Glossary

Key terms in plain English for building websites: HTML, CSS, design and the web.

Browser

Software that fetches and displays web pages, e.g. Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari.

Client

The device requesting a web page, usually your browser.

Server

A computer that stores websites and sends pages to clients when they ask for them.

Hosting

A service that stores your site on a server so it's available online. Neocities is a host.

Domain name

The human-readable address of a site, e.g. neocities.org.

URL

The full address of a specific page or file, e.g. https://example.neocities.org/about.html.

HTTP / HTTPS

The protocol browsers and servers use to communicate. HTTPS is the secure, encrypted version.

Cache

Copies of files saved by the browser so pages load faster next time. Can show you an old version of your site.

Front end

The part of a site users see and interact with: HTML, CSS and JavaScript running in the browser.

Back end

The part that runs on the server: databases, logins, processing data.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language)

The language that gives a web page its structure and content.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

The language that controls how a page looks: colours, fonts, layout.

JavaScript

A programming language that adds behaviour and interactivity to pages.

Element

A piece of a page made from an opening tag, content and a closing tag, e.g. <p>Hello</p>.

Tag

The code in angle brackets that marks the start or end of an element, e.g. <p>.

Attribute

Extra information inside an opening tag, e.g. href in <a href="about.html">.

Semantic HTML

Using tags that describe their meaning (<nav>, <article>) rather than generic ones (<div>). Helps accessibility and search engines.

Selector

The part of a CSS rule that chooses which elements to style.

Class / ID

Names you give elements so CSS can target them. A class can be reused; an ID should be unique on the page.

Box model

Every element is a box made of content, padding, border and margin.

Flexbox / Grid

CSS layout systems. Flexbox arranges items in a row or column; Grid arranges them in rows and columns.

Relative path

A link to a file based on where the current file is, e.g. images/cat.png.

Absolute path

A full address including the domain, e.g. https://example.com/images/cat.png.

DOM (Document Object Model)

The browser's tree-shaped model of a page, which JavaScript can read and change.

Accessibility

Designing so everyone can use a site, including people with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive impairments.

WCAG

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: the international standard for accessible websites.

Alt text

A text description of an image, read aloud by screen readers and shown if the image fails to load.

Screen reader

Software that reads page content aloud for people who are blind or partially sighted.

Colour contrast

The difference in brightness between text and its background. Low contrast is hard to read.

Responsive design

A site that adapts its layout to fit any screen size, from phones to large monitors.

Media query

CSS that only applies when a condition is met, such as the screen being narrower than 600px.

Viewport

The visible area of a web page on the user's screen.

UI (User Interface)

The parts of a product a user interacts with: buttons, menus, layout.

UX (User Experience)

How easy and pleasant something is to use overall.

Wireframe

A simple sketch of a page layout showing where content goes, without colours or images.

Prototype

An early working model of a product used to test ideas before building it fully.

Validation

Checking code against the official rules to find errors, e.g. with the W3C validator.

Debugging

Finding and fixing errors in code.

Testing

Checking a product works as intended, across different browsers, devices and users.

Version control

Tracking changes to files over time so you can see history and undo mistakes. Git is the most common tool.

Iteration

Improving a product in repeated cycles of building, testing and refining.

Requirements

What a client or user needs a product to do.

Stakeholder

Anyone with an interest in a project, e.g. clients, users, managers.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

Making a site easier for search engines to find and rank, e.g. with good titles, headings and descriptions.

Compression

Reducing a file's size so it downloads faster.

Data Protection Act 2018 / UK GDPR

UK law controlling how personal data is collected, stored and used. People have rights over their own data.

Computer Misuse Act 1990

Makes it illegal to access or modify computer systems or data without permission.

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

Protects original work, including images, music, text and code. Don't use other people's work without permission or a suitable licence.

Equality Act 2010

Protects people from discrimination, including disabled people's access to services. Relevant to website accessibility.