Software Development Terms Beginning with A
Absolute Length Units
Absolute length units are fixed standards of measurement. In other words, the size of things expressed in any of the absolute length units will never change—regardless of the medium used to display them.
Abstraction
Think of abstraction as the user-friendly face of your actual app. It is the API you provide—a simplified, abstracted version of the primary, complex software.
Abstraction makes it easier for your app’s users to interact with your software without needing to understand its intricate details.
In other words, abstraction means extracting (abstracting) only the essential features users need to use your app while hiding technical details.
Accessibility
Accessibility means allowing everyone access to a specific resource regardless of a person’s abilities or limitations.
Accessible Web Application
An accessible web application has a universal design that makes it usable to everyone, irrespective of the user’s ability barriers.
Aggregator File (ES Module)
An aggregator file is a script used solely to import and re-export the items you’ve exported from other modules.
Anchor (RegExp)
Regular expression’s anchor operators assert the precise location in a string where you wish to find a RegExp pattern.
Anchor (URL)
An anchor is a link to a specific part of the same file the URL references.
AND Operator in JavaScript
The AND operator (&&) checks if all of its operands are true.
Annotation
Annotations (markup) are notes that get added to texts. So, for instance, HTML is an annotation language developers use to describe a web document.
Some other popular markup languages are XML, Markdown, SVG, Keyhole, MathML, X3D, XHTML, and LaTeX.
Anonymous Function
An anonymous function is a function that has no name.
API Caller
An API Caller is an app desiring to access another software’s feature.
API Endpoint
An API Endpoint is the location where an API will access a caller’s request.
In other words, an endpoint is a URL an API will use to locate the resource a caller requested it to get from a specific publisher.
API Publisher
An API Publisher is a software containing the feature the caller wants.
API Release Policy
An API release policy defines an API’s availability and usage guideline.
Application Programming Interface (API)
An Application Programming Interface (API) is a connection mechanism that allows two independent software to connect and communicate with each other.
Application Software
Application software is the computer programs end-users use to accomplish specific tasks.
apply()
apply() is one of JavaScript’s built-in methods that you can use to reassign a specific method from one object to a different one.
Argument
An argument is an optional value we pass to a function’s parameter through an invocator.
arguments Object in JavaScript
An arguments object is an array-like object built-in to every non-arrow function.
Arithmetic Expression in JavaScript
An arithmetic expression is a piece of code that expresses a numeric value.
Arity
Arity refers to the number of arguments you can pass to a function.
For instance, the arity of the senseOrgans() function below is five (5) because it accepts only five (5) arguments.
function senseOrgans(s1, s2, s3, s4, s5) { return `The 5 basic senses are the ${s1}, ${s2}, ${s3}, ${s4}, and ${s5}.`;}Array in JavaScript
An array object is an element used to bundle multiple unnamed values into a single item.
Array Destructuring in JavaScript
Array destructuring is a unique technique you can use to copy an array’s value into new variables neatly.
Array-Like Object in JavaScript
An array-like object is an object that has only a few—not all—of the features of a regular JavaScript array.
Arrow Function Expression in JavaScript
An arrow function expression is a shorthand way to write a function expression.
Assertions (RegExp)
Regular expression’s assertions operator asserts the precise location in a string where you wish to find a RegExp pattern.
Assignment Expression in JavaScript
An assignment expression is any piece of code that assigns its evaluated value to a variable (or property).
ASYNC (Asynchronous)
ASYNC (asynchronous) means “not synchronous”.
Asynchronous Callback
An asynchronous callback is a callback whose invocation occurs in the future.
Asynchronous Event
An asynchronous event is a program that can happen at any convenient time.
An asynchronous event does not wait for another event to complete its processing before starting its own execution.
Asynchronous Function
An asynchronous function is a function that runs in its own timing—without waiting for another function to finish its execution first.
At Least One (RegExp)
Regular expression’s at least one operator (+) specifies that you wish to find at least one consecutive occurrence of its preceding item.
Audio Data
Audio data are the sound-recorded contents of a page, such as WAV, MP3, and AAC.