Glossary

Glossary#

application programming interface (API)#: An application programming interface or API is the medium, method, and rules through which a user interacts with software. The API includes a medium which can be a command line interface on a specific local terminal or a graphical user interface. The API also defines the commands through which a user interacts with the software.
benevolent dictator#: TODO: Make benevolent dictator entry…
Bitbucket#: Bitbucket or Bitbucket.org is a cloud source code management service platform designed to enable scalable, efficient, and secure version controlled collaboration by linking local Git version controlled software development by developers.
Bitkeeper#: TODO: Put Bitkeeper definition here…
Box, Inc.#: TODO: Box Inc. definition… University file sharing company…
branch#: TODO: define branch
calibration#: TODO
centralized version control system#: A centralized version control system or CVCS is an approach to version control in which all the files in a repository as well as the change history (content and timing) are located on a central remote server. User’s check out versions of files from the repository and check them back in, creating new change history on the central server.
clone#: Clone can be a verb or a noun in the context of Git software. A clone is a local copy of a remote repository with its entire Git distributed version control system history. To clone a repository is to use the git clone [repo path] command to copy a remote repository to your local machine with the accompanying Git version control history.
cloud#: Cloud can be a descriptor or a noun. As a descriptor, cloud refers to computational resources, such as servers, that are accessed remotely via the internet. As a noun, remote computational resources and storage can be referred to generically as “the cloud”.
command line interface#: TODO: A command line interface or CLI…
commit#: TODO: Commit can be a verb or a noun. Define commit…
continuous integration#: Continuous integration or continuous integration unit testing is…
data generating process (DGP)#: The broadest definition of a data generating process (DGP) is a complete description of the mechanism that causes some observed phenomenon with all its dependencies. Unfortunately, in most realistic systems, this definition is too complex. A more practical definition of a data generating process is a simplified version of the process that causes some observed phenomenon with its key dependencies. The concept of a DGP is very similar to the concept of a model . A key characteristic of a DGP is that it must be specified in such as way that it could be used to simulate data.
distributed version control system#: A distributed version control system or DVCS is version control system software on any computer, local or remote, that tracks the entire history of changes to a repository and coordinates and organizes collaboration among multiple users. It is distributed in the sense that multiple clones of a single remote repository have the same full history of that repository.
Dropbox#: TODO: define Dropbox
endogenous variables#: Endogenous variables are outputs of the model or dependent on exogenous variables. These can include portions of the data \(x\), sometimes designated as \(y\) as in \(y = g(x,\theta)\).
exogenous variables#: Exogenous variables are inputs to the model, taken as given, or from outside the model. These can include both data \(x\) and parameters \(\theta\).
fork#: TODO: define fork
Git#: Git is open source version control system software with capability designed to also operate as distributed version control system (DVCS) software that resides on your local computer and tracks changes and the history of changes to all the files in a directory or repository. See the Git website https://git-scm.com/ and the Git Wikipedia entry [Wikipedia Contributors, 2020] for more information.
GitHub#: GitHub or GitHub.com is a cloud source code management service platform designed to enable scalable, efficient, and secure version controlled collaboration by linking local Git version controlled software development by users. GitHub’s main business footprint is hosting a collection of millions of version controlled code repositories. In addition to being a platform for distributed version control system (DVCS), GitHub’s primary features include code review, project management, continuous integration unit testing, GitHub actions, and associated web page (GitHub pages) and documentation hosting and deployment.
GitHub actions#: GitHub actions
GitLab#: TODO: define GitLab…
Google Docs#: TODO: define Google Docs
Google Drive#: TODO: define Google Drive
graphical user interface#: A graphical user interface or GUI…
integrated development environment#: Integrated development environment or IDE is a software application that comsolidates many of the functions of software development under one program. IDE’s often include a code editor, object memory and identification, debugger, and build automation tools. (See IDE Wikipedia entry [Wikipedia Contributors, 2020].)
Linux#: TODO: write Linux description…
local#: Local is a descriptor that refers to files that reside or operations that are performed on a user’s machine to which he or she has direct access without using the internet.
local version control system#: A local version control system or LVCS is the simplest and most common approach to VCS. LVCS stores all the changes to the files in a repository locally on the user’s machine as a series of changes or deltas in the files. This is the approach taken by Apple’s Time Machine backup software as most software that includes an “undo” function.
merge#: TODO: create merge entry…
model#: A model is a set of cause and effect mathematical relationships, often specified with parameters \(\theta\), among data \(x\) or \((x,y)\) used to understand, explain, and predict phenomena. A model might be specified as \(g(x,\theta) = 0\) or \(y = g(x,\theta)\), where \(g\) is a function or vector of functions that represents the mathematical relationships between variables and parameters.
OG-Core#: OG-Core is an open source large scale overlapping generations macroeconomic model of fiscal policy. This model is general and is a dependency of country calibrations that use OG-Core, such as OG-USA.
open source#: Open source is a descriptor that is usually applied to software or computer code projects, but can also be applied to any project based upon or represented by digital files. An open source project is one in which the source code is freely available to be downloaded and used and in which collaboration, improvements, and changes to the code are encouraged. The free download and use (outward direction) aspect of open source is often emphasized. But the collaboration and improvement contribution (inward direction) aspect is at least as important. Git and GitHub have enabled efficient and scalable collaboration to a degree not seen in other collaborative workflows.
pull request#: TODO: define pull request…
reduced form estimation#: TODO
reduced form model#: A reduced form model in economics is a model in which the equations are either not derived from behavioral equations or are only implicitly a linear approximation of some more complicated model. However, because they are atheoretical and often nonparametric, machine learning models can be categorized as reduced form. Reduced form models are most often static, although time series econometric models are categorized as reduced form.
remote#: Remote is a descriptor that refers to files that reside or operations that are carried out on a server to which a user has access using the internet.
repository#: A repository or “repo” is a directory containing files that are tracked by a version control system. A local repository resides on a local machine. A remote repository resides in the cloud.
source code management service#: A source code management service is a cloud platform that hosts computer code files and provides either centralized version control system (CVCS) or distributed version control system. As the central hub of either CVCS or DVCS, the source code management service provides the platform and rules for distributed code collaboration. Leading examples are GitHub and Bitbucket.
structural estimation#: TODO
structural model#: A structural model in economics is a model in which the mathematical relationships among variables and parameters are derived from individuals’, firms’, or other organizations’ optimization. These are often referred to as behavioral equations. Structural models can include linear models and linear approximations. But most often, structural models are nonlinear and dynamic.
unit testing#: Unit testing is…
version control system#: Version control system or version control software or VCS is software that records changes to a set of files, including the order in which the changes were made and the content of those changes, in such a way that previous versions can be recalled or restored.
Visual Studio Code (VS Code)#: Visual Studio Code or VS Code is an open source text editor maintained by Microsoft.