Okuzeka
Software Engineering vocabulary · Web, Mobile and Interface Development

Tap

Meaning in software engineering, with examples

/tæp/verbCore term

In software engineering, tap means: To touch the screen quickly with one finger to select something, for example a button, a link or an item in a list.

In Turkish: dokunmak, tıklamak

How it is used

The standard verb in mobile test steps, bug reports and UI text: tap the button, tap on the icon, double-tap to zoom. Also a noun: one tap, with a single tap. Related gestures are long press (press and hold), swipe and pinch.

Example sentences

  1. Tap the Save button twice quickly and the order is created twice.

  2. Users can share a photo with a single tap.

Common collocations

  • tap a button
  • tap on the icon
  • double-tap
  • with a single tap
  • tap target
  • swipeTo move a finger quickly across the screen in one direction, for example to see the next photo, delete an item in a list or go back.
  • scrollTo move the content of a screen up, down or sideways to see more of it, usually by sliding a finger across a list or page.
  • componentA reusable, self-contained piece of a user interface, such as a button, modal or product card, with its own markup, styles and logic.
  • pull to refreshA gesture in which the user drags the top of a list downward and releases it to load the newest content, while a small spinner shows that it is loading.

This word in other fields

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

More terms: Web, Mobile and Interface Development

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: