185 terms · 6 categories
Glossary
Every term comes with a plain-English definition, a wireframe, and a prompt you can copy straight into your AI.
Look-alike terms
23 sets of look-alike terms that are easy to mix up, side by side.
AI coding
What people say when working with AI coding tools, sorted A–Z.
A terms
- AI AgentAn AI that breaks down tasks, uses tools, checks the results, and decides what to do next on its own, instead of just replying with text one question at a time.
- API KeyA secret string that identifies and bills you when you call a large model or third-party service. It's basically your account password. If it leaks, other people can spend your money.
C terms
- CheckpointA snapshot of your code that an AI coding tool saves automatically before each round of changes. If something breaks, you can go back to before that round in one click.
- Claude CodeA coding agent from Anthropic that mainly runs in the terminal. It can understand the whole project, edit files, and run commands.
- Context WindowThe limit on everything a model can "see" in one conversation, measured in tokens. Anything over the limit gets cut off or compressed.
- CursorA code editor with built-in AI. It looks and works a lot like VS Code, and you can chat with the AI right in the editor and have it edit your project's code directly.
D terms
F terms
H terms
I terms
L terms
M terms
- Model Context ProtocolAn open protocol that lets AI tools connect to external tools and data sources in a standard way. Install the right MCP server and the AI gets new abilities.
- MultimodalThe model can handle more than text. It can understand images, screenshots, design mockups, and other kinds of input, and some can also generate images or audio.
P terms
R terms
- Rate LimitThe service limits how many requests you can send or how many tokens you can use in a period of time. Go over and it temporarily turns you away, usually with a 429 error code.
- RefactoringChanging how code is structured and written without changing what it does or how it looks, so it's clearer and easier to maintain and build on.
- Retrieval-Augmented GenerationFirst search a knowledge base for content related to the question, then put it in the prompt for the model to use. This cuts down on made-up answers and lets the model use up-to-date or private material.
- Rules FileLong-term agreements that live in your project and are given to the AI automatically in every conversation, like the tech stack, code style, and things not to do.
S terms
- Screenshot to CodeSend the AI a design or a screenshot of a web page, and it picks out the layout and components and generates frontend code that looks similar.
- Spec-Driven DevelopmentFirst write the requirements, design, and task list into a document together with the AI. Once you approve it, build it item by item from the list.
- System PromptUnderlying instructions given to the model before the conversation starts. They set its role, behavior, and rules, and usually take priority over normal messages.
T terms
- TemperatureA setting that controls how random the model's output is. Low values give steadier, more conservative answers. High values give more varied, creative ones, but they're also more likely to go off track.
- TokenThe smallest unit a large model reads and writes. How much the model can read and how much a call costs are both counted in tokens.
- Tool CallingWhile answering, the model asks to use external tools, like reading files, running commands, or searching the web, then keeps working based on what the tools return.
V terms
- v0An AI UI generator from Vercel. Describe what you want in words or upload a screenshot, and it generates React pages and component code you can preview.
- Vibe CodingA way of building software where you describe what you want in plain language, AI writes most of the code, and your job is mainly to ask, check the result, and give feedback.