Words you will see

Files and folders

These words describe the code you downloaded. The setup guides name them whenever they ask you to open or edit a file.

• Repository — the project folder plus its full change history, hosted on GitHub and copied to your computer.
• Clone — your own copy of a repository on your computer; the git clone command creates it.
• Monorepo — one repository holding several apps and shared packages; the All Platforms bundle is one.
• package.json — the file in every app or package that lists its name, its commands and the libraries it needs.
• pnpm-workspace.yaml — the file at the monorepo root listing which folders belong to the workspace.
• Lockfile — the file recording the exact version of every installed library, so each install matches.

Tools on your computer

Programs you install once before the first run. The guides name them in commands such as node --version.

• Terminal — the window where you type commands, such as PowerShell on Windows or Terminal on macOS.
• Node.js — the program that runs JavaScript outside a browser; the kit's server and scripts run on it.
• npm — the library installer bundled with Node.js; in this kit you mainly use it to reach Corepack.
• Corepack — the tool that switches on the exact package-manager version the project pins.
• pnpm — the package manager that downloads libraries and runs project scripts; reach it as corepack pnpm.
• Git — the tool that downloads your repository and records every change you make to it.
• Editor or IDE — the app where you open folders and edit files; the guides use Visual Studio Code.

Configuration words

Settings live in files, not in the terminal. These words cover where they sit and what they are called.

• Environment variable — a named setting such as EMAIL_PROVIDER=local that changes how the app behaves.
• .env — the file at the repository root holding settings for commands such as database migrations.
• .env.local — the settings file for one app, such as apps/web/.env.local for the web server.
• Secret — a value that must stay private, such as a password or signing key; never commit it or paste it into chats.
• API key — a secret string an outside service gives you so it recognizes your app as an allowed caller.
• Provider — an outside service the kit can use for AI, email, billing, storage and similar jobs.

Words the product uses

The running app and its settings screens use these terms. Workspace appears with two different meanings — check the context.

• Workspace — in the product, one team's separate users, data and settings; in pnpm commands, one package folder inside the monorepo, selected with --filter.
• Entitlement — the server's record that a workspace is allowed to use a paid feature.
• Migration — a versioned database change that creates or updates tables; you apply migrations with a command.
• Session — the signed-in state that tells the server who is asking, until it expires or you sign out.
• Webhook — a message an outside service sends to your app's URL when something happens, such as a paid invoice.
• Account vs organization — an account is one person's sign-in; an organization is the shared team space members join, also called a workspace.

Web development words

Terms the run, build and deploy guides use when you open the app in a browser.

Ctrl + C means press and hold Ctrl, tap C, then release — it stops the running command in a terminal.

• Learn commands, files and configuration hands-on
• How to use these docs

• localhost — the name for this computer in a browser address; your app runs there during development.
• Port — the numbered door after localhost, such as :3000; each running app uses a different one.
• Dev server — the command that keeps rebuilding and serving the app while you work; stop it with Ctrl + C.
• Build — the step that turns your source code into the optimized files a server deploys.
• Server rendering (SSR) — pages the server assembles before sending them, so the first view arrives complete.