Glossary of Common Terms

The glossary below defines common terms and API elements used throughout predictably.

Note

The glossary is under development. Important terms are still missing. Please create a pull request if you want to add one.

Application

A single-purpose piece of code that practitioners write to solve a particular applied problem. Compare with toolbox and framework.

Framework

A collection of related and reusable software design templates that practitioners can copy and fill in. Frameworks emphasize design reuse. They capture common software design decisions within a given application domain and distill them into reusable design templates. This reduces the design decision they must take, allowing them to focus on application specifics. Not only can practitioners write software faster as a result, but applications will have a similar structure. Frameworks often offer additional functionality like toolboxes. Compare with toolbox and application.

Toolbox

A collection of related and reusable functionality that practitioners can import to write applications. Toolboxes emphasize code reuse. Compare with framework and application.