There are a lot of terms and acronyms in the world of programming. Explore the definitions of common terms used in popular languages and frameworks.

Learning to Code: Definitions

What is HTTP? In short, HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol — and it's used to structure requests and responses over the internet. Whenever you access a site and load and interact with its content, you’re using HTTP.

In this video, we break down HTTP and the different processes that take place to make actions on the internet work smoothly. We also take a look at different types of HTTP requests.

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More details:
0:00 - 0:18 Introduction
0:19 - 1:23 #HTTP and #TCP
1:24 - 1:47 Types of Requests
1:48 - 3:51 How a GET Request works
3:52 - 4:12 HTTPS
4:13 - 4:55 Recap

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What are HTTP requests?

The terms “front-end” and “back-end” are thrown around all the time in web development. But what exactly do they mean?

In this video, we break down the differences between the “front-end” and the “back-end.” In short, the “front-end” is what visitors or users see when they interact with a program, application, or platform. The “back end” is where programmers create processes to make those interactions run smoothly.

Learn more about their differences on the Codecademy blog: https://j.mp/39BWRkk

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Want to become a Back-End Developer? Check out our Career Path: https://j.mp/3zFrZdl
Want to do both? Check out our Full-Stack Career Path: https://j.mp/3o9GEv1

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Front-end vs back-end: What's the difference?

What is a server? How do browsers work? We take a deep look at each of their purposes and how they contribute to the giant network that we know as the internet.

In this video, we’ll learn:
· What happens when you request a website in your browser
· How browsers and servers communicate
· And some common HTTP requests

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What is a server?

Thinking about a career in full-stack development? We spoke with Taylor, a technology consultant and full-stack software developer, to find out more about her day to day and what she works on in her full-stack role.

If you’re interested in becoming a full-stack developer, our new Full-Stack Engineer Career Path is designed to prepare you with everything you need to get an entry-level job in full-stack development.

Check out the Full-Stack Engineer Career Path: https://bit.ly/2Tsp4lg
Learn more on the Codecademy blog: https://bit.ly/3oAshxQ

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What does a full-stack developer do?

Curious about a career in data science? In this interview, Codecademy Curriculum Developer Sophie defines data science, discusses data science jobs, and shares her perspective on the best programming languages for data science.

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Read more on the blog: https://bit.ly/35oQApn

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What is data science?

Interested in learning more about what software engineers do? To give you a better picture of what it's like to work as a software engineer, we spoke with Xavier, a Senior Software Engineer here at Codecademy.

Read more on the blog: https://bit.ly/2GWzpTI

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What Does A Software Engineer Do?

When beginning your coding journey, you may find yourself asking, “What exactly is a programming language?” In this video, we explain.

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What is a programming language?

Kanban is one very popular way that professional development teams get work done, but how does it work? In this video, Stephanie explains how.

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More details:
What is Agile: https://youtu.be/GzzkpAOxHXs
What is Scrum: https://youtu.be/tNFIpNvyXPw
How developer teams work: https://j.mp/3eWQdao

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What is Kanban? (and how does it work)

Loops are a fundamental concept in computer science. Here's an explainer on how they work, with the help of our favorite dessert.

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Intro to Programming: Loops

Scrum is one very popular way that professional development teams get work done, but how does it work? In this video, Stephanie explains how.

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More details:
What is Agile: https://youtu.be/GzzkpAOxHXs
More info on sprints: https://youtu.be/7wGQU37fyiI
More about user stories: https://youtu.be/bacaW_EaMGo
What is Kanban: https://youtu.be/xhxncRy-_Rk
How developer teams work: https://j.mp/3nNzV7J

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What is Scrum? (and how does it work)

Whether you're interested in moving to a tech job or you're already in one, you have probably come across the job title "project manager" before, but you might be a bit confused about what exactly that means or how they work with programmers.  If that sounds right, this video is for you.

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More details: 
Digital project managers typically work in either an Agile or a Waterfall system in order to produce web products. You can see how those systems both work here:
What is Waterfall: https://youtu.be/LxEmGNgqYJA
What is Agile: https://youtu.be/GzzkpAOxHXs

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What is a project manager?

Blockchain tech is all the rage these days, fueling massive amounts of financial speculation with applications like cryptocurrency… but how does it work?  It's quite complicated, and some developers aren't familiar with some of the final details, but in this video, we'll give you enough context so that you can discuss crypto with confidence.

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What is blockchain?

Java and JavaScript – they sound similar, but they're actually very different. Even if you already knew that, you may not know how or why they're so dissimilar but have such similar names. This video can help.

