Terminology

• API (REST API): An API (Application Programming Interface) is a defined way for software systems to exchange data. A REST API is a common style of API that uses standard web methods (like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to let one program request or update information from another over the internet.

• Business logic: Business logic is the part of software that defines how decisions are made and actions are carried out based on the goals and rules of an organization. It represents the “real-world rules” of the business, such as how discounts are calculated, how eligibility is determined, or how approvals are handled.

• Inference: Inference is the process of reaching a conclusion from available information. In computing, it often refers to applying existing knowledge or models to new data in order to produce results, such as predicting an outcome or categorizing input.

• Message queue: A message queue is a system for reliably passing messages between different parts of software. Messages are stored until the receiving program is ready to process them, which helps keep systems decoupled and allows them to work at different speeds without losing data.

• Rule engine: A rule engine is software that evaluates information against a set of predefined rules. It allows decisions or actions to be automated by consistently applying “if condition, then result” logic, without needing to write custom code for each situation.

• (SQL) database: A SQL database is a system for storing, organizing, and retrieving structured information. Data is arranged in tables with rows and columns, and SQL (Structured Query Language) is used to query, update, and manage the stored information.