Definition | Term |
Microsoft’s set of technologies that allows almost any type of program to run on the Internet or an internal business network, as well as stand-alone computers and mobile devices. | .NET |
Fourth-generation language; nonprocedural language that enables users and programmers to access data in a database. | 4GL |
Set of object-oriented technologies by Microsoft that allows components on a network to communicate with one another. | Active X |
Small program that runs on a client computer, instead of the server. | ActiveX control |
Programming language derived from Pascal, developed by the U.S. Department of Defense, named after Augusta Ada Lovelace Byron, thought to be the first female computer programmer. | Ada |
Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. Method of creating interactive Web applications designed to provide immediate response to user requests. | Ajax |
ALGOrithmic Language. The first structured procedural programming language. | ALGOL |
Set of steps. | algorithm |
Flowchart symbol that explains or clarifies logic in a solution algorithm. See also comment symbol. | annotation symbol |
Application programming interface; collection of tools that programmers use to interact with an environment such as a Web site or operating system. | API |
A Programming Language. Scientific language designed to manipulate tables of numbers. | APL |
Interpreted program that runs on a client, but is compiled. | applet |
Program that creates source code or machine code from a specification of the required functionality. | application generator |
File that does not contain any formatting, that is, no graphics, italics, bold, underlining, styles, bullets, shading, color, or any other type of graphical format. | ASCII file |
Web application framework that provides the tools necessary for the creation of dynamic Web sites. | ASP.NET |
Program used by programmers to convert assembly language source program into machine language. | assembler |
Programming language in which a programmer writes instructions using symbolic instruction codes. | assembly language |
XML application that content aggregators use to distribute content to subscribers. | ATOM |
Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. Programming language developed by John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz as a simple, interactive problem-solving language. | BASIC |
Program that has most or all of its features and functionality implemented. | beta |
Program errors. | bugs |
Resulting object code in a Java program. | bytecode |
Programming language developed in the early 1970s at Bell Laboratories used for business and scientific applications. | C |
Object-oriented programming language based on C++ developed primarily by Anders Hejlsberg at Microsoft. | C# |
Object-oriented programming language developed at Bell Laboratories that is an extension of the C programming language. | C++ |
Contains formats for how a particular object should be displayed in a Web browser. | cascading style sheet (CSS) |
Type of selection control structure that can yield one of three or more possibilities. | case control structure |
Communications standard that defines how a Web server communicates with outside sources. | CGI (common gateway interface) |
Program that manages sending and receiving across a CGI. | CGI script |
Common Language Runtime; environment that enables programmers to develop .NET programs using a variety of languages. | CLR |
COmmon Business-Oriented Language. Programming language designed for business applications, which evolved out of a joint effort between the United States government, businesses, and major universities in the early 1960s. | COBOL |
Programming term meaning to write. | code |
Process of programmers, quality control testers, and/or peers reviewing code in order to locate and fix errors so that the final programs work correctly. | code review |
Prewritten code and templates associated with common programming tasks. | code snippets |
Translating a solution algorithm into a programming language and then typing the programming language code into the computer. | coding |
Flowchart symbol that explains or clarifies logic in a solution algorithm. See also annotation symbol. | comment symbol |
Internal documentation contained in a program. | comments |
Programming language designed for business applications, which evolved out of a joint effort between the United States government, businesses, and major universities in the early 1960s. See also COBOL. | COmmon Business-Oriented Language |
Separate program that converts an entire source program into machine language before executing it. | compiler |
Series of instructions that directs a computer to perform tasks | computer program |
Used during program design, a depiction of the logical order of program instructions. See also control structure. | construct |
Used during program design, a depiction of the logical order of program instructions. See also construct. | control structure |
Web site element that tracks the number of visitors to a Web site. | counter |
Any program instructions that a program never executes. | dead code |
Utility that assists programmers with identifying syntax errors and finding logic errors. See also debugger. | debug utility |
Utility that assists programmers with identifying syntax errors and finding logic errors. See also debug utility. | debugger |
Process of locating and correcting syntax and logic errors in a program. | debugging |
Powerful visual programming tool that is ideal for large-scale enterprise and Web application development. | Delphi |
Tools such as pseudocode and program flowcharts that help programmers document a solution algorithm. | design tools |
Validation technique in which programmers use test data to step through a program’s logic. | desk check |
Person who creates and modifies computer programs. See also programmer. | developer |
Multimedia authoring program with powerful features that allow programmers to create highly interactive multimedia applications. | Director |
Type of repetition control structure similar to a do-while control structure, except it tests the condition at the end of the loop and continues looping until the condition is true. | do-until control structure |
Type of repetition control structure that repeats one or more times as long as a condition is true. | do-while control structure |
