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Web Development terms

32 web development terms, defined plainly and cross-referenced.

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A

APIWeb DevelopmentAn API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of defined rules that enables one software application to communicate with and use the functionality of another.

B

BundlingWeb DevelopmentBundling is the process of combining multiple source files (JavaScript modules, CSS files, assets) into fewer, optimized output files for production deployment.

C

Client-Side Rendering (CSR)Web DevelopmentClient-side rendering (CSR) generates HTML content in the browser using JavaScript, with the server providing a minimal shell and data APIs rather than fully rendered pages.Code SplittingWeb DevelopmentCode splitting is the practice of dividing an application's JavaScript into separate bundles that can be loaded on demand, rather than sending everything in one monolithic file.CSSWeb DevelopmentCSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a declarative language that controls the visual presentation of HTML documents across screens, print, and other media.CSS FlexboxWeb DevelopmentCSS Flexbox is a one-dimensional layout model that distributes space and aligns items within a container, making it ideal for navigation bars, centering, and dynamic row/column layouts.CSS GridWeb DevelopmentCSS Grid is a two-dimensional layout system that enables precise control over rows and columns simultaneously, making it the definitive tool for page-level layouts.

D

DNSWeb DevelopmentThe Domain Name System (DNS) translates human-readable domain names (like example.com) into machine-readable IP addresses that computers use to connect.DOMWeb DevelopmentThe Document Object Model (DOM) is a programming interface that represents an HTML or XML document as a tree of objects that can be manipulated with scripts.

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H

HTMLWeb DevelopmentHTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard markup language that structures content on the web using elements enclosed in tags.HTTPWeb DevelopmentHTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the application-layer protocol that governs communication between web clients (browsers) and servers.HTTP/2Web DevelopmentHTTP/2 is a major revision of HTTP that improves performance through multiplexing, header compression, and stream prioritization over a single connection.HTTP/3Web DevelopmentHTTP/3 is the latest major revision of HTTP that replaces TCP with QUIC, a transport protocol built on UDP, to eliminate head-of-line blocking and reduce connection latency.HTTPSWeb DevelopmentHTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) encrypts HTTP communication using TLS, protecting data integrity and privacy between client and server.

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IP AddressWeb DevelopmentAn IP address is a unique numeric identifier assigned to every device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.

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JavaScriptWeb DevelopmentJavaScript is a dynamic programming language that enables interactive behavior, data manipulation, and server-side logic in web applications.JSONWeb DevelopmentJSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight, human-readable data interchange format that uses key-value pairs and ordered lists.

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L

Lazy LoadingWeb DevelopmentLazy loading defers the loading of non-critical resources (images, iframes, scripts) until they are needed, typically when they scroll into the viewport.

M

Media QueriesWeb DevelopmentMedia queries are CSS features that apply styles conditionally based on device characteristics like viewport width, screen resolution, or user preferences.Mobile OptimizationWeb DevelopmentThe process of ensuring a website or app performs well, loads fast, and is easy to use on mobile devices.

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P

Progressive EnhancementWeb DevelopmentProgressive enhancement is a design strategy that starts with a baseline of essential content and functionality that works everywhere, then layers enhanced experiences for capable browsers.Progressive Web App (PWA)Web DevelopmentA website that behaves like a native app: installable, offline-capable, with push notifications and access to device features.

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R

Responsive DesignWeb DevelopmentResponsive web design (RWD) is an approach that makes web pages render well on any device or screen size by using flexible layouts, flexible images, and CSS media queries.

S

Semantic HTMLWeb DevelopmentSemantic HTML uses elements that convey meaning about their content (like `<article>`, `<nav>`, `<header>`) rather than generic containers that only describe visual presentation.Server-Side Rendering (SSR)Web DevelopmentServer-side rendering (SSR) generates the complete HTML of a web page on the server and sends it to the client, as opposed to rendering it in the browser with JavaScript.Static Site Generation (SSG)Web DevelopmentStatic Site Generation (SSG) pre-builds HTML pages at compile time, producing a set of static files that can be served from a CDN with no server-side processing per request.SVGWeb DevelopmentSVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an XML-based vector image format that defines graphics using mathematical shapes rather than pixel grids.

T

TLS/SSLWeb DevelopmentTLS (Transport Layer Security) and its predecessor SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) are cryptographic protocols that encrypt data transmitted between clients and servers.

U

URLWeb DevelopmentA URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a text string that specifies the exact location of a resource on the internet and how to access it.

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Viewport Meta TagWeb DevelopmentThe viewport meta tag controls how a web page is displayed on mobile devices by setting the visible area width and initial zoom level.

W

WebSocketWeb DevelopmentWebSocket is a protocol that establishes a persistent, full-duplex communication channel between a client and server over a single TCP connection.

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XMLWeb DevelopmentXML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a flexible markup language that defines rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable.

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