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Java vs JavaScript

When your web development projects get bigger and more complex, they become more difficult to maintain. While CSS allows us to stylize our HTML, SASS has additional features that allow us to scale our web development projects more effectively. 

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What is Sass?

The terms 'library' and 'framework' are so ubiquitous in the tech industry it may seem they're interchangeable. Each term, however, has very different meanings or implications, and in this video, Carlos breaks those down for us. 

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What are libraries and frameworks?

Despite its notoriously polarizing reputation, whiteboarding remains a fixture in the tech interview process. In this video, Farish gives us a peek behind the curtain to better understand what whiteboarding is, how the process works, and how to feel confident going through it. 

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What is whiteboarding?

Every time you're on the internet, you're engaging with markdown without even realizing it! In this video, Carlos breaks down what markdown is, how it's used, and why it's such a valuable tool for so many people.  

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What is markdown?

Writing code can be a difficult and complex process. Sometimes, breaking down a multilayered problem into smaller, easily digestible steps is a helpful way to frame your goals and anticipate problems before you get started. In this video, Carlos shows us how this can be done with pseudocode. 

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What is pseudocode and how do you use it?

Nearly every developer has had an experience where they had to work with or maintain code that was outdated or even written by someone else. In this video, Mike Dane explores how something becomes legacy code, and why it may happen quicker than you think.

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What is legacy code?

Product managers play a tremendous role in guiding the success of a particular product. In this video, Pat DePuydt shows us how product managers work, with whom they work, and how their imperatives/responsibilities change within a dynamic marketplace. 

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More details:
Digital product managers typically work in either an Agile or a Waterfall system in order to produce web products.  You can see how those systems both work here:
Waterfall – https://youtu.be/LxEmGNgqYJA
Agile – https://youtu.be/GzzkpAOxHXs

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What is a product manager?

UX design covers the entire array of interactions a user has with a product, carefully balancing utility and usability. In this video, Stephanie gives us a peek behind the curtain to explore the considerations UX design wrestles with. 

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Learn Navigation Design with Codecademy: https://j.mp/2QSS4Fs

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What is user experience (UX)?

In this video, Codecademy team member Mike Dane defines the frequently used but infrequently explained term: code base! He also explains why the code base is an important source of truth for every developer.

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What is a code base?

The term API (Application Programming Interface) seems ubiquitous within the world of software development. Farish Kashefinejad describes it "as a contract for software to communicate with each other" and tells us why APIs are so valuable and how you can interact with one yourself!

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What is an API?

Ever considered how a website is designed? In this video, Codecademy Team Member Stephanie Chew describes what wireframes are and how they're an integral part of that process.

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What are wireframes?

While the front-end consists of everything the user interacts with directly, the back-end is the critical behind-the-scenes component behind every web page you’ve ever visited. In this video, Carlos Grijalva describes the machinations behind the Back-End and how it complements the Front-End to produce functional experiences on the web.

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What is back-end?

Think less of natural beauty like Niagra Falls and more so a rigoruous engineering design process. The waterfall model describes a highly-structured process for creating new software that flows linearly from gathering requirements to design, implementation and testing—a process that is rooted in best practices from industries where design changes even early-on can be cost-prohibitive, like manufacturing and construction.

In this video,  Pat DePuydt explains in more detail what the waterfall model is and what differentiates it from other software development methods. Then, he'll walk through some real-world use cases where the waterfall model really shines.

https://www.codecademy.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=what_is_series&utm_medium=video&utm_content=what_is_waterfall

What is Waterfall?

How do you turn an idea for a coding project into reality? The Agile software development method is one popular approach. In this video, we explain what Agile software development is and what differentiates it from other methods. Then, we walk through some use cases in which Agile really shines.

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More details:
Agile is often contrasted with Waterfall, which you can learn about in more depth here: https://youtu.be/LxEmGNgqYJA

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What is Agile?

It’s an acronym folks! In this video Stephanie Chew breaks down what "Don’t Repeat Yourself" means within the context of programming. 

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What is DRY?

There are certain terms in the software development landscape that are really useful to know, particularly if you have professional aspirations in the space! Sprint is one of them. In this video, Stephanie Chew lends her expertise to explain what a sprint is, and why they’re an important part of the iterative development process. 

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What is a sprint?

Modern software is never truly finished. Professional developers routinely make changes to their company’s codebase by opening up pull requests. In this video, Pat DePuydt helps us understand why pull requests are so important in a collaborative environment. 

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What is a pull request?

Web development is a large and ever expansive frontier, and the front-end is an integral part of that landscape. In this video, Pat DePuydt helps us navigate the rabbit hole and explains what the front-end is, where it’s featured, and why it is such an important aspect of the web today.  

