A glossary is an organized collection of project or domain terms and explanations. It gives everyone a shared vocabulary, especially when developers, nondevelopers, and people with different experience levels work together. section 1.3.1 section 7.3.3
A useful project glossary should:
- Define technical terms and acronyms, including acronyms written in full and explanations of what they do. section 1.3.1 section 7.3.3
- Include terms from the architecture diagram and link those terms to the diagram. section 1.3.1
- Use a readable structure, such as alphabetical order, industry categories, or organizational terminology. section 1.3.1
- Separate background knowledge for industry-standard terms and link to existing documentation. section 1.3.1
- Keep the glossary accessible to the whole team and maintain it as terminology changes. section 1.3.1 section 7.3.3
A glossary prevents project confusion
A nondeveloper sees an acronym in a project discussion and finds its full meaning, purpose, and relationship to the architecture diagram in the shared glossary. Developers can use the same reference to clarify terminology without assuming everyone already understands it. section 1.3.1 section 7.3.3
