Definition is a statement of the meaning or significance of a word, phrase, idiom, etc.
0
votes
1answer
110 views
Does this diagram give a good representation of the MVVM pattern?
I am having a really hard time understanding the basic structure of the Model, View, View Model pattern.
I have honestly been pretty ignorant of design pattern conventions until recently. My formal ...
6
votes
2answers
376 views
In layman's terms, what is left recursion?
According to one page on code.google.com, "left recursion" is defined as follows:
Left recursion just refers to any recursive nonterminal that, when it produces a sentential form containing ...
2
votes
1answer
72 views
What's the name of this category of variables (NEW, OLD, etc) in triggers?
I need to do some very specific web search, but in order to do that I need to know what's the technical name of the category/type of variables like NEW, OLD, USER ( the could be more ) that you can ...
0
votes
2answers
165 views
What is a class library? [closed]
I'm working on a lawsuit and I need a definition of a 'class library' that I can reference. Every book and all the documentation I can find seems to assume the reader already knows what a library is. ...
1
vote
2answers
84 views
Is this the correct understanding of tight coupling and loose coupling [duplicate]
Coupling mean "dependency". It is the case of "Class A" dependent on "Class B" to get the job done.
Tight Coupling is when "Class A" Use the implementation of "Class B".
Loose Coupling is when "Class ...
0
votes
1answer
65 views
RFC syntax definition [closed]
I would like to bring our specifications to a better level of fine-grained definition of syntaxes, semantics and the like. I read my fair share of RFCs and just love the way they define things like ...
2
votes
2answers
63 views
What exactly is “computer systems”?
My professor made a comment today - "...They've been having trouble with filesystem performance, and since they're more graphics guys, they asked us systems guys to help out...".
What exactly is ...
2
votes
1answer
400 views
What's the difference between robustness and fault-tolerance?
Systems / programs / distributed algorithms / ... are often described with the predicate robust or fault-tolerant.
What is the difference?
Details:
When I google for +robust +"fault-tolerant", I ...
3
votes
3answers
2k views
Why REST Api do not follow the Facade design pattern
In comparing REST [api] structure with a OO model, I see these similarities:
Both:
Are data oriented
REST = Resources
OO = Objects
Surround operation around data
REST = surround VERBS (Get, ...
5
votes
3answers
346 views
How is it called when you define constants that simply refer to a large namespace?
I am using JRuby.
I have many classes implemented in Java, and I want to create objects off of them in my Ruby scripts.
Suppose that I have a class Sprite in Java. In Ruby, to refer to it, I use the ...
0
votes
2answers
102 views
what is need for a handler in general
I have been searching for a definition for handler. basics i've understood that "A handler is a piece of code that is called when something happens, and usually takes some action, like generating a ...
0
votes
3answers
464 views
Are VB.NET to C# converters actually compilers?
Whenever I see programs or scripts that convert between high-level programming languages they are always labelled as converters.
"VB.NET to C# converter" on Google results in expected, useful hits.
...
3
votes
2answers
455 views
What are the different meanings of 'fixture'?
I have some difficulty understanding the concept of "fixture". I know what a test suite is, a test case, a test run,
but what exactly is a "fixture"? A parameterized test case?
It seems to me that ...
46
votes
5answers
5k views
Why is Inversion of Control named that way?
The words invert or control are not used at all to define Inversion of Control in the definitions that I've seen.
Definitions
Wikipedia
inversion of control (IoC) is a programming technique, ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
What does 'enumerable' mean?
My background in mathematics is very poor (i.e. last relevant math class taken was high school Trigonometry two years ago - another story for another time). I'm reading 'Javascript: The Definitive ...
1
vote
6answers
474 views
A simple definition of client-server [duplicate]
I'm looking for a simple definition of the concept of “client-server”
I'd like something similar to this definition of state.
... That "thing/information" that you need to remember is called ...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
Is the term 'Front-End' synonymous with 'Client-Side'? If so, is this always the case?
