You’ll know that in tech there are so many terms and acronyms to be familiar with, it can feel like a whole new language. Tech experts might just drop words into the conversation at meetings and in emails that you’re just expected to know. It can all be a bit confusing and overwhelming. We get it. That’s why we’ve put together this list of 10 basic tech terms every developer should be familiar with.

Front-End Vs Back-End

The front-end and back end can be thought of like a theatre. Front-end development is like being on stage. It concerns all the parts of your website or app that the user will come in contact with. It relates to everything that a user can see. Back-end development, on the other hand, is what’s going on backstage. It’s all the parts that the customer can’t see. It can often be messy and complex and involves a lot of data-driven tasks. It’s important work in making sure that everyone on stage has exactly what they need for the show to go on!

Full-Stack Developer

A full-stack developer is someone skilled in managing both the front and back-end development of a website or app. They understand how to everything works and are both capable and detailed enough to work on either side – wherever they are needed.

CSS

CSS is also known as Cascading Style Sheet, and it’s what makes everything look amazing on a website. It is a form of coding language that is used to control the visual elements. As an example, HTML is a coding language that is used to create the text on a website. CSS is then used to determine how this text will look to visitors. It is what allows a web designer to change the appearance of text, and create different layouts, colours, fonts, animations, etc.

JavaScript

JavaScript is a programming language used that will affect how a user sees the website. It generally handles how it behaves and can be used to add complex features such as automation, interactivity, and animation.

Server-Side Vs Client Side

This can be thought of in the same way as the front/back-end terms described above, with the server-side being back-end and client-side being front-end. It’s also helpful to think of it like you’re in a restaurant.  The server side is the bit that is only accessible to certain people who work at the restaurant and therefore they have special access and privileges. The Client-side, on the other hand, is the only bit where the client can go as they’re not allowed to go “behind-the-scenes!”.

API

This is also known as Application Programming Interface. API acts as a middle man, exchanging data between the front-end and back-end. It communicates with both the front and the back to receive requests and send responses. Its purpose is to facilitate these communications and allow applications to exchange data.

SAAS

SaaS means “software as a service”. What this means is that the software is hosted centrally in the cloud and delivered as required to the end-user. It acts as a software subscription service (a bit like how you use Netflix). This allows users to access this data from any device with an internet connection and a web browser. For example, Google will centrally host Gmail which can then be accessed by the end-user with any device that has an internet connection.

GUI

GUI is also known as Graphical User Interface. This is what you will see when you open up your desktop. The screen where you see icons, drop-down menus, and windows, etc is a GUI. You simply use your mouse to tell the user interface what you want to do.

Ready To Move Forward In Your Tech Career?

If you’re ready to learn more about JavaScript or SaaS, a tech career might be just what you’re looking for. We offer hundreds of courses, with something for everyone. We offer courses for people looking to move over into the field and those already in tech and looking to learn a new skill.

Whatever you’re looking for, our learn now, pay later options make learning something new accessible to everyone. Get in touch and let us see how we can help you to find your dream job.