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Reference

Dev Glossary

Terms and tools I keep learning — with context from this project.

API

Concept

A contract that lets two pieces of software talk to each other over HTTP. You send a request, you get a response. Everything else is built on top of this.

In this project: @google/genai calls Google's Gemini API under the hood.

SDK

Concept

A library in your language (JS, Python, etc.) that wraps a raw API so you don't have to write HTTP calls yourself.

In this project: @google/genai is Google's official JS SDK for their AI API.

CLI

Concept

A terminal tool you run as commands. Built for humans to use directly, not for code to call. Usually wraps an SDK or API underneath.

In this project: npm, vite, eslint, sharp-cli, netlify-cli, and claude-code are all CLIs used in this project.

MCP

Protocol

Model Context Protocol — a standard that lets AI models talk to external tools and data sources in a structured way. Like a plugin system for AI.

In this project: Figma, Ahrefs, Gmail, and Canva MCP servers are connected to Claude in this setup.

npm

Tool

Node Package Manager — installs, manages, and runs JavaScript packages and project scripts. Ships with Node.js.

In this project: Runs dev/build/lint scripts and installs all project dependencies.

Vite

Tool

A fast dev server and bundler for modern JS projects. Serves your app locally with hot reload and compiles it for production.

In this project: Powers npm run dev and npm run build.

ESLint

Tool

A linter — scans your code for errors, bad patterns, and style issues before you run it.

In this project: Configured for React + TypeScript, run via npm run lint.

sharp-cli

Tool

A command-line image processor. Resizes, compresses, and converts images (JPEG, WebP, AVIF) from the terminal.

In this project: Used to compress and resize images for the site before uploading.

netlify-cli

Tool

Netlify's CLI for deploying sites, managing environment variables, and running local dev with Netlify functions.

In this project: Used to deploy the site to Netlify from the terminal.

GSAP

Tool

GreenSock Animation Platform — a JS library for high-performance, timeline-based animations in the browser.

In this project: Used for complex animations throughout the site.

Lenis

Tool

A lightweight smooth-scroll library. Makes native browser scroll feel silky and controllable.

In this project: Initialized in App.tsx, applied globally across all pages.

@google/genai

Tool

Google's official JavaScript SDK for their Gemini AI models. Lets you call Gemini from JS/TS code without writing raw HTTP.

In this project: Installed and ready to use for AI features.

© 2026 Leonardo Cassone. All rights reserved.

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