So you’re looking at coding bootcamps, but what exactly is coding in the first place? Well, this is where you get to learn that. Here is a beginner’s cheat sheet where you will find all the background you need before you start learning for real.
In the simplest of terms, coding is just telling a computer what you want it to do. That involves typing in step-by-step commands for the computer to follow – you’re learning how to speak computer. It’s no mystery learning to code has been likened to learning a foreign language, or perhaps, more specifically, a family of foreign languages.
Why should you learn it? Well, simply put, because it powers the digital world. Every digital thing you use – websites, apps, computer programs, even your microwave screen, rely on code to operate. This makes coders the architects and builders of the digital age.
But just learning a foreign language, learning code requires you to learn a lot of vocabulary. It might be intimidating at first, but as you progress in your coding career, you’ll see that these words build on each other and make more sense. We’ve put together a list of terms we think you should know before you jump in.
ACTIVE RECORD
This is the model responsible for representing business data and logic.
ALGORITHM
An algorithm is just a combination of rules to be followed, a set of processes the computer needs to go through. They’re the basis for all programming.
ALGORITHM APP™
Coding Dojo’s free open source platform for learning basic algorithms. You can find it at algorithm.codingdojo.com
ANGULAR.JS
An open-source web application framework run by Google.
APACHE
An open source, Unix-based Web server created by the Apache Software Foundation.
AJAX
It stands for “asynchronous JavaScript and XML.” This set of web development techniques uses different client-side web technologies to create asynchronous web applications.
API
A set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications through operations, inputs, outputs, and underlying types.
AV FOUNDATION
A popular framework with an Objective-C interface.
BACKBONE.JS
A JavaScript framework with a RESTful JSON interface. It’s based on the model-view-presenter (MVP) application design paradigm.
BELT EXAM
Coding Dojo uses Belt Exam to test students on the material in a certain stack. Students receive a wireframe, a list of requirements that an application must do, and the technologies that the student must use to build it. They have 4.5 hours to complete the application.
BLACK-BELT
An award given to students who pass the belt exam for MEAN, Ruby on Rails, or iOS Swift technology stacks.
BOOTSTRAP (TWITTER BOOTSTRAP)
An open-source collection of tools developed by Mark Otto and Jacob Thornton of Twitter for creating websites and web applications.
BOOLEAN SEARCHING
Named for George Boole, a 19th century English mathematician, Boolean searching is built on a method of symbolic logic. Boolean searches allow you to combine words and phrases to limit, broaden, or define your search.
CODEIGNITER
Codeigniter is an open source rapid development web application framework. You use it to build dynamic web sites with PHP.
CODE REVIEW
The systematic examination of computer source code. You use it to find and fix mistakes originally overlooked.
CODE VERSION CONTROL
How you manage changes to documents, computer programs, large websites, and other collections of information.
CODING BOOTCAMP
An intensive programming course intended to turn students into developers in an intensive, quick, and fun way.
COFFEESCRIPT
A programming language that trans compiles to JavaScript.
CORE LOCATION
A software framework in iOS.
DATA STRUCTURES
A method of organization of data in a computer so that it can be used efficiently. They implement one or more particular abstract data types (ADT).
DJANGO
A free open-source web application framework written in Python.
DEPLOYMENT
All of the activities that make a software system available for use.
EER DIAGRAMS
An enhanced entity-relationship (EER) model is a high level or conceptual data model incorporating extensions to the original entity-relationship (ER) model.
ERD (DATABASE DESIGN)
A graphical representation of an information system that shows the relationship between people, objects, places, concepts or events within that system.
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EXPRESS.JS
A Node.js web application server framework.
FLASK
A micro web application framework written in Python and based on the Werkzeug toolkit and Jinja2 template engine.
FLIP LEARNING METHOD
Blended learning instructional strategy that delivers instructional content, often online, outside of the classroom.
FRAMEWORK
A layered structure indicating what programs can or should be built and how they would interrelate.
FULL STACK
A web application can be divided into two areas: front end and backend. The front end contains client-side languages. The backend consists of web servers, backend languages / frameworks, and databases. The full stack contains both.
FULL STACK DEVELOPER
Well-rounded software engineers who build fully functional platforms from the front end to the backend.
GIT/GITHUB
A micro web application framework written in Python and based on the Werkzeug toolkit and Jinja2 template engine.
HAML
A lightweight markup language that’s used to describe the HTML of a web document.
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the standard markup language used to create web pages. This is often the very first technology beginners to web development will learn.
HTTP REQUEST
HyperText Transfer Protocol is an application protocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems.
IOS SWIFT
A multi-paradigm, compiled programming language created by Apple Inc for iOS, OS X and watchOS and tvOS development.
JQUERY
A cross-platform library designed to simplify the client-side scripting of HTML. Also the most popular JavaScript library in use today. It has been installed on 65% of the top 10 million highest-trafficked websites.
LAMP STACK
A very common model of web service solution stacks. It serves Linux operating system, Apache HTTP Server, MySQL relational database management system (RDBMS), and PHP programming language.
LESS
LESS is a dynamic stylesheet language that can be compiled into Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and run on the client-side or server-side.
LINUX
A computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open-source software development and distribution.
LOCAL STORAGE
The data placed in local storage is per origin (the combination of protocol, hostname, and port number as defined in the same-origin policy).
MEAN STACK
A free and open-source JavaScript software stack for building dynamic websites and web applications.
MONGODB
A cross-platform document-oriented database. It’s classified as a NoSQL database, but it eschews the traditional table-based relational database structure in favor of JSON-like documents with dynamic schemas.
MVC
Model-view-controller (MVC) is a software architectural pattern for implementing user interfaces. It divides a given software application into three interconnected parts to separate the internal representations of information from the ways that information is presented to or accepted from the user.
MYSQL
MySQL is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS).
NODE.JS
Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform runtime environment for developing server-side web applications. Applications are written in JavaScript and can be run on OS X, Microsoft Windows, Linux and many more systems.
OBJECT ORIENTED PROGRAMING (OOP)
A programming paradigm based on the concept of “objects.” The objects are data structures that contain data in the form of fields and code in the form of procedures.
OBJECT RELATIONAL MAPPER (ORM)
A programming technique to convert data between incompatible type systems in object-oriented programming languages.
PHP
PHP is a server-side scripting language designed for web development but also used as a general purpose programming language.
POSTGRESQL (OFTEN REFERRED TO AS POSTGRES)
Postgres is an object-relational database management system (ORDBMS) with an emphasis on extensibility and on standards-compliance.
PYTHON
One of the most popular languages, Python is a high-level programming language. Its design philosophy emphasizes code readability and concision.
SASS
Sass is a scripting language that is interpreted into Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). SassScript is the scripting language itself, which consists of two syntaxes.
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