A community-driven resource for amateur radio enthusiasts

Glossary

Common terms used throughout this documentation and the codebase.

Technical Terms

Astro
The static site generator used to build this website. Astro compiles markdown and components into static HTML at build time. astro.build
Build Time
When the site is compiled from source files into deployable HTML. Changes to content require a rebuild to appear on the live site. Contrast with "runtime" (when a visitor views the page).
Collection
A group of related content files (e.g., articles, events, docs). Each collection has a schema that validates frontmatter. See Schema Reference.
Frontmatter
The metadata block at the top of a markdown file, enclosed in triple dashes (---). Contains structured data like title, date, and tags. 
---
title: "My Article"
date: 2026-01-15
tags: ["example"]
---
IANA Timezone
A standardized timezone identifier like America/Los_Angeles or America/New_York. Used instead of abbreviations (PST, EST) because those are ambiguous. Full list
Layout
An Astro component that wraps page content, providing consistent structure (header, footer, navigation). Pages specify their layout in frontmatter or imports.
Markdown
A lightweight markup language for formatting text. Files use the .md extension. Supports headings, lists, links, code blocks, and more. Syntax guide
Pull Request
A proposed change submitted through GitHub. Contributors create a branch, make changes, then request that those changes be "pulled" into the main codebase. Abbreviated as PR. See Pull Requests.
Schema
A definition of the structure and types for frontmatter fields. Defined using Zod in src/content/config.ts. Invalid frontmatter causes build failures with helpful error messages.
Slug
The URL-friendly identifier for a page, derived from the filename or folder name. For example, 2026-01-january-meeting becomes the URL /events/2026-01-january-meeting.
  • Use lowercase
  • Use hyphens instead of spaces
  • Avoid special characters
  • Keep it short but descriptive
Static Site
A website where all pages are pre-built as HTML files at build time, rather than generated on each request. Results in fast load times and simple hosting (like GitHub Pages).
View Transitions
A browser feature that animates between page navigations, making the site feel like a single-page application. Astro enables this with client-side routing while preserving the benefits of static pages.
YAML
The format used for frontmatter. Uses indentation for structure and colons for key-value pairs. 
title: "Example"
tags:
  - one
  - two
nested:
  key: value
Zod
A TypeScript-first schema validation library. Used to define and validate frontmatter schemas. Provides helpful error messages when content doesn't match the expected structure. zod.dev

Acronyms

API
Application Programming Interface. A set of functions that allow programs to interact with each other. In this context, usually refers to VS Code's extension API or Astro's content API.
CI
Continuous Integration. Automated processes that run when code is pushed, including builds, tests, and deployments. GitHub Actions runs our CI pipeline.
CSS
Cascading Style Sheets. The language used to style web pages—colors, fonts, spacing, and layout. This site uses CSS custom properties (variables) for consistent design tokens.
DPI
Dots Per Inch. A measure of display resolution. High-DPI displays (Retina, 4K) pack more pixels, requiring larger source images to appear sharp.
DST
Daylight Saving Time. The practice of advancing clocks during summer. IANA timezones handle DST automatically—America/Los_Angeles is PST in winter and PDT in summer.
E2E
End-to-End testing. Tests that simulate real user interactions with the full application. This site uses Playwright for E2E tests.
HTML
HyperText Markup Language. The standard language for web page structure. Astro compiles markdown and components into HTML at build time.
JSON
JavaScript Object Notation. A data format using key-value pairs and arrays. Used for configuration files like package.json and search indexes.
PR
Pull Request. See Pull Request.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization. Practices that help content appear in search results. Includes descriptive titles, meta descriptions, and semantic HTML.
SVG
Scalable Vector Graphics. An image format using mathematical shapes rather than pixels. SVGs scale perfectly to any size and work well for icons, logos, and diagrams.
UTC
Coordinated Universal Time. The primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks. Amateur radio often uses UTC for logging contacts and contest times. Equivalent to GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).
WebP
A modern image format developed by Google. Offers better compression than JPEG and PNG while maintaining quality. Astro automatically converts images to WebP at build time.