Computer Science

Conceptual & Structural Systems

(How software is *organized* at a high level)

• Architecture – The fundamental structure of a system: components, responsibilities, and relationships.
• Design Pattern – Reusable solutions to recurring structural or behavioral problems.
• System Design – End-to-end planning of components, data flow, scaling, and failure modes.
• Platform – A base system upon which other software or services are built.
• Ecosystem – Interacting tools, libraries, services, and users around a platform.
• Stack – A layered collection of technologies used together (e.g., LAMP, MERN).
• Subsystem – A self-contained functional unit within a larger system.
• Module – A discrete, replaceable unit of functionality.
• Component – A deployable or reusable unit with a defined interface.

Code Reuse & Capability Systems

(Things you *build with*)

• Framework – Opinionated structure that controls application flow.
• Library – Reusable code invoked by the developer.
• SDK (Software Development Kit) – Tools, libraries, docs, and examples for a platform.
• API – A formal interface for interacting with a system or service.
• Middleware – Software that connects or mediates between systems.
• Runtime – The environment in which code executes.
• Plugin System – Mechanism for extending a host application.
• Extension – Add-on module that enhances functionality.
• Package – A distributable unit of code.
• Dependency – External code required by a system.

Execution & Environment Systems

(Where software *runs*)

• Environment – A configured context (variables, paths, services).
• Runtime Environment – OS + libraries + execution context.
• Virtual Environment – Isolated dependency space (e.g., Python venv).
• Container – Lightweight, isolated execution unit (e.g., Docker).
• Virtual Machine (VM) – Fully virtualized OS instance.
• Sandbox – Restricted execution environment for safety.
• Host System – The machine or OS running workloads.
• Target Environment – Intended deployment context.
• Emulator – Software that mimics another system.
• Interpreter – Executes code directly.
• Compiler Toolchain – System that translates source to binaries.

Development & Tooling Systems

(How developers *work*)

• IDE – (Integrated Development Environment) Unified coding, debugging, and tooling system.
• Editor – Code authoring environment.
• Build System – Automates compilation, linking, and packaging.
• Toolchain – Collection of compilers, linkers, debuggers, etc.
• Package Manager – Manages dependencies and versions.
• Task Runner – Automates development workflows.
• Debugger – Inspection and control of execution.
• Profiler – Performance measurement system.
• Linter – Static analysis and style enforcement.
• Formatter – Code layout normalization system.

Data & State Systems

(How information is *stored and managed*)

• Database – Persistent data storage system.
• DBMS – Software managing databases.
• Data Store – Generalized storage system.
• Cache – Fast, transient data system.
• Message Queue – Asynchronous communication system.
• Event Bus – Event-driven messaging system.
• State Management System – Controls application state.
• Filesystem – Persistent hierarchical storage system.
• Indexing System – Accelerated lookup structures.

Distributed & Service Systems

(How software *communicates*)

• Client–Server System
• Distributed System
• Microservices Architecture
• Monolith
• Service Mesh
• Backend System
• Frontend System
• Control Plane / Data Plane
• Load Balancer
• Gateway
• Reverse Proxy

Deployment & Operations Systems

(How software *lives in the world*)

• Operating System
• Infrastructure
• Cloud Platform
• Orchestration System (e.g., Kubernetes)
• CI/CD Pipeline
• Monitoring System
• Logging System
• Telemetry System
• Configuration Management System
• Secrets Management System

Security & Governance Systems

(How systems *protect themselves*)

• Authentication System
• Authorization System
• Identity Management System
• Access Control System
• Key Management System
• Policy Engine
• Permission Model
• Trust Boundary
• Security Sandbox

AI-Specific System Terms (given your recent work)

(Modern “systems” framing)

• Model Architecture
• Inference Engine
• Training Pipeline
• Evaluation Framework
• RAG Pipeline
• Vector Database
• Agent System
• Orchestration Graph
• Prompting Framework
• Multi-Agent System