# Glossary — DjangoPlay Documentation

**Project:** DjangoPlay Labs Documentation  
**Document Type:** Glossary  
**Last Updated:** 2026-03-28  
**Version:** 1.0  

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## 1. Overview

This glossary defines common terms used across DjangoPlay Labs projects and documentation.

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## 2. General Terms

| Term             | Definition                                         |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Application      | A software system built for a specific purpose     |
| Module           | A self-contained component within an application   |
| Service          | Business logic layer responsible for operations    |
| API              | Application Programming Interface                  |
| Endpoint         | A URL where an API can be accessed                 |
| Deployment       | Process of releasing software to a server          |
| Environment      | Runtime configuration (local, staging, production) |
| Runbook          | Operational procedures for maintaining systems     |
| ADR              | Architecture Decision Record                       |
| CI/CD            | Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment     |
| Monolith         | Single deployable application                      |
| Modular Monolith | Monolith divided into independent modules          |
| Microservice     | Independent deployable service                     |
| Reverse Proxy    | Server that forwards requests to backend servers   |
| Worker           | Background process handling tasks                  |
| Queue            | Message queue for background jobs                  |
| Cache            | Temporary storage for fast access                  |
| Broker           | Message transport system (e.g., Redis)             |

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## 3. Django / Backend Terms

| Term               | Definition                           |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------ |
| Model              | Database representation in Django    |
| Serializer         | Converts model data to JSON and back |
| View               | Handles HTTP requests                |
| ViewSet            | DRF view handling multiple actions   |
| Migration          | Database schema change               |
| ORM                | Object Relational Mapper             |
| Middleware         | Request/response processing layer    |
| Signal             | Event triggered on model actions     |
| Management Command | Custom Django CLI command            |

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## 4. Infrastructure Terms

| Term         | Definition                     |
| ------------ | ------------------------------ |
| Gunicorn     | Python WSGI application server |
| Nginx        | Reverse proxy and web server   |
| PostgreSQL   | Relational database            |
| Redis        | Cache and message broker       |
| Celery       | Background task processing     |
| systemd      | Linux service manager          |
| Static Files | CSS, JS, images                |
| Media Files  | User uploaded files            |
| Log Rotation | Automatic log file management  |

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## 5. Security Terms

| Term           | Definition                          |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Authentication | Verifying identity                  |
| Authorization  | Verifying permissions               |
| Encryption     | Protecting data using cryptography  |
| Secret         | Sensitive configuration value       |
| Token          | Authentication token                |
| OAuth          | Third-party authentication protocol |
| SSO            | Single Sign-On                      |
| HTTPS          | Secure HTTP protocol                |

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## 6. Documentation Terms

| Term                  | Definition                       |
| --------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| Architecture Document | System design documentation      |
| API Documentation     | API endpoint documentation       |
| Deployment Document   | Deployment instructions          |
| Runbook               | Operational procedures           |
| User Guide            | End user documentation           |
| Admin Guide           | Administrator documentation      |
| Template              | Documentation structure template |
| Documentation Portal  | Website hosting documentation    |