Methodology
/ see it · verify it · name it /
NameThatUI starts with a thing someone can see but cannot name. We identify the pixel first, then check the term against primary platform documentation, accessibility standards, and shipping APIs before a term is added.
How a term gets in
- 1
Start with the pixels. A term has to point to something visible and genuinely hard to describe. We do not add a name just because it sounds useful.
- 2
Check the platform. We verify the user-facing term in platform guidance, the code name in framework documentation, and the accessible role or behavior in the relevant standard.
- 3
Make the difference visible. The demo, anatomy, and plain-language explanation must make the term distinguishable from its nearest look-alikes without requiring prior vocabulary.
Sources we consult
The source depends on the claim. A design guide can name a visible pattern; a specification can define its semantics; framework documentation supplies the exact symbol a developer can use.
Apple platforms
Component terminology, platform behavior, documented anatomy, and exact SwiftUI, AppKit, and UIKit symbols.
Accessible web patterns
The web platform
Native HTML semantics and behavior, browser APIs, implementation context, and compatibility notes.
What real searches teach us
Official documentation tells us what a thing is called. Real searches tell us what people call it before they know the name. We study aggregate search misses, confirmed answers, and corrections to improve the phrases that lead to each entry.
That language improves findability and plain-English explanations; it does not overrule a standard or invent a component name. We do not publish raw query logs.
When names disagree
The same-looking element can have different names on the web and macOS—or even in AppKit and SwiftUI. We keep the platform attached to the term, prefer the platform owner’s wording for its own APIs, and show useful alternate names instead of pretending there is one universal vocabulary.
NameThatUI is independently researched, built, and maintained by Argo. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publishers linked above.