As a relatively new (self-taught) web developer, I've heard the terms front-end, client-side, back-end, and server-side quite often. To me, front-end and back-end were always synonymous with ...
1
vote
2answers
714 views
Problem Understanding the IEEE definition of Software Engineering
Background
Software engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the design, development, operation, and maintenance of software, and the study of these ...
19
votes
7answers
1k views
Does software rot refer primarily to performance, or to messy code?
Wikipedia's definition of software rot focuses on the performance of the software. This is a different usage than I am used to; I had thought of it much more in terms of the cleanliness and design of ...
1
vote
3answers
525 views
Common header file for C++ and JavaScipt
I have an app that runs a C++ server backend and Javascript on the client. I would like to define certain strings once only, for both pieces of code. For example, I might have a CSS class ...
4
votes
3answers
166 views
Misunderstanding Scope in JavaScript?
I've seen a few other developers talk about binding scope in JavaScript but it has always seemed to me like this is an inaccurate phrase. The Function.prototype.call and Function.prototype.apply don't ...
7
votes
2answers
866 views
Parallelism implies concurrency but not the other way round right?
I often read that parallelism and concurrency are different things. Very often the answerers/commenters go as far as writing that they're two entirely different things. Yet in my view they're related ...
21
votes
4answers
988 views
What is the definition of “Big Data”?
Is there one?
All the definitions I can find describe the size, complexity / variety or velocity of the data.
Wikipedia's definition is the only one I've found with an actual number
Big data ...
7
votes
4answers
455 views
Definition of “state”
What is a good way to define "state", as in state variable or state machine, to a new (previously non) programmer? What are some good ways to explain why this concept is useful for writing software? ...
10
votes
2answers
1k views
When programmers talk about “data structures”, what are they referring to?
When programmers talk about "data structures", are they only talking about abstract data types like lists, trees, hashes, graphs, etc.?
Or does that term include any structure that holds data, such ...
0
votes
4answers
408 views
Is it fair to reduce OOP to mere hierarchical composition of data structures?
Meaning that OOP allows me to have data-trees, of arbitrary depth and breadth, with some leafs being functions (and those leafs would be called methods) ?
Because everything else that people often ...
3
votes
5answers
187 views
Term for Performance Issues Due to Looping
Is there a term for performance issues caused by someone creates a loop that performs hundreds or thousands of actions that could have been done in bulk?
My example is that I keep running into loops ...
84
votes
10answers
36k views
What is MVC, really? [closed]
As a serious programmer, how do you answer the question What is MVC?
In my mind, MVC is sort of a nebulous topic — and because of that, if your audience is a learner, then you're free to ...
6
votes
3answers
4k views
What is “Problem Domain”
I have to document my program for a school project and we have section called "problem domain" but I have no idea what to discuss in this section.
So the question is: What should be discussed in the ...
6
votes
3answers
8k views
PBI vs User Story
Recently an item has been added to the Product Backlog by product owner which says "When I go to login page from x page, I see an error. I want that error to be removed".
It seems to me that this is ...
9
votes
4answers
3k views
What “Industry Classification” is Computer Programming?
Whenever I fill out a survey (especially, but not limited to trade-papers/mags/sites), there’s one question (or any derivation thereof) that always trips me up:
Which industry classification best ...
8
votes
1answer
3k views
What is “friend” keyword used for?
Can you explain to me why the friend keyword is preferred for giving access rights to private data of class?
16
votes
1answer
2k views
AOP concepts explained for the dummy
I'm learning Aspect Oriented Programming and have isues understanding concepts. I'm not a bad programmer but my english is bad and can't understand fully the definitions.
Can someone explain AOP ...
61
votes
3answers
14k views
Correct definition of the term “Yak Shaving”
The wiktionary has two different definitions:
Any apparently useless activity which, by allowing you to overcome intermediate difficulties, allows you to solve a larger problem.
The actually ...
