If you have just entered the programming world, you might want to get familiar with the programming terms and definitions to get going! In this article, you will find all the important terms that will give you a headstart and help you understand software development in a better way!
You might have heard software developers or programming students calling some terms that seem foreign to you. Well, these terms are common and widely used in the world of coding. Let us get familiar with these programming terms!
Are you ready to learn some new terms and definitions related to coding? Well then, without waiting any further, let us get into today’s topic!
Summary Of The Article:
Just like any other domain, computer programming also has its own terminology or ‘lingo’.
There are some basic terms that every person in computer science should be aware of if they want to start or progress in this field.
It is very important to learn and understand the programming terminology as these programming terms make it easier for people to know the needs and communicate with stakeholders and other fellow developers.
Learning the terms in programming will give you more clarity and help you form the foundational knowledge about coding and computers.
61 Commonly Used Programming Terms You Must Know!
In this section, we will get to know the basic terms related to programming and key coding terminology. Understanding these terms will form your foundational knowledge as a beginner in the world of computers.
These coding terms are arranged in alphabetical order to make it easier for you to browse them. So, let us start exploring!
1. Abstraction
It is the process by which the users can only witness the relevant details or data and the other attributes are kept hidden. It is similar to how a person driving a car only knows about the controls rather than the whole internal mechanism.
2. Agile Software Development
Agile is a software development methodology in which the development process is broken down into small parts or stages called sprints. This ensures that the code written is simple and tested efficiently. It includes various activities that help facilitate cross-functional collaboration.
3. Algorithm
An algorithm is a step-by-step process or instructions that tell us how to solve a specific problem. For example, different algorithms can be used to sort or arrange data in a particular way.
4. API (Application programming interface)
An application Programming Interface (API) is a set of guidelines and protocols that allow us to interact between multiple computer programs or software components. APIs help in data exchange and communication. These may be paid or free. For example: You can build your weather app using the open weather API to retrieve data from external sources.
5. Arithmetic Operators
Arithmetic operators are operators like +, -, *, etc that help us perform basic mathematical tasks like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc. They can be used in game development and performing or solving mathematical operations.
6. Back End
When we develop an internet software or application, the backend represents the server-side operations. The functions performed at the back end are not visible to the users.
7. Binary Digits
The computer understands a language that is different than humans. It uses two digits (1 and 0) to perform tasks. This system of digits is called the binary number system. Calculations and data processing occur using the binary system of digits in computers.
8. Bits
A bit represents a binary digit. In coding terminology, a bit represents the smallest and foundational unit of information. One bit either stores the binary digit 1 or 0. Eight bits combine to form a byte.
9. Block-Based programming language
Block-based programming languages are those languages that allow users to drag and drop pieces or blocks of code to create a program. It is a visual programming language that makes writing code easy. For example, scratch.
10. Bug
A bug is a commonly used term that is used to represent coding errors or minor faults in the computer program that can lead it to crash. This broken piece of code or flaw can terminate your program.
11. C++
C++ is a low-level language that includes some of the core concepts of computer programming. It is used to build fast programs and is recommended for learning complex and detailed programming fundamentals. It is commonly used in computerized electronic devices.
12. Call
A call or a function call is a statement that invokes a specific set of instructions called a function. In simple terms, calling a function means running a function.
13. Client Code
Let us see what is client code in programming. So, basically, a client code is a particular code that calls or invokes a service like asking a user for inputs or storing these inputs to files or documents.
14. Coding Languages
Coding languages or programming languages are a way of communicating human instructions to computers. They act as a medium between users and computers to help them perform a task or solve a problem. There are a variety of different programming languages, and each coding language has its specific functionality.
Some of these programming languages are, C++, Java, HTML, Cascading style sheets, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, etc.
15. Code Editor
A code editor is a software or application that allows us to write code by providing us with certain tools or extensions for writing, running code, and, debugging it. VS code is one of the examples of code editing software.
16. Command Line Interface
A command line interface is a text-based interface that helps us to interact with a computer and give it instructions about what to do. You can type in the CLI about what you want the computer to do and it will execute the task for you as per your instructions.
17. Compiled Programming Language
These are the programming languages in which the written code is collected and translated into a format that is understandable to the computer. The program that acts as this translator is called a compiler.
18. Computer Program
A computer program is a set of instructions written to tell a computer what to do and how to process data. A computer program helps the machine to understand the task we want it to perform or the problem it should solve.
