Basic Terms

Question 1

IDE

Answer 1

An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development. An IDE typically includes a source code editor, build automation tools, and a debugger. Some IDEs also include tools to simplify the development of UI components, manage project files, and integrate version control. Examples include Visual Studio, Eclipse, and JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA.

Question 2

Node.js

Answer 2

A runtime environment that allows you to run JavaScript on the server side. It provides the foundation upon which many backend frameworks are built: Express, Koa, Hapi. Node.js can act as the intermediary layer between your React frontend and external services.

Question 3

Next.js

Answer 3

Next.js is built on top of Node.js. It enhances the capabilities of React by providing a server-side rendering and static site generation framework.

Question 4

Runtime

Answer 4

The runtime or runtime environment is the period when a program is running, in contrast to other program lifecycle phases such as compile time, link time, and load time. The runtime environment provides built-in services such as memory management, API calls, and managing the execution lifecycle of the application. For languages like JavaScript, the runtime includes the JavaScript engine (like V8 in Chrome), which interprets and executes the code.

Question 5

Version Control

Answer 5

Systems that record changes to a file or set of files over time so that specific versions can be recalled later.

Question 6

Unit Testing

Answer 6

The process of testing individual components of the software to ensure they work as expected.

Question 7

Deployment

Answer 7

The process of putting a software application into operation on a target system or server.

Question 8

Virtual DOM

Answer 8

A programming concept where an ideal, or “virtual”, representation of a UI is kept in memory and synced with the “real” DOM by a library such as ReactDOM.

Question 9

SPA

Answer 9

A web application or website that interacts with the user by dynamically rewriting the current page rather than loading entire new pages from the server.

Question 10

CSR (Client-Side Rendering)

Answer 10

The rendering of a webpage on the client’s browser instead of the server. This is common in frameworks like React.

Question 11

SSR (Server-Side Rendering)

Answer 11

Rendering pages on the server instead of the client, which can result in faster page loads for users.

Question 12

API (Application Programming Interface)

Answer 12

A set of rules that allow different software entities to communicate with each other.

Question 13

Webpack

Answer 13

A module bundler for JavaScript that bundles JavaScript files for usage in a browser.

Question 14

Babel

Answer 14

A JavaScript compiler that converts ECMAScript 2015+ code into a backwards-compatible version of JavaScript.

Question 15

ESLint

Answer 15

A static code analysis tool for identifying problematic patterns found in JavaScript code.

Question 16

Cloud Native

Answer 16

A term used to describe container-based environments, where building and running applications exploit the advantages of the cloud computing delivery model.

Question 17

Git

Answer 17

A distributed version-control system for tracking changes in source code during software development.

Question 18

Repository (Repo)

Answer 18

A central file storage location, often used for storing code with version control systems like Git.

Question 19

Commit

Answer 19

An individual change to a file (or set of files) representing a single point in a Git history.

Question 20

Branch

Answer 20

A lightweight movable pointer to one of the commits. The default branch name in Git is master.

Question 21

Merge

Answer 21

A way to put a forked history back together. The git merge command lets you take the independent lines of development created by git branch and integrate them into a single branch.

Question 22

Fork

Answer 22

A copy of a repository that allows you to freely experiment with changes without affecting the original project.

Question 23

Clone

Answer 23

A command in Git for copying a Git repository from another location, typically used to get a local copy of a remote repository.

Question 24

Pull Request

Answer 24

A method of submitting contributions to a project. It shows diffs of the content from both branches, followed by a merge operation.

Question 25

Push

Answer 25

The action of sending your committed changes to a remote repository on a server.

Question 26

Stash

Answer 26

A Git command that takes the dirty state of your working directory — that is, your modified tracked files and staged changes — and saves it on a stack of unfinished changes that you can reapply at any time.

Question 27

Compiler

Answer 27

A compiler is a software tool that translates code written in a high-level programming language (like C, C++, or Java) into machine code (binary code) that a computer’s processor can execute. It involves multiple stages including parsing, semantic analysis, and code generation. Compilers are essential for transforming the abstract instructions of programming languages into concrete instructions that hardware can interpret.

Question 28

Bundler

Answer 28

A bundler is a tool used in web development that compiles code, modules, and their dependencies into static assets that browsers can understand. It optimizes resources by bundling them together, typically JavaScript, CSS, and HTML files, into smaller and fewer files to reduce the number of HTTP requests and enhance page load times. Tools like Webpack, Parcel, and Rollup are examples of bundlers.

Question 29

Framework

Answer 29

A framework is a pre-written, generic structure or skeleton of an application that provides particular functionality as per the standard way to build and deploy applications. It dictates the architecture of your software project (such as MVC - Model View Controller), offering a foundation on which software developers can build programs for a specific platform. Frameworks control the flow of the program and make it easier to handle various technical complexities. Examples include React (for UI development), Django (for Python web applications), and .NET (for Windows applications).

Question 30

Library

Answer 30

A library is a collection of precompiled routines that a program can use. These are typically a set of helpful functions, classes, or modules that eliminate the need for redundant code in a project. Libraries provide specific, narrowly focused functionality that developers can invoke for their applications without having to ‘reinvent the wheel.’ Unlike frameworks, libraries do not dictate the structure of your application; you call a library where and when you need it. Examples include jQuery for JavaScript, PIL for Python image manipulation.