Web development glossary

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• .htaccess

  A configuration file used by Apache web servers to control website behaviour at the directory level.

• 404 page

  A web page displayed when a user attempts to access a URL that does not exist on the server.

A

• Accessibility tree

  A structure derived from the DOM (Document Object Model) that represents the accessible elements of a web page.

• AJAX

  A technique used in web development to create faster and more dynamic web applications.

• Algorithm

  A step-by-step set of instructions or rules designed to solve a problem or perform a specific task.

• Alt text

  A short, descriptive text attribute added to an image's HTML code that provides a textual alternative to the image.

• API

  A set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other.

• Array

  A data structure that stores a collection of elements, usually of the same type, in a specific order.

• Asynchronous

  A programming concept where tasks run independently of the main application flow, allowing other operations to continue without waiting for the task to complete.

• ATAG

  A set of guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure that software tools used for creating web content are accessible to people with disabilities.

• Attribute

  A modifier of an HTML element that provides additional information about the element, defining its behaviour, appearance, or content.

B

• Backup

  A copy of data stored separately from the original source to protect against loss, corruption, or accidental deletion.

• Browser

  A software application that enables users to access, view, and interact with content on the internet.

• Buffer

  A temporary storage area in computer memory that holds data while it is being transferred from one place to another.

• Bug

  An error, flaw, or unintended behaviour in software or code that causes it to function incorrectly or produce unexpected results.

J

• JSON-LD

  The format structured data is usually written in: a block of code in a page that describes it to search engines, such as a product, an organisation or a set of FAQs.

U

• URL

  The full web address of a page, such as https://d3creative.uk/glossary/url.