0 00

’00

Ihe ew
Over
7,600
Terms
Additional Terms
Available On Line
Quarterly

0 iiiU our:
lull I I-

Apple 1014
U.S. Pat. 6,470,399
PUBLISHED BY
Microsoft Press
A Division of Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, Washington 98052-6399
Copyright ' 1997 by Microsoft Corporation
All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Microsoft Press Computer Dictionary. -- 3rd ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-57231-446-X
1. Computers--Dictionaries. 2. Microcomputers--Dictionaries.
I. Microsoft Press.
QA76.15.M54 1997
004’.03--dc21 97-15489
CIP
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
3456789 QMQM 21098
Distributed to the book trade in Canada by Macmillan of Canada, a division of Canada Publishing
Corporation.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Microsoft Press books are available through booksellers and distributors worldwide. For further
information about international editions, contact your local Microsoft Corporation office. Or contact
Microsoft Press International directly at fax (425) 936-7329.
Macintosh, Power Macintosh, QuickTime, and TrueType are registered trademarks of Apple Computer,
Inc. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. Directlnput, DirectX, Microsoft, Microsoft
Press, MS-DOS, Visual Basic, Visual C++, Win32, Win32s, Windows, Windows NT, and XENIX are
registered trademarks and ActiveMovie, ActiveX, and Visual J++ are trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation. Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Other product and company names
mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Acquisitions Editor: Kim Fryer
Project Editor: Maureen Williams Zimmerman, Anne Taussig
Technical Editors: Dail Magee Jr., Gary Nelson, Jean Ross, Jim Fuchs, John Conrow, Kurt Meyer,
Robert Lyon, Roslyn Lutsch
 the change with each sample as needed, thus
increasing the effective bit resolution of the data.
Acronym: ADPCM (AD-P-C-M). See also pulse
code modulation. Compare adaptive differential
pulse code modulation.
adaptive differential pulse code modulation
\ -daptiv dif-r-enshl puls kOd moj--lashn,
mo-dy-1ªshn\ n. A digital audio compression
algorithm that stores a sample as the difference
between a linear combination of previous samples
and the actual sample, rather than the measure-
ment itself. The linear combination formula is
modified every few samples to minimize the
dynamic range of the output signal, resulting in
efficient storage. See also pulse code modulation.
Compare adaptive delta pulse code modulation.
adaptive system \ -dap tiv sistm\ n. A system
that is capable of altering its behavior based on
certain features of its experience or environment.
See also expert system.
ADB \KD-B\ n. See Apple Desktop Bus.
ADC \KD-C\ n. See analog-to-digital converter.
A-D converter \A-D’ kn-vrtr\ n. See analog-
to-digital converter.
adder \adm\ n. 1. A CPU (central processing
unit) component that adds two numbers sent to it
by processing instructions. See also central pro-
cessing unit. 2. A circuit that sums the amplitudes
of two input signals. See also full adder, half
adder.
add-in \adin\ n. See add-on.
addition record \-dishn rekrd\ n. 1. A file
that describes new record entries (such as a new
customer, employee, or product) in a database so
that they can later be scrutinized and posted. 2. A
record in a change file specifying a new entry. See
also change file.
add-on \adon\ n. 1. A hardware device, such as
an expansion board or chip, that can be added to
a computer to expand its capabilities. Also called
add-in. See also open architecture (definition 2).
2. A supplemental program that can extend the
capabilities of an application program. See also
utility program.
address’ \adres, -dres\ n. 1. A number specify -
ing a location in memory where data is stored. See
also absolute address, address space, physical
address, virtual address. 2. A name or token spec-
U
I!,
ifying a particular site on the Internet or other net-
work. 3. A code used to specify an e-mail
destination.
address \adres, -dres\ vb. To reference a par-
ticular storage location.
addressable cursor \-dres-bl kursr\ n. A
cursor programmed so that it can be moved to any
location on the screen, as by means of the key-
board or a mouse.
address book \adres b(Tk, -dres\ n. 1. In an
e-mail program, a reference section listing e-mail
addresses and individuals’ names. 2. As a Web
page, an informal e-mail or URL phone book. See
the illustration.
address bus \adres bus, -dres\ n. A hardware
path usually consisting of 20 to 64 separate lines
used to carry the signals specifying a memory
location. See also bus.
address decoder \adres dº-k ,5dr, -dres\ n.
