Coding Terms
A map of programming terminology, grouped by the lesson that teaches it. Instead of an alphabetical wall of jargon, this page shows you which 59 terms belong to which step of the curriculum — so you learn the words at the point where they start to mean something.
Why Learn Coding Terms?
Programming has its own vocabulary, and understanding these terms is essential for:
- Reading documentation — Official docs use technical terminology
- Understanding tutorials — Instructors assume you know the basics
- Communicating with developers — Speak the same language
- Learning faster — Terms become building blocks for concepts
How to Use This Page
Don't read it top to bottom and don't try to memorise it. Find the lesson you are on, skim its terms, then click any term for the full definition and a code example in the searchable glossary. Vocabulary sticks when you already have something to attach it to.
One Honest Warning About Jargon
Some of these words describe genuinely different ideas (a parameter and an argument really are two different things). Others are the same idea under different names because different languages chose different words — an array in JavaScript does the job of a list in Python. When a term feels needlessly confusing, it often is: the concept is simple and the name is historical.
Coding Terms by Lesson
Each lesson introduces the terms below it. Click a term for its definition and example.
Terms this curriculum does not teach
You will meet these words early, but no lesson here covers them. They are defined in the glossary so you are not stuck, and they belong to the step after this site — see Next Steps.