Tech glossary

A way of working that breaks software development into short cycles called sprints, allowing teams to adapt and improve continuously rather than following a rigid plan.

A step-by-step set of instructions for solving a problem. Sorting a list, recommending a video, or detecting spam in an email are all algorithms in action.

A way for different pieces of software to communicate with each other. When an app shows you the weather, it's using an API to fetch that data from a separate service.

A paid job that combines on-the-job training with study towards a qualification. Tech apprenticeships go up to degree level (Level 6) and are a strong alternative to university.

A prioritised list of all the work a team plans to do — features, bug fixes, and improvements. The Product Owner decides what gets tackled first.

An intensive short-duration course (typically 3–6 months) designed to teach technical skills quickly. Many focus on web development, data science, or UX design.

An error or flaw in software that causes it to behave unexpectedly or incorrectly. Finding and fixing bugs is called debugging.

A set of practices that automatically test and deploy code changes, allowing teams to release software frequently and reliably without manual effort.

Using computer resources — storage, processing power, servers — hosted on the internet rather than on physical machines. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud are the big providers.

The complete collection of source code that makes up a software project, usually stored in a version control repository like GitHub.

A lightweight, portable package that bundles an application with everything it needs to run — so it works the same on any machine. Docker is the most popular container tool.

An organised collection of data that software can store, search, and update. Most apps — from social media to banking — depend on one or more databases.

The process of finding, understanding, and fixing errors (bugs) in code. A core part of every developer's day.

Releasing a version of software so that real users can access it, typically by pushing code to a server or cloud environment.

A set of practices combining software development and IT operations, focusing on automation, collaboration, and fast, reliable software releases.

A pre-built set of tools, libraries, and conventions that helps developers build software faster. React is a popular web framework; Django and Rails are backend examples.

Frontend is what users see and interact with — buttons, pages, animations. Backend is the server-side logic that handles data, authentication, and business rules behind the scenes.

A developer who works across both the frontend (what users see) and the backend (servers and databases), covering the full technology stack of an application.

A version control system that tracks every change made to code. It lets teams collaborate, see the full history of a project, and safely roll back mistakes.

The three core technologies of the web. HTML structures content, CSS controls how it looks (colours, layout), and JavaScript makes it interactive and dynamic.

Managing servers and cloud resources through code files (e.g. Terraform) rather than manual configuration — making infrastructure reproducible and version-controlled.

A visual method for managing work using a board with columns (To Do, In Progress, Done), helping teams see workload at a glance and spot bottlenecks.

A branch of AI where computers learn patterns from large amounts of data rather than following explicit instructions. Used in spam filters, product recommendations, and image recognition.

A computing system loosely inspired by the human brain, made up of layers of connected nodes. The foundation of most modern AI, including image recognition and large language models.

Software whose source code is publicly available for anyone to use, modify, and share. Many essential tools — Linux, Python, React — are open source.

A high-level visual plan showing a product's vision, goals, and planned direction over time. It helps teams and stakeholders align on what's coming next.

A proposal to merge code changes into a shared project. Other developers review the code before it's accepted, helping maintain quality and catch mistakes.

A popular, beginner-friendly programming language used widely in web development, data science, AI, and automation. Often the first language taught in schools.

Re-running existing tests after code changes to make sure previously working features haven't accidentally broken.

A storage location for a project's code, usually hosted on GitHub or GitLab. It contains the full history of every change ever made to the project.

A popular agile framework where teams work in sprints with defined roles (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Developers) and regular meetings like standups and sprint reviews.

A short, fixed period — usually 1–2 weeks — in which a team plans and completes a set of work. At the end of each sprint, the team reviews and demos what was built.

Anyone with an interest in or affected by a project — clients, end users, managers, and investors are all stakeholders. Managing stakeholder expectations is a key skill.

A short daily team meeting (usually 15 minutes) where each person shares what they did yesterday, what they're doing today, and anything blocking their progress.

A UK technical qualification equivalent to 3 A-Levels, combining classroom learning with a 45-day industry placement. A strong alternative for students heading into tech.

A practice where developers write automated tests before writing the actual code, ensuring the code meets requirements from the start.

The visual elements of software that users interact with — buttons, menus, forms, layouts, and colours. Good UI makes software feel clear and easy to use.

An automated test that checks a specific, small piece of code works correctly in isolation — like verifying a single function returns the right result.

Watching real users interact with a product to identify problems and areas for improvement. A key research method for UX designers.

A short description of a feature written from the user's perspective, e.g. "As a user, I want to reset my password so I can regain access to my account."

The overall experience a person has when using a product — how easy, intuitive, and enjoyable it is. UX covers everything from research and design to usability testing.

A system that records changes to code over time so you can view the full history and revert to earlier versions if needed. Git is the most widely used version control system.

A simple, low-fidelity sketch or blueprint of a user interface, used to plan layout and content structure before detailed visual design begins. Often drawn in Figma.