recipient. Any website that has an HTTPS certificate uses encrypted data.

"Universal resource locator." Also known as a web address, a URL is a specific character string that refers to a resource. It's displayed on the top of a web browser inside an "address" bar. Learn how to optimize your URLs for search here.

A computer that is responsible for responding to requests made by a client program (e.g., a web browser or an e-mail program) or computer. Also referred to as a “file server”.

A type of software that prevents unauthorized access to or from a particular network. Firewalls can also be implemented in hardware.

Managed Service Provider; A business model for providing information-technology services.

Software programs designed to damage or do other unwanted actions on a computer; common examples of malware include viruses, worms, trojan horses, and spyware.

Virtual Private Networking; a means of securely accessing resources on a network by connecting to a remote access server through the Internet or other network.

Amazon Web Services is a service that helps web developers and e-commerce owners in developing certain shopping-related features of their websites.

In simple terms, blockchain is a ledger system that uses an open, distributed record to keep track of transactions — transactions could mean cryptocurrencies, medical information, voting or home records, and more.

IPaaS, which stands for Integrated Platform as a Service, is a cloud-based platform that connects various applications, systems, and technologies within the cloud or on-premise. It allows for the deployment and maintenance of integration flows without the need for hardware or middleware either within an organization or between an organization and third-party software.

You can also search for: pronunciation of IPaaS and visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT67zIj_5Kg

Machine Learning is an artificial intelligence technique where algorithms are trained to recognize patterns and respond to them by performing tasks. For example, a customer service bot for a travel site might be trained to send you deals related to Bermuda if it recognizes the words, "beach vacation" or "Bermuda."

NLP, or natural language processing, is when machine-learning algorithms are trained to comprehend large amounts of human language and respond to those commands. You might hear about this machine learning technique most when you are reading about voice assistant products that can respond to multiple spoken commands at once, like Amazon's Echo.

A place to run a program for testing and experimenting in software development. Basically, it's a testing environment that isolates untested code changes and experimentation. This isolation protects live servers and their data from changes that could be damaging.

A framework for managing product development used in agile software development. In Scrum, projects are divided into succinct work cadences known as "sprints," which are usually one, two, or three weeks long. At the end of each sprint, the team meets to assess their progress and plan the next sprint. One key to Scrum's popularity and success is that it has a simple set of roles, responsibilities, and meetings that never change. Learn more about Scrum here.

A sequential design process often used in software development processes, where progress is seen as "flowing" steadily downward through the phases of conception, initiation, analysis, design, construction, testing, production/implementation, and maintenance. The point of waterfall development is to spend more time in the early stages of the software production cycle because catching bugs and other issues early on is cheaper and easier to fix than catching them later.