Glossary — G
Back to glossary index · Master INDEX
GET (HTTP method)
The HTTP method used to read something from a server. GET /api/users/123 means “give me user 123.” GET requests should never change anything on the server (they’re idempotent — calling them twice has the same effect as once).
Git
The version control tool used in virtually all modern software. Tracks changes to files, lets you branch off experiments, merge them back, and collaborate without overwriting each other. Created by Linus Torvalds in 2005 to manage the Linux kernel.
See also: Git basics, GitHub
GitHub
A website that hosts Git repositories, plus a suite of collaboration tools on top: pull requests, issues, code review, GitHub Actions (CI/CD), discussions, project boards. Owned by Microsoft. The de facto home of open-source software. GitLab and Bitbucket are alternatives that work the same way.
GraphQL
An API style invented by Facebook in 2015, where the client describes the exact shape of data it wants, and the server returns just that. Alternative to REST. Powerful for complex apps with deeply nested data, but more setup and tooling overhead.
See also: GraphQL, APIs overview
Generic (TypeScript)
A way to write functions or types that work with any type, while preserving type information. function identity<T>(value: T): T { return value; } returns whatever type it was given. Generics are how you write type-safe library code.
See also: TypeScript
← F · Glossary index · H →