19. Conditional Statements
These are the statements in a code that help us make decisions. They can also be called conditional expressions as well. They usually work in a yes/no or true or false format. If a certain condition is met, a specific piece of code will be executed.
20. Cybersecurity
It is a field of computer science that deals with the security or safety of your devices and data. The field consists of various techniques to ensure that our data is safe, confidential, and available to us.
21. Debugging
The process of identifying and fixing bugs in your computer program is referred to as debugging. It is a crucial step in software development that leads to program efficiency.
22. Database
A database is a structured and organized collection of data that allows users to easily access and manipulate data. Various kinds of database formats can store data in the form of files or tables.
23. Else Statements
An else statement is one of the conditional statements that provide an alternative to an ‘if’ statement. For instance, if a particular condition is not met, an alternative set of instructions needs to be followed. Like in true or false, if a condition comes out to be false, the block of code in else block is executed.
24. Data
Data represents a piece of raw or unprocessed information that is stored on your computer. May be of various kinds. Images, text, videos, and anything can be data.
25. Data Structures
An else statement is one of the conditional statements that provide an alternative to an ‘if’ statement. For instance, if a particular condition is not met, an alternative set of instructions needs to be followed. Like in true or false, if a condition comes out to be false, the block of code in the else block is executed.
26. Endless Loop
An endless loop or an infinite loop that never ends running because of the absence of a condition that terminates it. An infinite loop can also be a bug and can lead to a program crash.
27. Exception
An exception is an error in a program that can occur during the run time and cause some miscellaneous behavior of the program. This can be caused by invalid data, missing pieces of information, or any other kind of error.
28. For Loops
For loops in programming terms refer to the statements that run repetitively until a certain condition is met. You can use the for loop when you know how many times a particular set of instructions should run.
29. Front End
The front end is that programmable interface or the part that the users can see and interact with. Just like this web page that is there for you to read our blog and interact with it. The front end is also called the user interface (UI) of an application or software.
30. Full Stack Development
In web development or application development, the term full stack development represents building both the front end and back end of an application and integrating them. The developers who have skills in both front end and back end are called full stack developers.
31. Github
GitHub is like your storage system on the internet where you can create and upload your coding and documentation files. It works with Git; which is a version control system that allows tracking changes in the code.
32. Hypertext Markup Language
The Hypertext markup language or HTML provides a basic structure for developing web pages and applications. It makes use of different tags and attributes that help determine which element should be presented on the screen and how it is set.
33. Hypertext Transfer Protocol
HTTP or the hypertext transfer protocol is an internet protocol that facilitates communication and interaction between web browsers and the server through HTTP requests. It allows sending and receiving data and provides data transmission.
34. If Statements
We learned about the else statements in one of the previous programming terms. Now, let us see what an if condition does. Well, an if statement is a conditional expression that runs a particular block of code when a condition is met.
If the condition is not met, the control transfers to the else statement. It is similar to a true or false condition.
35. Increment and Decrement Operators
The increment operator (++) and the decrement operator(–) are used to add or subtract one unit from the data respectively. These are essential operators if you want to do quick calculations and use loops.
36. Inheritance
Inheritance occurs when one thing gets the properties or features of another. It is used to write a new piece of code more efficiently than the previous one.
37. Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
IDE or integrated development environment is the software application that allows you to write and run your code in the programming language of your choice. These provide us with plugins and extensions to enhance code-writing productivity.
Some of the commonly used IDEs are VS Code, PyCharm, Eclipse, etc.
38. Java
Java is a powerful programming language that is used for a variety of purposes. You can use Java for web development, mobile development, game development, and more domains. It is a compiled programming language that supports cross-platform functionalities.
39. JavaScript
Javascript programming is another great programming language that is used to add dynamic elements to the user interface of your web apps or websites. The code written in JS runs on the client side, that is, on the web browsers, rather than your computers.
It provides developers with a vast range of frameworks and libraries to make web applications more enhanced. Some of them are – React, Vue, Node, Angular, etc.
40. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
JSON is a data structure format that keeps data in an organized way. This format can be used for coding various web and mobile applications.
41. Library
A library is a collection of pre-written code or functions that we can add to our computer programs. Using libraries makes the development process easier and allows reusability and efficiency.
42. Machine Code
A machine code is simply the mid-level code containing instructions that are broken down to binary for your machine to understand. It is sometimes also referred to as machine language. This code contains machine language instructions that are read by the CPU and then processed into a long binary chain for performing operations.
