Glossary
Plain-English definitions of technical terms that business owners encounter when evaluating, buying, or managing software projects.
What Is a Package Manager
Definition A package manager is a tool that automates the process of installing, updating, and removing the external software dependencies your project relies on. Instead of manually downloading files and placing them in the right folders, developers declare which packages their project needs in a configuration file, and the package manager handles the rest — downloading the correct versions, resolving...
What Is Penetration Testing
Definition Penetration testing (often called a pen test) is a controlled, authorised attempt to break into your own systems, networks, or applications in order to find security weaknesses before a real attacker does. A qualified tester — or team — uses the same techniques that malicious hackers would use, but with your permission and within an agreed scope. The result...
What Is PHP
Definition PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server-side scripting language designed primarily for web development. When someone visits a PHP-powered website, the server runs the PHP code, generates the HTML, and sends the finished page to the visitor’s browser. The visitor never sees the PHP itself — they only see the result. PHP has been a foundational web language since the...
What Is PostgreSQL
Definition PostgreSQL (often shortened to Postgres) is an advanced open-source relational database system known for its reliability, feature set, and standards compliance. Like MySQL, it stores data in structured tables and uses SQL for queries. Where PostgreSQL differs is in its support for complex data types, advanced querying capabilities, and stricter adherence to SQL standards. It handles things like JSON...
What Is PPC
Definition PPC stands for pay-per-click, an online advertising model where you pay a fee each time someone clicks on your ad. Rather than earning visits to your website organically, you are buying them. The most common form is search advertising — the sponsored results that appear at the top of Google when someone searches for a term related to your...
What Is Process Automation
Definition Process automation is the application of technology to a specific, defined business process so that it runs with minimal or no human involvement. While business automation is the broad concept, process automation zooms in on a single process — a sequence of steps with a clear trigger, defined logic, and an expected outcome. It requires mapping out the process...
What Is a Production Environment
Definition The production environment — often shortened to “production” or “prod” — is the live version of your application that real users interact with. It is the server (or group of servers) running your website, client portal, internal tools, or any other software your business depends on. When a developer says something is “in production,” they mean it is live...
What Is a Progressive Web App
Definition A progressive web app (PWA) is a website built with modern technology that can behave like a native mobile or desktop application. Users can install it on their home screen, use it offline or with poor connectivity, and receive push notifications — all without downloading anything from an app store. Under the surface, it is still a website accessed...
What Is Prompt Engineering
Definition Prompt engineering is the practice of designing and refining the instructions you give to an AI language model to get the most useful, accurate, and relevant output. A prompt is the text input — the question, instruction, or context — that tells the model what you need. Engineering that prompt means being deliberate about word choice, structure, examples, and...
What Is a Pull Request
Definition A pull request (often called a PR) is a formal proposal to merge a set of code changes into the main version of a project. When a developer finishes a piece of work, they do not simply add it directly to the live codebase. Instead, they submit a pull request, which packages their changes together with a description of...
What Is Python
Definition Python is a general-purpose programming language designed to be readable and straightforward. Its syntax is clean and close to plain English compared with many other languages, which makes it accessible to beginners while remaining powerful enough for experienced engineers. Python is used across a wide range of applications — web development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, automation, scientific computing, and...
About the Glossary
Why Plain Language Matters More Than Technical Fluency
Every software project involves terminology that business owners are expected to understand but rarely have reason to learn. Developers use terms like API, CI/CD, middleware, and bearer token as if everyone shares the same vocabulary — and when a client nods along without fully understanding, decisions get made on incomplete information. That gap between technical language and business understanding is where the most expensive mistakes happen: approving architectures you cannot evaluate, signing off on testing strategies you cannot verify, and accepting timelines based on concepts you have not had properly explained.
This glossary exists to close that gap. Each entry provides a plain-English definition, an explanation of why the term matters to your business, and a concrete example of the concept in action. These are not textbook definitions written for computer science students. They are practical explanations for the person who needs to make decisions about software without becoming a developer in the process.
We built this glossary from the questions our clients actually ask — in discovery calls, during project reviews, and in Slack threads where someone finally admits they are not sure what a term means. The entries reflect what business owners genuinely need to understand, not what a technical writer thinks is important. Across hundreds of client engagements, we have found that the single biggest predictor of a smooth project is a client who understands enough vocabulary to ask the right questions. Not to write the code — just to evaluate the answers they are given.
The definitions here deliberately link to deeper content elsewhere on the site. If a glossary entry sparks a question about how we implement something, the Knowledge Center, Services, and Systems sections have the full picture. The glossary is the starting point, not the destination.
Need a Term Explained?
If you have come across a term we have not covered yet, let us know and we will add it.