scaffolding
n.a basic structure that helps you start a project quickly. In building, it is the metal frame workers stand on; in software, it is the initial code that a tool creates for you.
n.a temporary framework used to support a structure or provide a base for development. In a technical context, it refers to the automated generation of boilerplate code to expedite the creation of a software application.
“The developer used a tool to generate the database scaffolding.”
“By using a scaffolding command, the team created the entire folder structure and basic routing for the new web application in seconds.”
“While the generated scaffolding provides a functional skeleton for the project, developers must eventually replace these generic components with custom logic to meet specific business requirements.”
“Without this structural scaffolding, the mystery loses its momentum.”
“As in her 2023 Women’s prize-shortlisted debut, Fire Rush , music provides the novel’s connective tissue and emotional scaffolding.”
Inherited from Middle English scaffaldyng, skaffaldyng, equivalent to scaffold + -ing.
From scaffold + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.