While you may not be a developer, if you work in a tech company you’ll need to be able to communicate with one. Which means low-level fluency with software development terms is a must.
It’s just like traveling: Yes, you can survive without knowing the local language, but getting around will be a lot easier if you understand some basic vocabulary. We’ve compiled here some of the most commonly used software development terms.
404 – Error messages are often “named” with numbers, and 404 is probably the most common, indicating the page requested cannot be found (link is broken).
Agile – An iterative system of software development. (See article on the
API – An “Application Program Interface” or API allows computers and applications to communicate with one another. An open API means other companies or teams can write code that taps into the data in that channel.
Application – “Apps” are programs designed to perform certain functions. Mobile apps do this on smartphones or tablets.
Back End – All the behind-the-scenes code of an application (as compared to the Front End, which is what the user sees).
Browser – The program you use to access the Web — such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Software renders slightly differently on each browser, so testing is done on each.
Bug – An error or flaw in the website or app that keeps it from running as expected.
Cache – The storage of certain elements to help with faster load times from repeat website visitors.
Call – Represents each time a user’s data request goes out to a database or API.
CMS – “Content Management System” is a program to create and maintain your website’s content.
Conversion – Making a sale and turning a prospect to a customer.
Cookies – Data saved by the browser to remember your previous access to the server.
Crawl – The process search engines bots use to examine and analyze your website for search prioritization.
CRM – “Customer Relationship Management,” applications that gather, analyze, and maintain information on customers and prospects.
CSS – “Cascading Style Sheet,” code that tells browsers how to display a webpage for the end user. This programming formats fonts, colors and other visual elements.
CTA or “Call to Action” – The buttons on your website that drive conversions or goals. What you want the user to do.
Database – The data in the Back End, where all the site’s information is organized, categorized and stored.
DevOps – “Development Operations,” a system that helps keep development, IT operations, and quality assurance departments in sync for reliability and reduced system down-time.
Domain – A website’s address (url).
Favicon – The icon that appears in your website’s browser tab (short for “favorite icon”).
Feature Creep – When the list of desired features snowballs over time beyond the originally scope of the project.
Fields – Individual categories of data.
Firewall – A system to protect a secure network from an unsecure network.
Front End – The interface the user of the website or app sees.
FTP – “File Transfer Protocol,” a method of exchanging files or uploading from one computer to another.
Gantt Chart – A project management chart or tool showing timelines for various aspects of the project, including dependencies between those aspects and their timelines.
GUI – “Graphical User Interface” or the image of how a website looks and functions.
Hotfix – A small, quick (often temporary) solution to a bug.
HTML – “Hypertext Markup Language,” a coding language commonly used to build websites.
Navigation – A menu of links on a homepage that assists the user in getting around the site.
OOTB – “Out of the Box” or “Off the Shelf,” solutions that are ready-made, plug-and-play without the need to customize or configure.
Open Source – Software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance.
Plugin – Modules or software that can be added (“plugged in”) to a system for added functionality or features.
Properties – Characteristics that are dictated by the CSS such as color schemes and fonts.
Prototyping – A system of simulating the final software product before it’s built.
Redirects – Automatic forwarding from one URL to another — usually from an old website URL to the same page on a new website (called 301 Redirects).
QA – Quality Assurance, a methodology of testing to be certain software performs as expected.
Regression Testing – Software testing to be sure changes made will not affect existing features.
Responsive Design – Websites that accommodate the size screen on which they’re being viewed, whether desktop or mobile.
SAAS – “Software As A Service,” a platform allowing users to access the software and data in the cloud, rather than on their desktop.
SEO – “Search Engine Optimization,” the process to structure a site or content to rank high in search results.
SERP – “Search Engine Results Page,” the Web page that shows results from the user’s search.
Server – The network where software is stored or hosted.
Sitemap – Outline of all pages on a website, organized in hierarchical order.
Slider – Carousel of images, usually featured on the homepage of a site.
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Staging – A testing environment separate from the “live” website where new software and/or features can be refined before being pushed to full visibility.
UI – “User Interface,” the visual elements that go into a website or app.
UX – “User Experience,” the way a user interacts with the site, with a focus on how satisfying and successful the experience is. UX and UI go hand-in-hand.
Version Control – Software that manages changes to the code over time.
Waterfall – A sequential system of software development. (See article on the difference from Agile.)
Wireframe – The bare-bones structure of a website, used in planning/design to be sure the foundation is right before content is added.