Programming Glossary
Short, beginner-friendly definitions for terms used throughout the lessons on this site.
A
- Algorithm
- A step-by-step method for solving a specific problem, independent of any particular programming language.
- API
- Application Programming Interface — a defined way for one piece of software to request data or actions from another.
- Array
- An ordered collection of values, accessed by numbered position (usually starting at 0).
B
- Boolean
- A value that is either true or false, used to make decisions in code.
C
- Class
- A blueprint for creating objects that share the same structure and behavior.
- Compiler
- A program that translates source code into a separate, runnable program ahead of time, before it's executed.
- Condition
- An expression that evaluates to true or false, used to decide which block of code runs.
D
- Database
- A system for storing data so it survives after a program stops, and can be reliably searched and updated.
- Debugging
- The process of finding out why a program isn't behaving as expected, and fixing it.
- Dependency
- An external package or library that a project relies on to work.
E
- Exception
- An error that occurs while a program is running, which can be caught and handled instead of crashing the program.
F
- Framework
- A pre-built structure that provides common functionality, on top of which you build an application following its conventions.
- Function
- A reusable, named block of code that performs a specific task, written once and called as many times as needed.
I
- Integer
- A whole number, with no decimal point, such as 42 or -7.
- Interpreter
- A program that reads and runs source code directly, line by line, without a separate compile step.
L
- Library
- A collection of pre-written code you can call from your own program, without controlling how your program is structured.
- Loop
- A block of code that repeats, either a fixed number of times or until a condition is no longer true.
M
- Method
- A function that belongs to a class and operates on a specific object's data.
- Module
- A single file of reusable code that can be imported into another file.
O
- Object
- A specific instance created from a class, with its own data but the behavior defined by that class.
P
- Package
- A collection of code (often modules) published together and installable with a package manager.
- Process
- A fully separate running instance of a program, with its own memory, isolated from other processes.
R
- Repository
- A project's codebase tracked by a version control system, including its full history of changes.
- Runtime
- The environment a program executes in while it's running, or the period of time during which it is running.
S
- String
- A value representing text, typically written inside quotes.
T
- Thread
- A separate line of execution within a program, running alongside other threads and sharing the same memory.
V
- Variable
- A named place to store a value so a program can use or change it later.
- Version Control
- A system that records every change to a project's code over time, so you can review or revert to any earlier point.