Developer Tools Glossary
50 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
container
A lightweight, portable unit of software that packages an application and all its dependencies into a standardised, isolated runtime environment.
API
A defined set of rules and protocols that allows software applications to communicate with each other. In editorial cont...
API (Application Programming Interface)
A defined set of rules and protocols that allows software components to communicate with one another.
boilerplate
Standardised, reusable sections of code or text that can be included with little or no modification across multiple proj...
branch
An independent line of development within a version control repository, allowing code changes to be isolated from the ma...
breaking change
A modification to a software interface or API that is incompatible with previous versions, requiring consumers to update...
breakpoint
A marker set in a debugger that pauses program execution at a specific line or condition, allowing developers to inspect...
changelog
A curated document, typically accompanying a software release, that lists all notable changes, bug fixes, and new featur...
CI/CD
A development practice and associated toolchain in which code changes are automatically built, tested, and delivered or...
CI/CD (Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery)
An automated software development practice that combines continuous integration of code changes with continuous delivery...
CLI
A text-based interface through which users interact with software by typing commands into a terminal or shell.
CLI (Command-Line Interface)
A text-based interface through which users interact with software by typing commands into a terminal or shell.
code review
A systematic peer examination of source code changes before they are merged, aimed at identifying bugs, enforcing standa...
container
A lightweight, portable unit of software that packages an application and all its dependencies into a standardised, isol...
containerisation
The practice of packaging an application and its dependencies into a standardised, isolated unit called a container so t...
debugging
The process of identifying, isolating, and resolving errors or unexpected behaviour in software.
dependency
An external library, package, or module that a software project requires in order to build or run correctly.
deprecate
To formally mark a software feature, API endpoint, or method as outdated and scheduled for removal in a future release,...
deprecation
The process of discouraging use of a feature, function, or API endpoint—typically because it has been superseded—while r...
Dockerfile
A plain-text configuration file containing a sequence of instructions that Docker uses to build a container image.
endpoint
A specific URL at which an API receives requests and returns responses, representing a single, named interaction point i...
environment variable
A named value stored at the operating system level and accessible to processes at runtime, commonly used to configure ap...
GUI
A visual interface that allows users to interact with software through graphical elements such as windows, icons, button...
IDE
A software application that provides a comprehensive set of developer tools—typically a code editor, debugger, and build...
idempotent
Describing an operation that produces the same result regardless of how many times it is applied, provided inputs remain...