Terminology across platforms

Each of the GL libraries uses different terminology in its public APIs. This is because each library attempts to feel natural to developers on that platform.

Conflicts in usage

The following terms in the Mapbox Style Specification have different meanings on the native platforms. The table below examines these terms along with a limited selection of terms from the GL libraries’ public APIs. Definitions in italics denote concepts that the Mapbox GL developers have no control over.

Term	Web	iOS/macOS	Android
annotation	Directions API metadata	a point or shape overlay	Java language feature; Directions API metadata
attribute	part of an HTML element	vector tile metadata; Directions API metadata	—
bindings	Node something-something	reactive programming built into Objective-C	reactive programming in Java?
class	a way to toggle paint properties	language feature	language feature
filter	a way to hide features in a layer	Apple compositing feature	a way to hide features in a layer
function	JavaScript language feature; a variable property value	Objective-C language feature	Java language feature; a variable property value
id	unique identifier	Objective-C language keyword	unique identifier
layer	similar to an overlay, but part of the map	Apple animation feature	similar to an overlay, but part of the map
map view	an occasion a map is viewed	a container for a map	a container for a map
region	—	akin to bounding box	bundle of resources for offline usage
plugin	browser feature; GL helper library	GL helper library; obscure application extension feature (macOS)	GL helper library
point	1D shape	unit of distance; 1D shape	1D shape
property	JavaScript language feature; an option for a style layer or vector feature	Objective-C/Swift language feature	Java language feature; an option for a style layer or vector feature

Platform-specific naming conventions

These differences in terminology have led to a number of differences in the libraries’ public APIs, as illustrated in the following table. 🛣 denotes a term used in a client of the Mapbox Directions API that is used together with a GL library (Mapbox GL Directions, MapboxDirections.swift, Mapbox Java Services).

Web	iOS/macOS	Android	Qt
pixel	point	pixel	pixel
—	pixel	—	—
symbol	—	—	—
—	annotation	marker, annotation	annotation
marker	annotation view	marker view	—
sprite	annotation image	marker icon	annotation icon
popup	callout, callout view; popover (macOS)	info window	—
geometry	shape	geometry annotation	shape
source	content source	source	data source
GeoJSON source	shape source	GeoJSON source	GeoJSON data source
layer	style layer	layer	layer, style layer
—	OpenGL style layer	custom layer	custom layer
property	attribute	property	property
id	identifier	id	id
class	style class	—	class
image	style image	image	image
SDF icon	template image	—	—
function	style function	function	—
zoom function	camera style function	camera function	—
property function	source style function	source function	—
zoom-and-property function	composite style function	composite function	—
filter	predicate	filter	—
—	offline pack	offline region	—
—	offline region	offline region definition	—
—	offline storage	offline manager	offline cache database
attribution	attribution	attribution	copyrights
bearing	direction, heading	bearing	bearing
padding	edge insets, edge padding	content padding	margins
LngLat	coordinate	LatLng	coordinate
bounds, bbox	coordinate bounds, region	LatLng bounds	bounds
project/unproject	convert	project/unproject	—
camera options	map camera	camera	—
—	user location annotation view, user dot	my location view	—
event listener	observer	listener	signal
handler	gesture recognizer	—	—
—	swipe	swipe, fling	—
click	tap (iOS) / click (macOS)	click, touch	click
double-click	double-tap (iOS) / double-click (macOS)	double-touch	double-click
—	long tap (iOS) / press (macOS)	long click, long press	—
pan	pan, scroll	scroll	pan
scroll, zoom	pinch	pinch	scale
annotation 🛣	attribute	annotation	—