Mental Model
An internal representation of how something works.
Definition
An internal representation of how something works. A strong mental model of software systems lets you predict behavior, diagnose problems, and learn new tools quickly because you understand the underlying patterns.
Example
If your mental model of the web includes 'browser sends request, server processes, server sends response,' you can understand any web framework instantly — because they all follow this same model.
See it in context Learn how Mental Model fits into the bigger picture of how software actually works.
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