Boilerplate

A boilerplate is a collection of code snippets and assets that can be reused to boost development.

When building an application, there are some basic global requirements as setting up the compiler, creating the app structure, setting up Redux or Apollo, etc. Rather than rebuilding these every time, developers use boilerplates.

Example

In the 1890s, boilerplate was actually cast or stamped in metal ready for the printing press and distributed to newspapers around the United States. Until the 1950s, thousands of newspapers received and used this kind of boilerplate from the nation’s largest supplier, the Western Newspaper Union. Some companies also sent out press releases as boilerplate so that they had to be printed as written.

Further Reading

• Here’s a Wikipedia article that talks about its history and provides a good overview.