Search the Lexicon - Multimedia & Creative Technology

API

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a collection of definitions and protocols that lets different software applications communicate. It acts as an intermediary that sends requests from one application to another and returns the response. APIs make it possible to use functionality from other services without knowing their internal workings.

Web & Mobile programming backend

DELETE

DELETE is an HTTP method used to remove a resource from the server. Like GET and PUT, DELETE is idempotent, meaning deleting the same resource multiple times has the same effect: the resource is gone. After successful deletion, servers typically respond with 200 OK including a confirmation message, 204 No Content with an empty body, or 202 Accepted if deletion is queued for later.

Web & Mobile frontend backend

Environment Variables

Environment variables are dynamic configuration values stored outside your application code that control how the application behaves in different environments. They are essential for storing sensitive data like API keys, database passwords, and third-party service credentials, as well as environment-specific settings that differ between development, staging, and production without changing code.

Web & Mobile frontend backend

GET

GET is an HTTP method used to retrieve data from a server without causing any side effects. GET requests should only fetch data and never modify server state. They are idempotent, meaning the same request always produces the same result, and cacheable by browsers. Data is sent via URL query parameters, making GET requests bookmarkable and visible in browser history.

Web & Mobile frontend backend

HTTP Methods

HTTP methods (also called verbs) indicate the desired action to be performed on a resource. The main methods are GET for retrieving data, POST for creating new resources, PUT for replacing resources entirely, PATCH for partial updates, and DELETE for removing resources. Using the correct method is essential for RESTful API design and clearly communicates intent to servers and developers.

Web & Mobile frontend backend

JSON

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate. Despite its name, JSON is language-independent and is used across virtually all programming languages for data exchange between servers and web applications, APIs, and configuration files.

Web & Mobile frontend backend

JWT

JWT (JSON Web Token) is a compact, URL-safe token format used for securely transmitting information between parties as a JSON object. It consists of three base64-encoded parts separated by dots: a header specifying the algorithm, a payload containing claims like user ID and expiration time, and a cryptographic signature for verification. JWTs enable stateless authentication.

Web & Mobile frontend backend

MVC

MVC (Model-View-Controller) is an architectural pattern that separates application logic into three interconnected components. The Model manages data and business logic, the View handles the display and user interface, and the Controller processes user input and coordinates between Model and View. This separation makes code more organized, testable, and maintainable across teams.

Web & Mobile backend

Middleware

Middleware is software that sits between incoming requests and your route handlers in a web application, processing requests before they reach your business logic and optionally modifying responses before they are sent to clients. Common middleware handles authentication, logging, error handling, request body parsing, compression, rate limiting, and adding security headers to responses.

Web & Mobile backend

MySQL

MySQL is an open-source relational database management system that uses Structured Query Language (SQL) to manage data. It organizes data into tables with rows and columns, supports relationships between tables through foreign keys, and is known for its reliability, performance, and ease of use. MySQL is a core component of the popular LAMP and LEMP stacks.

Web & Mobile database backend

PHP

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used server-side scripting language designed specifically for web development. It can be embedded directly into HTML and executes on the server before the page is sent to the browser, making it invisible to users. PHP powers major platforms like WordPress, Facebook, and Wikipedia, and integrates seamlessly with databases like MySQL.

Web & Mobile backend

POST

POST is an HTTP method used to send data to a server to create a new resource or trigger a process. Unlike GET, POST includes data in the request body rather than the URL, allowing for larger and more complex data including files. POST is not idempotent, meaning submitting the same request twice typically creates two separate resources or triggers an action twice.

Web & Mobile frontend backend