An electronic device that converts a numeric
address so as to select a memory location on one
or more RAM chips.
addressing \-dresºng, adres-ºng\ n. The pro-
cess of assigning or referring to an address. In
programming, the address is typically a value
specifying a memory location. See also address’.
address mapping table \adres map ’ºng tªbl, -
dres\ n. A table used by routers or Domain Name
System (DNS) servers to resolve Internet Protocol
UP) addresses from a text entry such as a name.
amplitude
Amiga.
amplitude \ ampl-td \ n. A measure of the
strength of a signal, such as sound or voltage,
determined by the distance from the baseline to
the peak of the waveform. See also waveform.
amplitude modulation \ampl-td moj--lª -
shun, mod-y-lashn\ n. A method of encoding
information in a transmission, such as radio, using
a carrier wave of constant frequency but of varying
amplitude. See the illustration. Acronym: AM (AM).
AMPS \KM-P-S\ n. Acronym for Advanced
Mobile Phone Service. One of the original cellular
phone services, relying on frequency-division
multiplexing.
Encoding signal
/ analog signal generator \an-log sig-nl jenr-
/
Carrier wave
Amplitude modulation.
analog-to-digital converter
AMPS/NAMPS \ amps N amps, A-M-P-SNA-M-P -
S\ n. See AMPS, NAMPS.
AMT \KM-T\ n. See address mapping table.
.an \dotA-N\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in the Netherlands Antilles.
analog \ an-log \ adj. Pertaining to or being a
device or signal having the property of continu-
ously varying in strength or quantity, such as volt-
age or audio. Compare digital (definition 2).
analog channel \an-log chanol\ n. A communi-
cations channel, such as a voice-grade telephone
line, carrying signals that vary continuously and
can assume any value within a specified range.
analog computer \an-log km-pytr\ n. A
computer that measures data varying continuously
in value, such as speed or temperature.
analog data \an-log dªt, dat\ n. Data that is
represented by continuous variations in some
physical property, such as voltage, frequency, or
pressure. Compare digital data transmission.
analog display \ an-log dis-plª’ \ n. A video dis-
play capable of depicting a continuous range of
colors or shades rather than discrete values. Com-
pare digital display.
analog line \ an-log lin \ n. A communications
line, such as a standard telephone line, that carries
continuously varying signals.
ª-tr\ n. A device that generates continuously vari-
able signals and is sometimes used to activate an
actuator in a disk drive. See also actuator.
analog-to-digital converter \ an-log-t-difi-tl
kn-vrtor\ n. A device that converts a continu-
ously varying (analog) signal, such as sound or volt-
age, from a monitoring instrument to binary code
for use by a computer. See the illustration. Acro-
nym: ADC (A’D-C). Also called A-D converter. See
also modem. Compare digital-to-analog converter.
Analog-to-digital converter.
 information (such as a memory address, a data
type, or an actual value). See also binding time,
dynamic binding, static binding.
binding time \ bin dºng tim" \ n. The point in a
program’s use at which binding of information
occurs, usually in reference to program elements
being bound to their storage locations and values.
The most common binding times are during com-
pilation (compile-time binding), during linking
(link-time binding), and during program execution
(run-time binding). See also bind, compile-time
binding, link-time binding, run-time binding.
BinHex 1 \binheks\ n. 1. A code for converting
binary data files into ASCII text so they can be
transmitted via e-mail to another computer or in a
newsgroup post. This method can be used when
standard ASCII characters are needed for transmis-
sion, as they are on the Internet. BinHex is used
most frequently by Mac users, See also MIME.
2. An Apple Macintosh program for converting
binary data files into ASCII text and vice versa
using the BinHex code. Compare uudecode’,
uuencode 1 .
BinHex 2 \bin’heks\ vb. To convert a binary file
into printable 7-bit ASCII text or to convert the
resulting ASCII text file back to binary format
using the BinHex program. Compare uudecode 2 , that has only two stable states. The transition
uuencode 2 .
binomial distribution \ bi-n"mº-1 dis-tr-bydO
shn\ n. In statistics, a list or a function that
describes the probabilities of the possible values
of a random variable chosen by means of a Ber-
noulli sampling process. A Bernoulli process has
three characteristics: each trial has only two possi-
ble outcomessuccess or failure; each trial is
independent of all other trials; and the probability
of success for each trial is constant. A binomial dis-
tribution can be used to calculate the probability
of getting a specified number of successes in a
Bernoulli process. For example, the binomial dis-
tribution can be used to calculate the probability
of getting a 7 three times in 20 rolls of a pair of
dice. Also called Bernoulli distribution.
bionics \bi-on"iks"\ n. The study of living organ-
isms, their characteristics, and the ways they func-
tion, with a view toward creating hardware that
can simulate or duplicate the activities of a biologi-
cal system. See also cybernetics.
