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This is the curriculum's reference layer — a glossary and a set of cheat sheets meant to sit open in a tab while you work through the other courses. This short page explains how to get the most from it.
What this reference is
Two things, both designed for lookup rather than linear reading:
- The Glossary — every term the curriculum uses, defined in one or two plain sentences, grouped by theme, each with a pointer to the course where it's taught in full. It's the antidote to the biggest beginner blocker: bouncing off unfamiliar jargon.
- The Cheat Sheets — compact quick-reference cards for the things you look up constantly: SQL patterns, shell/git/Docker commands, dbt and Dagster, the stack at a glance, and the decision heuristics that come up again and again.
How to use it
| When you… | Reach for… |
|---|---|
| Hit a word you don't know in any course | The Glossary (use Ctrl/⌘-F to jump to it) |
| Forget SQL window-function syntax mid-build | The SQL cheat sheet |
| Can't remember a git or Docker command | The commands cheat sheet |
| Aren't sure which option to pick (batch vs stream, etc.) | The decision-heuristics cheat sheet |
| Want the big picture of how terms relate | The Systems Design reference |
Nobody holds all of this in their head, and you're not expected to. Professionals look things up constantly. The skill is knowing what to look up and understanding the answer when you find it — which is exactly what the rest of the curriculum builds.
A note on the pointers
Most glossary entries end with a pointer like (Foundations, ch. 3) or (The DE Craft, ch. 7). That's the course and chapter where the term is taught properly. The glossary gives you the quick definition; the pointer takes you to the depth. Use the glossary to stay unblocked in the moment, and the pointer when you want to truly understand.
Next
Straight to the reference itself. → The Glossary