Format that defines every item on a Web page as an object, allowing developers to change properties, such as color or size, of any or all of the objects on the Web page | document object model (DOM) |
Web page authoring program by Adobe Systems that allows Web developers to create, maintain, and manage professional Web sites. | Dreamweaver |
Type of HTML that allows Web developers to include more graphical interest and interactivity in a Web page. | dynamic HTML (DHTML) |
Open source, advanced development environment that works with a variety of programs including Java and C++. | Eclipse |
HTML words, abbreviations, and symbols that specify links to other documents and indicate how a Web page is displayed when viewed on the Web. See also tags. | elements |
Concept of packaging data and procedures into a single object. | encapsulation |
An action to which a program responds. | event |
Program that checks for and responds to events. | event-driven program |
Process of a computer carrying out the instructions in a program. | execute |
Microsoft's Web page authoring program that enables Web developers to create professional, dynamic, interactive Web sites. | Expression Web |
Strategy that proposed that programmers should immediately begin coding and testing solutions as soon as requirements are defined. | extreme programming (XP) |
Programming language included with Visual Studio 2010 that combines the benefits of an object-oriented language with the benefits of a functional language. | F# |
Web page authoring program by Adobe Systems that enables Web developers to combine interactive content with text, graphics, audio, and video. | Flash |
Graphically shows the logic in a solution algorithm. See also program flowchart. | flowchart |
Software used by programmers to help develop flowcharts. | flowcharting software |
Window on the screen that provides areas for entering or changing data in a database. See also data entry form. | form |
Programming language similar to C, used for small computerized devices. | Forth |
FORmula TRANslator. One of the first high-level programming languages used for scientific applications. | FORTRAN |
Nonprocedural language that enables users and programmers to access data in a database. | fourth-generation language |
Programming language whose natural programming structure is useful in mathematical programs. | functional language |
Internal documentation, usually at the top of a program, that explains the program’s purpose and identifies the program name, its author, and date written. | global comments |
Structured design tool that shows program modules graphically. See also structure chart. | hierarchy chart |
Programming language in which each language instruction typically equates to multiple machine instructions. | high-level language |
Hypertext Markup Language; special formatting language that programmers use to format documents for display on the Web. | HTML |
Object-oriented programming language developed by Apple to manipulate cards that can contain text, graphics, and sound. | HyperTalk |
Special formatting language that programmers use to format documents for display on the Web. | Hypertext Markup Language |
Includes program development tools for building graphical user interfaces, an editor for entering program code, a compiler and/or interpreter, and a debugger. | IDE (integrated development environment) |
Type of selection control structure that yields only one of two possibilities: true or false. | if-then-else control structure |
Graphical image that points to one or more Web addresses. | image map |
Process of generating or writing code that translates a program design into a program and, if necessary, creating the user interface. | implementation |
Documentation that appears throughout the body of the program that explains the purpose of the code statements within the program. | internal comments |
Program used to convert a source program into machine language and then executes the machine language instructions. | interpreter |
Chart that identifies a program’s inputs, its outputs, and the processing steps required to transform the inputs into the outputs. | IPO chart |
Object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. | Java |
Set of technologies built on Sun's Java EE that allows programmers to develop and deploy Web services for a company, often used in Web 2.0 environments. | Java EE (Java Platform, Enterprise Edition) |
Java platform used to create programs for smart phones and other mobile devices. | Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) |
Java platform developed by Sun Microsystems to create stand-alone programs for desktop computers and servers. | Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) |
Interpreted language that allows a programmer to add dynamic content and interactive elements to a Web page. | JavaScript |
Program that converts bytecode into machine-dependent code that is executed immediately. | just-in-time (JIT) compiler |
Command words used in programming. | keywords (programming language) |
LISt Processing. Programming language used for artificial intelligence applications. | LISP |
Flaw in program design that causes inaccurate results. | logic error |
An educational tool used to teach programming and problem-solving to children. | LOGO |
Type of control structure that enables a program to perform one or more actions repeatedly as long as a certain condition is met. See also repetition control structure. | loop |
Programming language that is machine dependent. | low-level language |
The only language a computer directly recognizes, using a series of binary digits or a combination of numbers and letters that represent binary digits. | machine language |
Programming language that runs on only one particular type of computer. | machine-dependent language |
Programming language that can run on many different types of computers and operating systems. | machine-independent language |
Series of statements that instructs an application how to complete a task. | macro (application program) |
Capability of assembly language that generates many machine language instructions for a single assembly language instruction. | macro (assembly language) |
Program development tool that records all actions until it is turned off. | macro recorder |
