Complex Web Developer Terms Defined

It’s no surprise that Web developers use a lot of complicated codes and acronyms to describe what they are doing online. Web development is a complex art, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t understand some of the jargon of the industry. Here are some common words that hop around the office of any web development company. 

Cache/Caching 

Cached files are files that are downloaded by a Web browser so they can load faster the next time a user visits that site. 

Hexadecimal 

Hex numbers are used to define colors in Web development. They are built off a 16-number system and are written in three sets of hex pairs (which refer to combinations of red, green and blue). 

AJAX 

AJAX is an acronym for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. Web development companies use AJAX for creating flexible Web applications that can retrieve asynchronous data without users having to reload pages. 

EM 

EM is a measurement unit for font size relative to other parent fonts on the site. It is used to set up proportionality for the eyes. 

DNS

DNS stands for Domain Name Service and acts to convert IP addresses into domain names so that the IP address takes users to the correct Web server. 

Extensible Markup Language 

This is another term for XML, which describes how to write new languages online. It helps computers and applications translate information that may have to be converted into the same language in order to be understood. 

Bandwidth 

Bandwidth is the rate of data transfer or the total amount of data allowed to be transferred from a web host during a given month. It is typically measured in bits-per-second (bps) or kilobits per second (kbs). Web development companies strive for high bandwidth connections. 

Dither 

Dither is a tool used to create more exact colors by combining pixels, as GIF and other image formats have limited color options. 

Bounce rate 

A website’s bounce rate is the proportion of people who exit the site from the same page they entered the site, without investigating or clicking on anything further. For Web development companies, this is a good measure of how well a website draws users in. 

HTML

HTML is short for Hypertext Markup Language, and is the main language used to write Web pages today. 

Saja Chodosh writes for Fusion 360, an advertising agency in Utah. SHe writes for many other clients as well.

*Many of these terms are taken from Smashing Magazine’s Web Design Industry Jargon