Most voted "terminology" questions
Tag used when a question asks clarification on software development terms.
Learn more…532 questions
Sort by count of
-
223
votes6
answers64346
viewsWhat is the difference of API, library and Framework?
They seem to me very close terms and eventually I see texts that exchange one for the other, as if in some situations their definitions overlap. What would be the technical definitions to…
-
177
votes4
answers72185
viewsWhat is a callback?
I see in many codes and even architectures the word callback, I see that it is in Javascript functions. But what is? How is it used? Why? I’d like an example of real use.…
-
151
votes7
answers26094
viewsWhat is the difference between parameter and argument?
I have always used the terms "parameter" and "argument" as if they were synonyms: what is passed to a function and/or what the function receives as input. In the same way, I have read one and…
-
133
votes9
answers41109
viewsWhat is a programming language, IDE and compiler?
Starting in programming is not always easy, besides having to learn to "write the code", there are dozens of terms, technologies, among other things that need to be studied. In order to help those…
-
124
votes4
answers35777
viewsIs HTML a programming language?
It is not my intention to bring the confusion of others to the site, but it was my doubt (internal, of those things that one is sure and then someone comes and asks a question that messes with the…
-
109
votes6
answers13840
viewsWhat good is a builder?
In general classes have constructor methods. What is the usefulness of the class constructor method? Why should we create it? It can work without it?
-
94
votes4
answers82811
viewsWhat is and what does a full stack web Developer do?
I’ve been looking for that term and I don’t quite understand the function of this IT professional. What is a "full stack web Developer"?
terminologyasked 9 years, 9 months ago Adriano Aquino 1,295 -
90
votes2
answers4577
viewsDRY is to avoid redundancies, right?
The DRY means Don’t Repeat Yourself. So every time I see a repeat in the code I’m not doing DRY? Is DRY about not having redundancies? How it should be applied?…
terminology software-engineering encoding-style programming-principlesasked 8 years, 8 months ago Maniero 444,682 -
85
votes6
answers32107
viewsWhat is Vanilla JS?
I have already found in several places this term, "Vanilla JS". It seems to be cited as a framework, but in the codes where it is cited and in the site itself the code presented is pure Javascript.…
-
81
votes4
answers4098
viewsWhat is pythonic code?
In Python programming it is common to hear the term pythonic (or pythonic), see: Sopt: "Understanding the pythonic way of dealing with properties" Sopt: "Pass pythonic form parameters" Wikipedia:…
-
79
votes4
answers38157
viewsWhat is XGH (Extreme Go Horse)?
I see some people in the middle of programming referring to this term whenever a code appears with a strange solution or medium "entwined". By doing a quick Google search, I’ve come to the…
terminologyasked 8 years, 1 month ago Wallace Maxters 102,340 -
75
votes1
answer32104
viewsWhat is the difference between URL and URI?
What is URL? What is URI? Are they synonymous? In general people almost always use URL, are they the same thing? Is there anything else related?
-
75
votes4
answers10585
viewsWhat is database normalization?
I was talking to some programmer friends when I heard the term "database normalization". Although I’ve heard that term a few times before, I couldn’t understand what it was about. Some doubts have…
-
69
votes3
answers21607
viewsWhat are the concepts of cohesion and coupling?
What are the characteristics of a code with cohesion or coupling? To what extent can this generate future problems?
-
68
votes3
answers19793
viewsFunctional Programming and Object-Oriented Programming. What are they and what are their main differences?
What are and what are the main differences between Functional Programming and Object-Oriented Programming?
-
67
votes3
answers10868
viewsWhat is a racing condition?
What is this such of race condition that can cause problems in applications? How to avoid it?
-
56
votes3
answers68185
viewsWhat is the difference between endpoint and API?
I’ve always used endpoint and API as synonyms. Today I discovered that they do not mean the same thing, although they are related. After all, what’s the difference between these two?…
-
56
votes2
answers3301
viewsWhat is a paradigm?
What is a paradigm? Is there any more important than another? It’s the same thing Pattern design (design pattern)? It’s the same as language?
terminology encoding-style software-engineering paradigmsasked 8 years, 5 months ago Maniero 444,682 -
54
votes4
answers17728
viewsWhat is a scaffold?
I started studying ASP.NET MVC and came across the term scaffold, but I didn’t understand it very well, so: What is scaffold? What is its use within ASP.NET MVC?…
asp.net-mvc .net terminology software-engineering scaffoldasked 8 years, 9 months ago Marco Souza 12,304 -
53
votes4
answers2561
viewsWhat’s wrong with gluttonous philosophers?
When it comes to concurrent programming, they always mention 3 classic problems/competition models: producers and consumers readers and writers glutton philosophers (or dinner of philosophers) I…
-
51
votes3
answers26529
viewsWhat is the difference between a class and an object?
I was reading a book on object orientation and these two entities are translated differently. What is the difference between the two?
-
50
votes6
answers16518
viewsWhat does NULL really mean?
Many people talk about what NULL is, but after all, what is its true meaning?
-
50
votes4
answers11718
viewsWhat are the differences between web application and desktop application?
I always make confusion with web application and desktop application, I can not understand very well the differences of both. Questions What are the differences between web application and desktop…
-
49
votes6
answers6389
viewsWhat is a legacy code?
I’ve heard that term from some people, but I’m not usually good with those technical terms. What would be a legacy code? It is related to the code being exceeded?
-
48
votes4
answers1512
viewsWhat is reverse engineering?
I always say I don’t get along very well with terms. These days I needed to do an operation on a given framework in PHP called Laravel, where I needed to find a resource that would allow me to use…
terminology software-engineering reverse-engineeringasked 8 years, 10 months ago Wallace Maxters 102,340 -
45
votes6
answers10103
viewsWhat is a Web Service?