Main function of a program. See also main routine. | main module |
Main function of a program. See also main module. | main routine |
Act of correcting errors or adding enhancements to an existing program. | maintaining |
Application generator feature that enables users to create a menu for the application options. | menu generator |
Resulting object code compiled by a .NET-compatible language. | Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL) |
Successor to Pascal programming language used for developing systems software. | Modula-2 |
Smaller sections into which a main routine is broken down by a programmer during structured design. See also subroutines. | modules |
Event that occurs when text, a graphic, or other object changes as the user moves the mouse pointer over an object on the screen. See also mouseover. | mouse rollover |
Event that occurs when text, a graphic, or other object changes as the user moves the mouse pointer over an object on the screen. See also mouse rollover. | mouseover |
Software that allows users to combine text, graphics, audio, video, and animation in an interactive application and that often is used for computer-based training and Web-based presentations. | multimedia authoring software |
Type of programming language in which a programmer writes English-like instructions or interacts with a graphical environment to retrieve data from files or a database. | nonprocedural language |
Database item that contains data, as well as the actions that read or process the data. | object |
Machine language version of a program that results from compiling a 3GL source program. See also object program. | object code |
Machine language version of a program that results from compiling a 3GL source program. See also object code. | object program |
Design approach in which a programmer packages the data and program (or procedure) into a single unit, an object. | object-oriented (OO) design |
Programming language used to implement an object-oriented design. | object-oriented programming (OOP) language |
Term that refers to a language anyone can use without purchasing a license. | open language |
Programming language developed to teach students structured programming concepts, named in honor of Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician who developed one of the earliest calculating machines. | Pascal |
Practical Extraction and Report Language; scripting language developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a procedural language similar to C and C++. | Perl |
PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor; free, open source scripting language. | PHP |
Programmed Inquiry Learning Or Teaching; programming language used to write computer-aided instruction programs. | PILOT |
Programming Language One; business and scientific programming language that combines many features of FORTRAN and COBOL. | PL/I |
Process used in a do-until control structure that tests a condition at the end of the loop. | posttest |
Powerful program development RAD tool developed by Sybase that is best suited for Web-based, .NET, and large-scale enterprise object-oriented applications. | PowerBuilder |
Scripting language developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a procedural language similar to C and C++. | Practical Extraction and Report Language |
Process used in a do-while control structure that tests a condition at the beginning of the loop. | pretest |
Type of programming language in which a programmer writes instructions that tell the computer what to accomplish and how to do it using a series of English-like words to write instructions. See also third-generation language (3GL). | procedural language |
Web site element that collects data from site visitors, who fill in blank fields and then click a button that sends the information. Often simply called a form. | processing form |
Series of steps programmers use to build computer programs. | program development |
Series of steps programmers use to build computer programs, consisting of six steps: (1) analyze requirements, (2) design solution, (3) validate design, (4) implement design, (5) test solution, and (6) document solution. | program development life cycle (PDLC) |
Program that provides a user-friendly environment for building programs. | program development tool |
Graphically shows the logic in a solution algorithm. See also flowchart. | program flowchart |
Graphical or written description of the step-by-step procedures to solve a problem. See also solution algorithm. | program logic |
Person who creates and modifies computer programs. See also developer. | programmer |
Set of words, abbreviations, and symbols that enables a programmer to communicate instructions to a computer. | programming language |
A group of programmers that may develop programs during the program development cycle. | programming team |
PROgramming LOGic. Programming language used for development of artificial intelligence applications. | Prolog |
Design tool that uses a condensed form of English to convey program logic. | pseudocode |
Rapid application development; method of developing software in which a programmer writes and implements a program in segments instead of waiting until an entire program is completed. | RAD |
Ruby on Rails; open source framework that provides technologies for developing object-oriented, database-driven Web sites. See also Ruby; RoR; Ruby on Rails. | Rails |
Method of developing software in which a programmer writes and implements a program in segments instead of waiting until an entire program is completed. | rapid application development |
Type of control structure that enables a program to perform one or more actions repeatedly as long as a certain condition is met. See also loop. | repetition control structure |
DBMS feature that allows users to design a report on the screen, retrieve data into the report design, and then display or print the report. See also report generator. | report writer |
Restructured Extended Executor. Procedural interpreted scripting language for both professional programmers and nontechnical users. | Restructured Extended Executor |
Restructured Extended Executor. Procedural interpreted scripting language for both professional programmers and nontechnical users. | Rexx |