BIOS \bi"Os, B"I-O-S’\ n. Acronym for basic
input/output system. On PC-compatible comput-
ers, the set of essential software routines that test
hardware at startup, start the operating system,
and support the transfer of data among hardware
devices. The BIOS is stored in read-only memory
(ROM) so that it can be executed when the com-
puter is turned on. Although critical to perfor-
mance, the BIOS is usually invisible to computer
users. See also AMI BIOS, CMOS setup, Phoenix
BIOS, ROM BIOS. Compare Toolbox.
bipolar \bi"plr\ adj. 1. Having two opposite
states, such as positive and negative. 2. In infor-
mation transfer and processing, pertaining to or
characteristic of a signal in which opposite volt-
age polarities represent on and off, true and
false, or some other pair of values. See also non-
return to zero. Compare unipolar. 3. In electron-
ics, pertaining to or characteristic of a transistor
having two types of charge carriers. See also tran-
sistor.
BIS \B"I-S’\ n. See business information system.
bistable \bi"stª’bl\ adj. Of, pertaining to, or char -
acteristic of a system or device that has two possi-
ble states, such as on and off. See also flip-flop.
bistable circuit \bi-stª"bl sr’kt\ n. Any circuit
between them must be initiated from outside the
circuit. A bistable circuit is capable of storing 1 bit
of information.
bistable multivibrator \bi-stª"bl mul-ti-vi"brª-
tar, mul-tº-vi"brª-tr\ n. See flip-flop.
BISYNC \bisºnk\ n. Short for binary synchro-
nous communications protocol. A communica-
tions standard developed by IBM. BISYNC
transmissions are encoded in either ASCII or
EBCDIC. Messages can be of any length and are
sent in units called frames, optionally preceded by
a message header. BISYNC uses synchronous
transmission, in which message elements are sep-
arated by a specific time interval, so each frame is
preceded and followed by special characters that
enable the sending and receiving machines to syn-
chronize their clocks. STX and ETX are control
characters that mark the beginning and end of the
message text; BCC is a set of characters used to
verify the accuracy of transmission. See the illus-
tration on the next page. Also called BSC.
bm
superimposed on another image. Action or objects
are filmed against a blue screen. The desired back-
ground is filmed separately, and the shot contain-
ing the action or objects is superimposed onto the
background. The result is one image where the
blue screen disappears.
.bm \dotB-M\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in Bermuda.
.bmp \dot-BM-P\ n. The file extension that iden-
tifies raster graphics stored in bit map file format.
See also bit map.
.bn \dotB-N\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in Brunei Darussalam.
BNC connector \B-N-C k-nektr\ n. A connec-
tor for coaxial cables that locks when one
connector is inserted into another and rotated 90
degrees. BNC connectors are often used with
closed-circuit television. See the illustration. See
also coaxial cable.
BNC connector. Male (left) and female
(right) BNC connectors.
.bo \dotB-O\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in Bolivia.
board \brd\ n. An electronic module consisting
of chips and other electronic components
mounted on a flat, rigid substrate on which con-
ductive paths are laid between the components. A
personal computer contains a main board, called
the motherboard, which usually has the micropro-
cessor on it and slots into which other, smaller
boards, called cards or adapters, can be plugged
to expand the functionality of the main system,
such as to connect to monitors, disk drives, or a
network. See also adapter, card (definition 1),
motherboard.
board computer \bOrd km-pytr\ n. See
single-board.
5W
board level \brd levl\ n. A level of focus in
troubleshooting and repair that involves tracking
down a problem in a computer to a circuit board
and replacing the board. This is in contrast to the
component level, which involves repairing the
board itself. In many cases board-level repairs are
made in order to quickly restore the device to
working condition; the boards replaced are then
repaired and tested for use in later board-level
repairs. See also circuit board.
body \bodº\ n. In e-mail and Internet news-
groups, the content of a message. The body of a
message follows the header, which contains infor -
mation about the sender, origin, and destination of
the message. See also header (definition I).
body face \bodº fªs\ n. A typeface suitable for
the main text in a document rather than for head-
ings and titles. Because of their readability, fonts
having serifs, such as Times and Palatino, are good
body faces, although sans serif faces can also be
used as body text. See also sans serif, serif. Com-
pare display face.
