Glossary#

client-server-architecture #: A software design pattern used by Jupyter applications like JupyterLab. With this pattern, a server program (running on a user’s computer or on a server that can be accessed over a business or public network) provides access to stored information (in JupyterLab’s case, documents in a folder such as notebooks and other data files), and a client program (the web application and editing interface for JupyterLab in this case) connects to the server program to view and interact with that data.
console#: In modern times, a console refers to a simple text-based program where you type commands for your computer to run, also commonly called a terminal.
command line#: A simple text-based program where you type commands for your computer to run, also called a terminal or console.
Command Prompt#: On Windows, this is the application where commands are typed into a window for execution. Also see console, command line, or terminal.
conda#: The package management tool for Anaconda, which allows for easy installation of Python libraries and other tools into an environment.
config#: Refers to the configuration files, and related processes that affect how Jupyter behaves.
environment#: The name for the installed software, configurations, tools, and environment variables that collectively define what capabilities a computer system has and how it behaves. Missing or incorrect software, configurations or environment variables can cause software to malfunction, or software development processes to fail. See this link for more information.
environment variable#: See this wiki link for for information.
ipynb#: The file extension (.ipynb) for saved notebook files, commonly authored and edited with Jupyter web applications such as JupyterLab or Jupyter Notebook. It stands for «IPython Notebook».
IPython#: The earliest ancestor of Project Jupyter. It began as an improved interactive Python REPL, then expanded to also contain a stored notebook document format (.ipynb) and related tools, a web based document authoring and editing tool (IPython Notebook), and more. After the project became large enough, IPython was split into many separate projects under the Project Jupyter umbrella through The Big Split.
IPython Notebook#: An early ancestor of the Jupyter Notebook application, this was one of the first web-based applications for authoring and editing computational notebook documents.
ipywidgets#: A python package for Jupyter that allows Notebook applications to create and embed interface components like sliders or buttons in their notebooks.
Jovyan#: A term for fans of Jupyter and members of the Jupyter community. This term is derived from the astronomical term «Jovian», meaning «Like Jupiter».
Jupyter#: See Project Jupyter. Also occasionally used to refer to one of the Jupyter frontend notebook editing applications (Jupyter Notebook or JupyterLab) based on the context it’s used in (this ambiguous usage can lead to confusion, it’s better to use the actual name of the application).
Jupyter Notebook (Application)#: A simplified web application for authoring and editing computational notebooks in the .ipynb format (a notebook file is also commonly referred to as a Jupyter Notebook).
Jupyter Notebook (File Format)#: A common name for a saved .ipynb Notebook file. For instance, «I just made a Jupyter Notebook summarizing our lab results, I can send it to you later today.»
JupyterLab#: A modern web application for authoring and editing interactive computational notebooks.
kernel#: A kernel provides programming language support in Jupyter. IPython is the default kernel. Additional kernels include R, Julia, and many more.
Notebook#: The generic name for a computational notebook document, such as a saved .ipynb file format created by JupyterLab. Also sometimes used as a shorthand to refer to Jupyter Notebook, the notebook editing application.
Notebook Dashboard#: The notebook user interface in the Jupyter Notebook Application (see above) which shows a list of the notebooks, files, and subdirectories in the directory where the notebook server is started.
pip#: Python package manager.
profiles#: Not available in Jupyter. In IPython 3, profiles are collections of configuration and runtime files.
Project Jupyter#: The umbrella project for many related tools for interactive computing with interactive notebooks
REPL#: Stands for «read-eval-print-loop». An REPL is a program that reads user commands and inputs, evaluates them, and prints results for the user to view. These steps run in a perpetual loop, allowing the user to prototype code, interact with data, and view results on-the-fly, since the data and code stay open in memory after evaluation while the REPL is running.
terminal#: In modern times, a terminal refers to a simple text-based program where you type commands for your computer to run, also commonly called a console.
The Big Split#: An event and effort undertaken around 2015 by IPython developers to split up the then-massive IPython project into a series of smaller, more focused sub-projects under the Project Jupyter umbrella.
widget#: A user interface component from ipywidgets, similar to a plugin, that allows customized input, such as a slider.