Master Index
Everything in the encyclopedia, organized two ways: by section (good for browsing), and A–Z (good for lookup).
For status meanings (🟥/🟨/🟩/🟦), see CONVENTIONS.md.
By section
00. How to use this encyclopedia
Meta — how to navigate, the conventions, reading paths.
01. Foundations
The bedrock concepts every other section assumes. What’s a computer, what’s the web, how do client and server talk, files/folders, the terminal.
02. Frontend
HTML, CSS, JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Next.js, Tailwind, shadcn/ui, responsive design, dark mode, PWAs, accessibility.
03. Backend
What a backend is, APIs (REST, GraphQL), Node.js, serverless functions, edge functions, server actions, webhooks.
04. Databases
SQL vs NoSQL, Postgres, Supabase, schema design, migrations, row-level security, indexes, performance.
05. Version control
Git fundamentals, GitHub, branches, merging, pull requests, rebasing, conflict resolution, common Git rescue moves.
06. Hosting & deployment
Domains, DNS, hosting providers (Vercel, Netlify), SSL/HTTPS, CDNs, environment variables, CI/CD, the deploy pipeline.
07. Security & auth
Authentication vs authorization, sessions, cookies, JWT, OAuth, passwords/hashing, OWASP top 10, secrets management.
08. Testing & quality
Why we test, unit/integration/e2e tests, linting, type checking, code review, accessibility audits.
09. Tooling & dev environment
npm, Node.js versions, VS Code, terminals, Windows-specific dev setup, Claude Code itself.
10. AI & LLMs
What an LLM is, how it works, tokens, context windows, sampling, model lineups, RAG, embeddings, agents, MCP.
11. AI-assisted development
Working with Claude Code in practice: memory, slash commands, hooks, plugins, prompt patterns, the day-to-day workflow.
12. CS foundations
Light-touch computer science: data structures, async/concurrency, time complexity — only where it helps day-to-day understanding.
13. Networking essentials
IP, DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, TCP/UDP, ports, the request/response model, webhooks, WebSockets.
14. Design & UX
Mobile-first thinking, accessibility, color, typography, dark mode design, usability principles.
15. Broader tech (bonus)
Cloud computing, containers/Docker, operating systems, mobile development overview — light coverage where useful.
Cross-section collections
- 📖 Glossary (A–Z) — quick definitions for every term
- 🧭 How-to guides — step-by-step procedures
- ⚠️ Gotchas & tips — common traps and hard-won lessons
- 🛤️ Reading paths — curated journeys for specific goals
- ⚡ Cheat sheets — quick command references (Git, npm, Vercel CLI, gh CLI, Supabase CLI, PowerShell)
- 🆘 Common errors — paste-and-fix references (build, Git, Supabase, browser, TypeScript, Vercel runtime, Node, OAuth, CSS/Tailwind, CI, performance)
- 🤔 Decision frameworks — “when to use X vs Y” for recurring choices (Server/Client, merge/rebase/squash, RLS, auth, tiers, TS strict, styling, tests, refactoring, fetch/actions, self-host/SaaS, monorepo)
- 🗺️ AI landscape — the map of who makes what AI tools, Western recommended vs Chinese avoid, how to access them from Australia, privacy & data training, which AI for which job
A–Z
Jump directly into the glossary by letter:
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Y · Z
Currently complete entries (🟩)
These are the entries that have been fully developed. Use them as the gold standard for what a “finished” entry looks like.
Section entries (textbook):
- What is a computer?
- How the web works
- Client vs server
- command line
- HTML — the language web pages are written in
- Next.js — the React framework 🟦
- Supabase — Postgres + Auth + Storage + Realtime 🟦
- Vercel — git-push-to-live hosting 🟦
- What is an LLM?
- How LLMs work
- Tokens & context windows
- Temperature & sampling
- Prompt engineering
- Claude models 🟦
- Tool use (function calling)
- Agents
- MCP — Model Context Protocol 🟦
- RAG — Retrieval Augmented Generation
- Embeddings
- Claude Code deep dive 🟦
Glossary deep-dives:
- JWT — JSON Web Token
- Plus ~80 starter entries across all 26 letters
How-to guides:
Reading paths:
- I want to build my first webapp — the flagship journey
- LLMs — zero to conversational fluency on LLMs
- Bible Quest origin — an annotated walkthrough — case study: how it all comes together in a real project
(🟦 = LIVING — finished but expected to evolve as the underlying product changes.)
How to search this whole thing
- In VS Code: open the
encyclopediafolder, pressCtrl+Shift+F, type your query. Searches across every file instantly. - In File Explorer: right-click the folder → “Search in folder” (or use Windows Search) for filename matching.
- In a markdown viewer with search (Obsidian, Notable): point it at this folder.
- From within Claude Code: just ask Claude. Claude has access to this folder and can grep, read, and cross-reference for me.