BOF \BO-F, bof\ n. 1. Acronym for birds of a
feather. Meetings of special interest groups at
trade shows, conferences, and conventions. BOF
sessions provide an opportunity for people work-
ing on the same technology at different companies
or research institutions to meet and exchange their
experiences. 2. See beginning-of-file.
boilerplate \ boi lr-plªt \ n. Recyclable text; a
piece of writing or code, such as an organization’s
mission statement or the graphics code that prints
a software company’s logo, which can be used
over and over in many different documents. The
size of boilerplate text can range from a paragraph
or two to many pages. It is, essentially, generic
composition that can be written once, saved on
disk, and merged, either verbatim or with slight
modification, into whatever documents or pro-
grams later require it.
boldface \bldfªs\ n. A type style that makes the
text to which it is applied appear darker and
heavier than the surrounding text. Some applica-
tions allow the user to apply a "Bold" command to
selected text; other programs require that special
codes be embedded in the text before and after
words that are to be printed in boldface. This sen-
tence appears in boldface.

bubble memory \buVl memr-º\ n. Memory
formed by a series of persistent magnetic "hubbies"
in a thin film substrate. In contrast to ROM, infor-
mation can be written to bubble memory. In contrast
to RAM, data written to bubble memory remains
there until it is changed, even when the computer
is turned off. For this reason, bubble memory has
had some application in environments in which a
computer system must be able to recover with min-
imal data loss in the event of a power failure. The
use of and demand for bubble memory has all but
disappeared because of the introduction of flash
memory, which is less expensive and easier to pro-
duce. See also flash memory, nonvolatile memory.
bubble sort \ hub 1 srt \ n. A sorting algorithm
that starts at the end of a list with n elements and
moves all the way through, testing the value of each
adjacent pair of items and swapping them if they
aren’t in the right order. The entire process is then
repeated for the remaining n - 1 items in the list,
and so on, until the list is completely sorted, with
the largest value at the end of the list. A bubble sort
is so named because the "lightest" item in a list (the
smallest) will figuratively "bubble up" to the top of
the list first; then the next-lightest item bubbles up
to its position, and so on. See the illustration. Also
called exchange sort. See also algorithm, sort. Com-
pare insertion sort, merge sort, quicksort.
List to be sorted
3 incorrect results. Minor bugs, such as a cursor
Compared last (::::4
Compared third
Compared second
5.
Compared first
1 yet are bugs that damage saved data without
List after first List after second
pass pass
1 1
3 2
4 3
2 4
5 5
Bubble sort.
IVI
a
bug-
bubble storage \bubl stªrj\ n. See bubble
memory.
bucket \bukt\ n. A region of memory that is
addressable as an entity and can be used as a
receptacle to hold data. See also bit bucket.
buffer’ \bufr\ n. A region of memory reserved
for use as an intermediate repository in which data
is temporarily held while waiting to be transferred
between two locations, as between an applica-
tion’s data area and an input/output device. A
device or its adapter may in turn use a buffer to
store data awaiting transfer to the computer or
processing by the device.
buffer \bufr\ vb. To use a region of memory to
hold data that is waiting to be transferred, espe-
cially to or from input/output (I/O) devices such
as disk drives and serial ports.
buffer pool \bufr pbl\ n. A group of memory
or storage-device locations that are allocated for
temporary storage, especially during transfer oper-
ations.
buffer storage \bufr stOrj\ n. 1. The use of a
special area in memory to hold data temporarily
for processing until a program or operating system
is ready to deal with it. 2. An area of storage that
is used to hold data to be passed between devices
that are not synchronized or have different bit
transfer rates.
bug \bug\ n. 1. An error in coding or logic that
causes a program to malfunction or to produce
that does not behave as expected, can be incon-
venient or frustrating, but do not damage infor-
mation. More severe hugs can require the user to
restart the program or the computer, losing what-
ever previous work had not been saved. Worse
alerting the user. All such errors must be found
and corrected by the process known as debug-
ging. Because of the potential risk to important
data, commercial application programs are tested
and debugged as completely as possible before
release. After the program becomes available,
further minor bugs are corrected in the next
update. A more severe bug can sometimes be
fixed with a piece of software called a patch,
which circumvents the problem or in some other
way alleviates its effects. See also beta test,
censorware :
usually delete highly controversial and obscene
content or content that is on a different topic from
that followed by the newsgroup. Online services
have identifiable owners, who often take some
share of responsibility for what reaches their users’
computer screens. In some countries, censorship
of certain political or cultural Web sites is a matter
of national policy.
censorware \ sensr-wr \ n. Software that
imposes restrictions on what Internet sites, news-
groups, or files may he accessed by the user.
center \sentr\ vb. To align characters around a
point located in the middle of a line, page, or
other defined area; in effect, to place text an
equal distance from each margin or border. See
also align (definition 1).
centi- \senti-, sent-\ prefix 1. One hundred.
