retries

Definition

The programmer's mantra: 'Maybe if we just try again, this time it'll work.' A technical term for attempting an operation again after failure, though in practice it's often accompanied by aggressive key-mashing and prayer.

Example Usage

The API implements exponential backoff for retries, gradually increasing wait time between failed connection attempts.

Source: Software engineering terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

atomic operation

An operation that completes entirely or not at all, with no in-between states visible to other processes. Like Schrödinger's database transaction—it's either done or not done, never halfway.

💻 Tech / IT

Beginner

validation

The process of checking whether data actually makes sense before letting it wreak havoc in your system—like a bouncer for your database. In tech, it's the gatekeeping function that prevents users from entering "banana" as their birth date. In therapy-speak, it's getting someone to acknowledge your feelings, but programmers prefer the database version.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

NoSQL

A category of databases that don't use traditional SQL and relational tables, originally meaning 'No SQL' but rebranded to 'Not Only SQL' when developers realized they might still need SQL occasionally. It's for when you want to scale fast and define schemas never.

💻 Tech / IT

Advanced

rez

Gaming slang meaning to create, spawn, or materialize an object in a virtual environment, particularly in MMORPGs and virtual worlds like Second Life. Short for 'resurrect' or 'realize,' it's what you say when you're trying to manifest your digital stuff but the server gods are not cooperating. The virtual equivalent of pulling something out of thin air, except when lag says 'nah.'

💻 Tech / IT

Beginner

functionality

Corporate speak for "what this thing actually does" when stripped of marketing fluff and aspirational promises. In product development, it's the features that work versus the ones listed on the box; in trademark law, it's the legal concept that saves actually useful designs from being monopolized. The more someone emphasizes "rich functionality," the more likely you're getting a bloated mess of half-working features nobody asked for.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

initialize

The tech world's way of saying "set something up for the first time," whether that's assigning a starting value to a variable or formatting a hard drive. It's the digital equivalent of clearing the slate and establishing ground zero before things get complicated. Essentially, it's the computer science ritual of beginning with a clean, defined state before chaos ensues.

💻 Tech / IT

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