Words explained simply

Coding has a lot of new words. That can feel like walking into a room where everyone speaks a language you do not know yet.

Do not try to memorize this page. Just come back to it whenever a word shows up and you think, “Wait, what does that mean again?” That is exactly what it is for. 🙂

The words are grouped so related ideas sit near each other.

Where your work lives

File One document on your computer, like a single page in a notebook. A file has a name and it holds one thing, such as your web page or your notes.

Folder A container that holds files, like a drawer that holds many papers. Folders keep your files tidy so you can find them later. Folders can hold other folders too.

Repository The whole project folder that git watches over. People shorten it to “repo.” Think of it like a magic box that remembers every version of everything you have ever put inside it, so nothing is truly lost.

Commit A saved snapshot of your work at one moment. Think of it like a photo of your project as it looks right now. Later you can always go back and look at any photo you took.

Push Sending your saved commits from your computer up to the internet, usually to GitHub. Think of it like uploading your photos to a shared album so they are backed up and others can see them.

The three languages of a web page

HTML The language that holds the content of a web page: the words, the headings, the buttons. Think of it like the frame of a house. It gives the page its shape and its parts, but not its looks yet.

CSS The language that makes a page look nice: colors, sizes, spacing, fonts. Think of it like the paint and furniture inside the house. Same house, but now it has a look.

JavaScript The language that makes a page do things: react to clicks, change text, respond to you. Think of it like the electricity and wiring that make things work when you flip a switch. This is what makes a page feel alive.

Tag A small labeled piece of HTML that marks one part of your page, like a heading or a button. Think of it like a sticky note that says “this bit is a title” or “this bit is a paragraph.”

Ideas inside code

Function A named set of steps that does one job. Think of it like a recipe. You follow the same steps to get the same result, and you can reuse the recipe any time instead of writing it out again.

Event Something that happens that your code can react to, like a click, a key press, or the page loading. Think of it like a doorbell. When it rings, your code decides what to do next.

Bug A mistake in your code that makes it behave in a way you did not want. Every coder makes them, every single day. Think of it like a typo in a recipe that makes the cake come out wrong. You find it, you fix it, you move on. Bugs are normal, not a sign you are bad at this.

Your tools

Browser The app you use to look at web pages, like Chrome, Safari, or Firefox. Think of it like a window that turns code into the pages you see and click on.

MILO Short for Modular Intelligent Learning Orchestrator. Your friendly AI tutor — the brain behind the lessons. MILO greets you, explains things, reads the errors with you, and celebrates your wins. MILO is the brain; GetAdvice (a real public app at getadviceapp.com) is MILO’s friendly face. Think of MILO like a patient coding buddy sitting right next to you, ready to explain anything and help you build. That is the buddy this whole repo teaches you to work with.

Claude Code The app you open on your computer. It can read and write your real files and run commands for you. Think of it like the window where MILO lives: you open the repo in Claude Code, and MILO is right there to teach you.

Words from Level 2 and beyond

You’ll meet these once you start building bigger apps (Level 2) and shipping them (Levels 3–4). Here in plain English so they’re never total strangers. Skip this bit for now if you like. 🙂

Variable A named box that holds a value you want to remember, like a number or some text. Think of it like a labeled jar: you put something in, write a name on the jar, and grab it later by that name. You start using these in Lesson 10.

API A way for one program to ask another program for something over the internet — like a waiter who takes your order to the kitchen and brings the food back. Your app asks an API a question and gets data back. (Lesson 12.)

JSON A simple, tidy way to write down data so both people and programs can read it — labels and values, like a filled-in form. It’s how apps pass information around. (Lesson 11.)

localStorage A little storage box the browser keeps for your site, so your app can remember things — like a high score — even after the page is closed and reopened. (Lesson 11.)

Deploy (deployment) Putting your website or app onto the real internet at a real address, so anyone — not just you — can open it. “Going live.” (Levels 3–4.)

CI/CD A helper that checks your code automatically every time you save it to GitHub, and — if it passes — can even put it live for you. Think of it as a quality inspector standing on the line. (Lesson 22.)

One more word you’ll meet later

You do not need this one yet. No lesson so far uses it — it’s here just so the word isn’t a total stranger the day you first bump into it.

Terminal A text window where you type commands to your computer instead of clicking buttons. Think of it like sending short written instructions to your computer, and it writes back. It looks a little scary at first, then it becomes your friend. If your assistant can run commands, you can ask MILO to save your work. If you are in a free chat that cannot touch your files, Lesson 06 shows the three short commands you type here yourself.

Still stuck on a word?

If a word here is still fuzzy, that is completely fine. Paste this to MILO:

I read this word in my learning repo but I still don't fully get it: [WORD].
Explain it to me again with a brand-new everyday example, like I'm 13.

You never have to understand everything at once. One word at a time is exactly the right speed. 🌟