Software Development Glossary: 88 Essential Terms

The software development process can be a tricky one – with all of the complex programs, software systems, technologies, and more, it is easy to get lost. 

This glossary will define essential software development terms to give your company complete insight into how to manage, build, and own a software product. 

88 Software Development Terms to Know

 Learn the essential terms to know for a software development project. 

A

• Acceptance Testing: The testing that occurs on the client side.
• Adaptive maintenance: If a program changes to a different operating system or environment, this occurs.
• Agile Software Development: A development approach that involves flexible planning and continuous improvement to deliver the software as fast as possible.
• Algorithm: A sequence of steps that will accomplish a task if followed correctly.
• Alpha testing: The testing that occurs within a software development company.
• API (Application Programming Interface): A tool that provides completed building blocks with functionality that can be put together and into a software. 

B

• Backend: A ‘server’ software that users do not interact with directly.
• Beta testing: The testing that happens using client or selected personas’ feedback.
• Bottom-up design: An area of program refinement that starts with smaller modules and builds into a complete software program.
• Bugs: A program error. 

C

• Code Refactoring: The process of editing code to reduce or eliminate technical debt.
• Compiler: A program that translates a high-level program into an independent one.
• CI (Continuous Integration): The practice of building software when all working copies of code are merged into one branch.
• Corrective Maintenance: Takes place after a software is installed if previously undetected errors pop up.
• CSS (Cascading Style Sheets): A style sheet language that organizes HTML elements. 

D

• Data Abstraction: A principle of data modeling that emphasizes the separation between the external interface and internal implementation.
• Data Modeling: A process used in object-oriented languages that identify objects and how they relate.
• Data Structures: A specialized format for organizing and processing data.
• Debugging: The detection and removal of errors in a program.
• Dependencies: Correlations between tasks that show in which order they should be executed.
• Deploy: Inputting the code into the server so it can run.

E

• End User: The individual that uses a particular product.
• Event Driven: A system that responds to an external event.
• Event Driven Language: Designed to handle external events.
• Executable Code: Code that can be run independently without translation. 

F

• Frontend: A ‘client” software that users interact with.
• Functional Language: A language that uses the evaluations of expressions rather than commands.
• Full Stack: A software developer that can work on the frontend and backend.
• Framework: A set of templates for a programming platform.

G

• General Purpose Language: A language that can be used to program solutions that cover a range of situations.
• Git: A system for programmers to manage code content and other versions. 

H

• Hardware: Physical parts of a computer or another electronic device.
• High-level Language: A language that is easily understood by programmers and development teams.
• HTML (Hypertext Markup Language): A markup language for the web that sturctures web pages.
• Human Computer Interface: The interface that allows the program to interact with the outside world. 

I

• IDE (Integrated Development Environment): An application that facilitates software developers with writing code.
• Independent Test Group: Testing of software by a group outside of the development team.
• Intermediate Code: Compiled code that is produced for a target computer.
• ISO: A quality assurance system for software development.
• Iterative: An iterative process that involves feedback and repetition. 

Additional Reading: 'How to Budget for Custom Software Development [With Template]'

J

• Javascript: A portable language for a wide range of platforms. 

K

• Kanban: An approach for managing software development that depicts all planned work to optimize the overall process. 

L

• Linear Search: A standard algorithm that performs searches on data items in sequential order. 

M

• Machine Code: Native computer code that can be understood without translation.
• Machine Learning: The study of algorithms and models that learn from data sets to make predictions or decisions on new data.
• Maintenance: The upkeep of a software program.
• Markup Language: A text-encoding system that consists of symbols and notations to control a structure or relationship within a program.
• Methodology: A technique that enables the design and development of software to be implemented.
• Metric: In software, the measure of whether a product feature or task is quantifiable or countable. 

N

• Normal Operation: Running of a program under expected normal conditions.

O

• Object: A data item that can be manipulated by a computer program or system.
• Object-oriented Programming: A programming system based on the idea that objects that contain both data and code can modify data.
• Open Source: Source code that’s freely available for making changes while being free to download.
• Operating System: The software system that supports a computer or product’s basic functions. 

P

• Performance Testing: A form of testing that examines the speed, response time, and usage of software under a particular workload.
• Programmers: A section of a development team that’s responsible for coding, testing, implementation, and maintenance.
• Programming Language: A system of notations for writing software programs.
• Project Manager: Member of the development team that supervises the project.
• Prototype: A simple working version of a software.
• Plugin: An add-on that adds new functionalities to a host program or software without alternating the host itself.
• Pull Request: A notification given by developers when they’re done building a feature. 

Q

• QA (Quality Assurance): The process of reviewing a software product to ensure it meets expectations. 

Check this out: 'Software Development Pricing'

R

• Relational Database: A database structured to recognize relations among any stored items or objects.
• Regression Testing: The process of re-running tests to verifying the correctness of software after a change.
• Repository: A place where data is gathered and protected.
• Runtime: The length of time a program takes to run.

S

• SaaS (Software as a service): Type of software delivery model that’s provided over the Internet to the end user by the software owner on demand.
• Scripting Language: Used for writing smaller programs or scripts that enhance existing software.
• Scrum: A project management methodology for effective team collaboration that’s based on Agile software development.
• SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle): The general process of software development that follows a series of steps until completion.
• Software: Programs that help a computer system execute tasks.
• Software Engineering: An area of computing where the emphasis is on the development of high-quality software.
• Source Code: The code for a program that’s written in a high-level language that is then translated into machine code.
• Syntax: The structure or grammar of a statement in a given language. 

T

• Testing: Running the program to ensure its reliability.
• Test Plan: A strategy that involves testing software under different conditions.
• Top-Down Design: A design approach that involves putting larger systems into smaller components. 

U

• Unit Testing: Testing specific pieces of code in a system.
• Usability: A quality system to determine how easy something is to use.
• User experience: Software design that focuses on usability and user satisfaction.
• User interface: Software design that focuses on the looks and style.

V

• Version Control: A software system used to manage changes to a codebase over time to help recall specific versions later. 

W

• Waterfall Model: One of the earliest models for software development that incorporates seven stages.
• Web App: An application program on a server that is delivered over the Internet.
• Website: Collection of web pages that share a domain name.

X

• XML (Extensive Markup Language): A markup language for encoding documents and transmitting them into serialized data.

Y

• YAML: A human-readable data format for storing and transmitting information. 

Z

• Z Object Publishing Environment: An open-source set of tools for publishing components within different platforms. 

Know What Your Business Needs for Software Development Support

The ins and out’s of the development world can be confusing, especially to novices looking to hire a software development company. Building up on your software development vocabulary can help your business and relationship with development teams reach new heights. 

Additional Reading

• How to Budget for Custom Software Development [With Template]

About the Author

Anna Peck Content Marketing Manager at Clutch

Anna Peck is a content marketing manager at Clutch, where she crafts content on digital marketing, SEO, and public relations. In addition to editing and producing engaging B2B content, she plays a key role in Clutch’s awards program and contributed content efforts. Originally joining Clutch as part of the reviews team, she now focuses on developing SEO-driven content strategies that offer valuable insights to B2B buyers seeking the best service providers.

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