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Software Engineering vocabulary · Web, Mobile and Interface Development

Handoff

Meaning in software engineering, with examples

/ˈhændɔːf/nounCore term

In software engineering, handoff means: The stage when designers pass finished designs, specs and assets to developers so they can build them, ideally with a walkthrough and clear notes.

In Turkish: handoff, geliştiriciye teslim, devir

How it is used

Tools such as Figma's Dev Mode show measurements, colours and code snippets for handoff. Teams talk about a smooth handoff, handoff notes and handoff meetings. The verb is two words: 'hand off the designs'.

Example sentences

  1. The handoff is on Monday, so every screen needs final specs by Friday.

  2. A good handoff includes empty states and error messages, not just the happy path.

Common collocations

  • design handoff
  • developer handoff
  • smooth handoff
  • handoff notes
  • pixel-perfectMatching the design exactly, down to every pixel of size, spacing and colour, especially when a built product is compared with the original design file.
  • design systemA shared collection of reusable components, design rules, tokens and documentation that keeps a company's products consistent and helps teams build faster.
  • edge caseAn unusual situation at the limits of what a program expects, such as an empty list, a very long name or a date like 29 February.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Web, Mobile and Interface Development

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