MCP (Model Context Protocol)
MCP is an open protocol that lets AI assistants and agents securely read data in a business system and propose changes to it - without a manual integration for every tool-and-AI-app pair. Apexloop supports an MCP server.
GlossaryNocode, data and AI terms, explained simply.
Aggregation (rollup)
An aggregation is a summary value calculated from related records - like the total of all a client's invoices or the count of open tasks on a project - with no manual adding up.
API
An API is an interface two software systems use to send and read data from each other - so an online store, accounting system or AI agent can work with data in your workspace.
Citizen developer
A citizen developer is someone without formal programming training who uses no-code or low-code tools to build their own apps and automations for their team.
Data model
A data model is the design of which entities (clients, jobs, invoices) a company tracks in its system and how they connect to each other - the foundation every database app is built on.
Entity
An entity is a type of thing a company tracks in its system - like a client, a job, an invoice or a task. Each entity has its own set of fields and its own database table.
Formula
A formula is a calculation the database runs automatically from values in other fields or related records - like a job's margin that computes itself from revenue and costs.
Kanban
Kanban displays records as cards split into columns by stage - like a job's or a task's status - and you can drag a card between stages with a mouse.
Low-code
Low-code is application development with minimal hand-written code - visual tools for most of the logic, but with the option to add custom code where the standard blocks fall short.
MVP (minimum viable product)
An MVP is the smallest version of a product or internal system that already solves the user's main problem, without the extra features that just delay launch.
No-code
No-code is a way of building software where the application is assembled from ready-made, visual building blocks - databases, views, forms and automations - instead of writing source code.
View
A view is a particular way of displaying the same data - as a table, kanban, calendar or chart - without the data ever needing to be copied or duplicated anywhere.
Prototype
A prototype is a quickly assembled demo of an app that shows off an idea or a screen, but lacks the data model, permissions and operations a business needs for everyday use.
Relation (database)
A relation is a connection between two entities in a database - like a client and their jobs - so the system knows what belongs to what and can compute summaries from it.
Relational database
A relational database keeps data in connected tables instead of isolated sheets - a change in one place (like a client's price) automatically shows up everywhere that record is used.
SaaS (software as a service)
SaaS is a model where you don't install or manage software yourself, but pay a monthly or annual subscription to use it over the web while the vendor handles operations and updates.
Column
A column is a single property the database tracks on a record - a name, an amount, a due date. Access to it can be set per role, not just for the whole table.
Technical debt
Technical debt is the accumulated cost of quick or makeshift decisions in code or a system, which a company eventually pays back in more expensive, slower maintenance.
Vibe coding
Vibe coding is a way of programming where an AI tool generates real source code from a natural-language prompt, and the person tests it rather than reading it line by line.
Webhook
A webhook is an automatic notification one system sends another the moment something happens - like a new order in your online store instantly creating a record in your system.
Record
A record is one specific item in a database - like one client, one job or one invoice - with its own values across every column of that entity.