Lately I’ve heard a lot about Web Service. Web service is a solution used in systems integration and communication between different applications. Allow applications to send and receive data in XML…
-
45
votes3
answers4342
viewsWhat is the difference between encryption, encryption and hash calculation?
I see a lot of confusion on the site about the terms. In the context of security of data what would be encoding, Encrypting and hashing and in which contexts each should be used? In particular, does…
-
45
votes4
answers26195
viewsWhat is a payload?
I’ve always seen in some frameworks that work with REST or with sending data in JSON format in a request using the expression payload. What does that name mean in HTTP requests? What is specifically…
-
44
votes2
answers21131
viewsWhat does branch, tag and trunk mean?
What they mean and what best practices to use them?
-
44
votes5
answers7270
viewsWhat is the difference between a "branch" and a "tag"?
In Git, what is the difference between a branch and a tag?
-
43
votes4
answers31911
viewsWhat is the difference between compiled language for interpreted language?
What difference from compiled language to interpreted language, and what advantages to one another?
-
43
votes1
answer2413
viewsWhat’s the difference between scope and lifespan?
What is scope? What is life time? They get confused? Visibility has something to do with this too?
-
41
votes1
answer2950
viewsWhat is an indirect?
I read in some places about programming that something does or should do an indirect. What is this and what it’s for?
-
40
votes6
answers4038
viewsWhat is lexical analysis?
I was taking a look at the source code of a well-known php library, called Twig (is a template engine, with its own syntax), and I came across classes, interfaces and methods, such as Lexical, Lex…
-
40
votes6
answers2300
viewsAJAX is not a programming language. So what is it?
I’m asking this question because I’m tired of seeing things as requirements for a certain programming position: You need to know the languages PHP, Javascript, CSS and AJAX I have learned that AJAX…
-
39
votes3
answers2857
viewsWhat characterizes a programming language?
A long time ago I saw in the laboratory a "program" called POV-Ray and a doubt prompted me. The teacher said it is a "programming language" and argued, now it has source code, syntax, semantics and…
characteristic-language terminology language-independent language-designasked 9 years ago SneepS NinjA 7,691 -
38
votes2
answers2228
viewsWhat is the difference between a lambda expression, a closure and a delegate?
From what I’ve been reading the three concepts are quite similar, but I was confused as to the clear and exact definition of them. As far as I know, a lambda expression for being understood as a…
-
38
votes5
answers3446
viewsWhat is the definition of Machine Learning (Machine Learning)?
I asked that question Algorithm to detect nudity with good accuracy here on the site and some people mentioned some things about Machine Learning (Machine Learning). From what was said between a…
terminology artificial-intelligence machine-learningasked 8 years, 10 months ago Wallace Maxters 102,340 -
37
votes3
answers8360
viewsProperty x Attribute
One propriedade of a class is not the same thing as a atributo? What’s the real difference between them? Or propriedade is a synonym for atributo or vice versa? Or varies according to the…
oop terminology characteristic-language property attributesasked 9 years, 5 months ago MeuChapeu 5,875 -
37
votes3
answers9049
viewsWhat is a Transpilation?
I started reading one article on Ecmascript 6 and I came across the term Transpilation, which in Portuguese would be Transpilation. In addition to this, I noticed that other articles use this term.…
-
37
votes5
answers5647
viewsWhat is the orthogonality?
Within the context of software development what it means to be orthogonal? Why it’s important to follow him?
terminologyasked 7 years, 8 months ago Maniero 444,682 -
36
votes5
answers991
viewsWhat is UX (User Experience)?
I see some questions on the site with the UX tag about positioning controls, colors, etc. This usually seems to me to be part of the choices of designer (or even the user). What is UX? And how can…
-
36
votes2
answers727
views"OMG! A heisenbug!" - Explaining to a layman what a heisenbug is
A Heisenbug is a bug that changes its behavior while being studied [1]. It has its name derived due to the principle that Heisenberg detected that simple "passive observation"* of quantum processes…
-
34
votes2
answers1952
viewsWhat is a Jitter?
In the context of software development what is a Jitter? More and more people are talking about it and several languages are using the so-called JIT compilation. As it differs from a compiler?…
-
33
votes5
answers5756
viewsWhat is Design Pattern?
I am starting my studies in Software Engineering, I have heard a lot about the term Design Patterns and its applicability and importance in software projects. Below is a definition: In software…
-
33
votes2
answers22203
viewsWhat’s the difference between failure, defect and error?
In software development often problems occur in the application already ready, some terms used to classify them are: glitch, defect and error. What is the difference between one term and the other?…
-
32
votes2
answers2760
viewsWhat is a memoization?
What is memoization? Under what circumstances can it be useful and how can it be used? (If possible, illustrate with a simple example)
-
32
votes4
answers8677
viewsWhat’s the difference between data and information?
According to this definition of Datum: Data is a set of information (quantitative, qualitative, categorical or indefinite) can be organized or not. Wikipedia. Following this line I can assume that…
terminologyasked 8 years, 4 months ago gato 22,329 -
32
votes3
answers13710
viewsWhat is a Polyfill?
I’ve seen that term Polyfill being used several times when it comes to a new function that is not available in older versions of certain languages and the like. But after all, Polyfill is simply…
-
31
votes2
answers7772
viewsWhat characterizes imperative and functional programming?
What characterizes the imperative and functional programming and what are the differences between them in relation to each other? I cannot understand these two paradigms. Note: If you can cite…
javascript terminology functional-programming imperative-programmingasked 8 years, 7 months ago gato 22,329