Ruby on Rails; open source framework that provides technologies for developing object-oriented, database-driven Web sites. See also Ruby; Rails; Ruby on Rails. | RoR |
Report Program Generator; programming language used to assist businesses in generating reports and to access/update data in databases. | RPG |
Really Simple Syndication; specification that content aggregators use to distribute content to subscribers. | RSS 2.0 |
Ruby on Rails. Open source framework that provides technologies for developing object-oriented, database-driven Web sites. See also RoR; Rails; Ruby on Rails. | Ruby |
Open source framework that provides technologies for developing object-oriented, database-driven Web sites. See also Ruby; Rails; RoR. | Ruby on Rails |
Program error or event that causes the program to stop running. | run-time error |
Interpreted program that runs on a client. | script |
Interpreted language that typically is easy to learn and use. | scripting language |
Type of control structure that tells the program which action to take, based on a certain condition. | selection control structure |
Type of control structure that shows one or more actions following each other in order. | sequence control structure |
Applet that runs on a server. | servlet |
Web page authoring program that is part of the Microsoft Office and SharePoint families of products. | SharePoint Designer |
Object-oriented programming language. | Smalltalk |
Graphical or written description of the step-by-step procedures to solve a problem. See also program logic. | solution algorithm |
Program that contains the language instructions, or code, to be converted to machine language. | source program |
Query language that allows users to manage, update, and retrieve data in a relational DBMS. | SQL |
Structured design tool that shows program modules graphically. See also hierarchy chart. | structure chart |
Program design approach in which a programmer typically begins with a general design and moves toward a more detailed design. See also top-down design. | structured design |
Contains descriptions of a document’s characteristics. | style sheet |
Smaller sections into which a main routine is broken down by a programmer during structured design. See also modules. | subroutines |
Meaningful name used with assembly languages that identifies a storage location. | symbolic address |
Meaningful abbreviations used with an assembly language. | symbolic instruction codes |
Set of grammar and rules that specifies how to write instructions for a solution algorithm. | syntax |
Program error that occurs when the code violates the syntax, or grammar, of the programming language. | syntax error |
HTML words, abbreviations, and symbols that specify links to other documents and indicate how a Web page is displayed when viewed on the Web. See also elements. | tags |
Tool Command Language; interpreted scripting language maintained by Sun Microsystems Laboratories. | Tcl |
Sample data that mimics real data a program will process once it is in production. | test data |
Type of programming language in which a programmer writes instructions that tell the computer what to accomplish and how to do it using a series of English-like words to write instructions. See also procedural language. | third-generation language (3GL) |
See Tcl. | Tool Command Language |
Multimedia authoring program with a graphical user interface that uses an object-oriented approach, so that programmers can design multimedia applications using basic objects. | ToolBook |
Program design approach in which a programmer typically begins with a general design and moves toward a more detailed design. See also structured design. | top-down design |
Check for accuracy. | validate |
Visual Basic, Scripting Edition; subset of the Visual Basic language that allows programmers to add intelligence and interactivity to Web pages. | VBScript |
Programming language that allows programmers easily to build complex task-oriented object-based programs. | Visual Basic |
Programming language that can work with Visual Studio Tools for Office or a similar language as their macro programming language. | Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) |
Subset of the Visual Basic language that allows programmers to add intelligence and interactivity to Web pages. | Visual Basic, Scripting Edition |
Programming language that combines programming elements of C++ with an easier, rapid development environment. | Visual C# |
Programming language based on C++. | Visual C++ |
Graphical interface in a visual programming language that allows programmers to drag and drop objects to develop programs. | visual programming environment (VPE) |
Programming language that uses a visual or graphical interface for creating all source code. | visual programming language |
Suite of program development tools from Microsoft that assists programmers in building programs for Windows, Windows Mobile, or operating systems that support Microsoft’s .NET framework. | Visual Studio |
A set of tools integrated in Visual Studio that enables developers to create programs that work with Microsoft's Office suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Project. | Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO) |
Designers of Web pages. | Web developers |
Software used to create Web pages that include graphical images, video, audio, animation, and other special effects with interactive content. | Web page authoring software |
Wireless markup language; subset of XML that allows Web developers to design pages specifically for microbrowsers. | WML |
Extensible HTML; markup language that enables Web sites to be displayed more easily on microbrowsers in smart phones and other mobile devices, as well as on desktop and notebook computers. | XHTML |
Extensible Markup Language; format for sharing data that allows Web developers to create customized tags, as well as use predefined tags, used for developing a single Web site whose content can be formatted to display appropriately on various devices. | XML |
Extensible Stylesheet Language; language for creating a style sheet that describes how to present the data described in an XML document on a Web page. | XSL |
Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation; extension of XSL that creates styles sheets that describe how to transform XML documents into other types of documents. | XSLT |