Become a Front-End Engineer with Codecademy: https://j.mp/3heaydY

More details:
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Learn CSS: https://j.mp/3b7Hl0C
Learn JavaScript: https://j.mp/3hapdXI

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What is front-end?

Have 60 seconds to learn something cool? We've made a bite-sized intro to #CSS – the markup language that makes the web look good. You can learn more about CSS (for free!) with Codecademy: https://j.mp/3b5BCsf

Learn Web Design with Codecademy: https://j.mp/2PZwCy3

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What's CSS?

Learn how to build a Web Dev Portfolio with Codecademy.

Career: Building a Web Dev Portfolio

Preparing for a career in a technical field? Check out these interview tips — including advice on building a portfolio and showcasing your skills.

Career: Interview Prep

From Product Manager to Data Scientist, we take a look at different careers in tech and what these roles entail.

Career: Jobs in Coding

We asked recruiters in our community to share advice for people navigating the job-hunting process — from tips for optimizing your resume to advice on acing the technical interview.

Career: Recruiter Advice

A playlist of Quick Tip videos for Codecademy Chapter Leaders.

Community: Chapter Leader Quick Tips

Join our Chapters for live conversations on various topics — including NFT art and how to break into a technical field.

Community: Chapters

We think that connecting with other learners is the best way to learn. Explore some of our past community-led events here!

Community: Events

Hackathons are a great way to test your knowledge and flex your skills. Check out our hackathon presentations here.

Community: Hackathon

See how people around the world are reshaping their lives by learning to code.

Learner Stories

No matter what your coding goals are, the best place to start is by building a strong foundation. In this live series, we learn Computer Science fundamentals that are similar to content you’d see in a first-semester CS101 college course.

Learning to Code: CS101

HTML and CSS lie at the heart of web development. We explore some of their uses with these tutorials and explainers.

Learning to Code: HTML & CSS

TypeScript builds on your JavaScript foundation so you can develop higher-quality, less error-prone code faster. Learn more about this in-demand language as Codecademy Curriculum Developers guide us through an introduction.

Learning to Code: Intro to TypeScript

JavaScript has many functionalities, from web development to gaming applications. We break down the programming language and explain how it works with these tutorials.

Learning to Code: JavaScript

Since its release in 1994, Python stands tall as many developers’ favorite programming language. Explore its many capabilities with these livestreams and tutorials.

Learning to Code: Python

The R language is a popular tool for Data Analysts. Learn more about this free, open-source programming language with these livestreams.

Learning to Code: R

We show you how to get started on your coding projects — from setting up developer tools to pushing your code to GitHub.

Learning to Code: Setting Up

Just starting out on your coding journey? We’ve gathered tips for helping you start — including advice on how to choose your first programming language and how to remember everything you’re learning.

Learning to Code: Tips

You know all of those app ideas you’ve been wanting to create? Swift and SwiftUI can help you bring them to life for iOS. Learn how to build your very own iPhone app from start to finish in this live series.

Learning to Code: iOS Development

Join us for an assortment of livestreams where we cover topics such as interview prep, introductions to programming languages, project walkthroughs  — and so much more!

Live: All Livestreams

Augmented reality is alive and well. Learn how to make your first AR experience using the popular web framework A-Frame — with guidance from our Curriculum Developers.

Live: Augmented Reality

Explore the world of creative coding with p5.js, an open-source JavaScript library. We'll create drawings, animations, and video sculptures in this beginner-friendly series.

Live: Creative Coding with p5.js

Emojicode is a real programming language with a playful emoji syntax in place of traditional programming keywords. Learning it can bring some smiles and fun to your programming journey. Join us for an introduction to this silly language.

Live: Intro to Emojicode

Experience a full day of learning to code with interactive instruction and guided discussions by the Curriculum team at Codecademy.

Live: Learn From Home Day

Linear regression is a fundamental machine learning algorithm used for predictive modeling and data analysis. Learn more about it as Codecademy Curriculum Developers guide you through our course: Linear Regression in Python

Live: Linear Regression with Python

Almost everything we do creates data, and knowing how to investigate and communicate it is key. Our Curriculum Developers show us how to summarize data and run hypothesis tests following our Skill Path: Master Statistics with Python.

Live: Master Stats with Python

Our Curriculum Developers will lead you on a journey as you go from complete beginner to proficiency with data visualization, using Python. This is a weekly series that will lead you through our entire Visualize Data with Python Skill Path.

Live: Visualize Data with Python

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Learning to Code: Definitions

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