43. Machine Learning
Machine learning is a subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI.) It is the process in which we train the machine based on a dataset to perform an operation or predict something. In the machine learning process, the machine or computer learns from its previous experiences and improves itself.
Python programming language is widely used for performing ML operations and training machines so that it learns from its experience.
44. Markup Language
Markup languages in programming terms are languages that describe what elements will appear on the computer screen. It is a relatively simple language and easy to understand. HTML and XML(Extensible markup language) are examples of a markup language.
45. Network
A network is an organized structure of a set of devices or computers that can interact with each other. The computers in a network can communicate with each other and exchange data. They can be connected using a wired or a wireless medium.
46. Object-Oriented Programming
Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that makes use of a class (a blueprint or structure) and an object (an instance of a class) OOP uses core concepts like abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism.
47. Operating System
An operating system is software that acts as a medium between a computer’s hardware and applications, and the users. It is responsible for storing files and determining how tasks are executed.
Some of the popular operating systems are Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, etc.
48. Pair Programming
As the name suggests, pair programming means the collaboration of two programmers where one writes the code and the other reviews and debugs it. This occurs on a single system. For example, a junior developer collaborates with a senior developer to create a website.
49. Programming Errors
Errors or programming errors are those flaws or broken pieces of code that can lead to the abrupt termination of your computer programs. It is vital to find such errors and debug them so that you can run your computer program with ease.
50. Programming languages
There exist many programming languages in the field of computers. These programming languages are a medium in which humans can communicate with the machine and tell the computer system what task to perform. Some of the popular programming languages are Python, C++, JavaScript, Java, etc.
51. Python
The Python programming language is one of the coding languages that is used widely among programmers and developers. We’ve various reasons to support the importance of Python. It is versatile, highly scalable, and, beginner-friendly. Python provides a rich ecosystem of libraries and modules that make software development easier and more efficient.
52. Relational Database Management System (RDBMS)
Software that is used to store data in tabular form and manage this database by performing operations like inserting data, updating it, data manipulation, etc is called RDBMS. MySQL and SQL servers are examples of RDBMS.
53. Running Code
Running a program or a code simply means to start its execution. For example, when you run a Python program to sort a list, it means that the code that you have written is being executed.
54. Scripting Language
A script or a scripting language is a programming language that does not need to be compiled. These consist of step-by-step instructions and are executed line by line. For example JavaScript.
55. Search Engines
A search engine is software that helps us to find websites or information over the internet. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft Edge are common examples of widely used search engines.
56. Source Code
Source code is the code that we, as programmers, write. This is the code that is used to create software or an application. This source code is first translated into machine language and then executed.
57. SQL (Structured Query Language)
SQL or Structured Query Language helps us to add or retrieve information from a database. You can perform operations like data updating, data manipulation, or data deletion using queries.
58. Type Programming
Let us now learn what is type of programming in coding terms. Well, type programming refers to how a programming language can enforce its data types of variables. It tells us about the set of rules that helps in categorizing data types of these variables and how can we perform operations on them.
59. TypeScript
You might want to know in programming terms, what is type of script is called. It is a strongly typed language built on JavaScript that allows us to specify the type of data being processed in the code.
60. URL (Universal Resource Locator)
A URL is a link that is associated with every web page or website on the internet. It allows us to direct to a particular page of our desire. This URL is unique for each page on the internet.
61. User Experience Design
User Experience Design or UX design determines how the target users interact with our product or user interface. It studies the wants and needs of the users to enhance the design process of our software or web application.
Conclusion:
In this article about programming terms and definitions, we learned about the commonly used coding terms that are essential to know when you are thinking of starting your coding journey.
Understanding these terms is the first step, but if you need help applying them to your projects, you can always get expert help with your coding assignments.
So, now that you have gained some knowledge about programming terms and their definitions, consider deepening your understanding through some of the best programming books for coders.
If you need help with any programming project ideas or want to learn new programming languages, but are not sure where to start? We’ve written a detailed article for you on types of coding languages for better understanding.
Takeaways:
If you are feeling unfamiliar and overwhelmed thinking about how to keep up in the world of computers and communicate efficiently, the coding terminology mentioned will be really helpful.
By understanding how and when these terms are used, you will be able to effectively communicate and convey your thoughts and ideas as a software developer.
In the ever-evolving world of programming, harnessing this knowledge will help you get familiar with coding and smoothen your learning process in your coding journey. You can check our article, where we’ve mentioned top resources for programming students to make your coding journey easy.