2. One hundredth, as in centimeterone hun-
dredth of a meter.
centralized processing \ sen trn-lizd pros es-eng\
n. The location of computer processing facilities
and operations in a single (centralized) place.
Compare decentralized processing, distributed
processing.
central office \sentrl of is\ n. In communica-
tions, the switching center where interconnections
between customers’ communications lines are
made.
central processing unit \sentrl proses-ºng yd-
nit\ n. The computational and control unit of a
computer. The central processing unit is the
device that interprets and executes instructions.
Mainframes and early minicomputers contained
circuit boards full of integrated circuits that imple-
mented the central processing unit. Single-chip
central processing units, called microprocessors,
made possible personal computers and worksta-
tions. Examples of single-chip central processing
units are the Motorola 68000, 68020, and 68030
chips and the Intel 8080, 8086, 80286, 80386, and
i486 chips. The central processing unitor micro-
processor, in the case of a microcomputerhas
the ability to fetch, decode, and execute instruc-
tions and to transfer information to and from other
resources over the computer’s main data-transfer
path, the bus. By definition, the central processing
unit is the chip that functions as the "brain" of a
computer. In some instances, however, the term
U.
$141
U
..certitkation1
encompasses both the processor and the com-
puter’s memory or, even more broadly, the main
computer console (as opposed to peripheral
equipment). Acronym: CPU (CP-U). See also
microprocessor.
Centronics parallel interface \ sen-tron iks pr -
lel intr-fªs\ n. A de facto standard for parallel
data exchange paths between computers and
peripherals, originally developed by the printer
manufacturer Centronics, Inc. The Centronics par-
allel interface provides eight parallel data lines
plus additional lines for control and status infor-
mation. See also parallel interface.
CERN \srn, CE-R-N\ n. Acronym for Conseil
EuropØen pour la Recherche NuclØaire (the Euro-
pean Laboratory for Particle Physics). CERN, a
physics research center located in Geneva, Swit-
zerland, is where the original development of the
World Wide Web took place by Tim Berners-Lee
in 1989 as a method to facilitate communication
among members of the scientific community. See
also NCSA (definition 1).
CERN server \srn srvr, CE-R-N\ n. One of
the first Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) serv -
ers, developed at CERN by Tim Berners-Lee. The
CERN server is still in wide use and is free of
charge. See also CERN, HTTP server (definition 1).
CERT \srt, CE-R-T\ n. Acronym for Computer
Emergency Response Team. An organization that
provides a round-the-clock security consultation
service for Internet users and provides advisories
whenever new virus programs and other com-
puter security threats are discovered.
certification n. 1. The act of
awarding a document to demonstrate a computer
professional’s competence in a particular field.
Some hardware and software suppliers, such as
Microsoft and Novell, offer certification in the use
of their products; other organizations, such as the
Institute for Certification of Computer Profession-
als (ICCP) and the Computing Technology Indus-
try Association (CompTIA), offer more general
certification. 2. The act of awarding a document to
demonstrate that a hardware or software product
meets some specification, such as being able to
work with a certain other hardware or software
product. 3. The issuance of a notice that a user or
site is trusted for the purpose of security and
churn rate \churn rªt\ n. The rate of customer
subscription turnover. In beeper, cell phone, and
online businesses it is common for customers to
drop their monthly subscriptions, creating a churn
rate as high as 2 or 3 percent per month. High
churn rates are costly to companies because
attracting new subscribers through advertising and
promotion is expensive.
.ci \dotC-V\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in the Ivory Coast.
CIDR \CI-D-R\ n. See classless interdomain rout-
ing.
CIFS \CI-F-S\ n. See Common Internet File System.
CIM \CI-M\ n. 1. Acronym for computer-inte-
grated manufacturing. The use of computers,
communication lines, and specialized software to
automate both the managerial functions and the
operational activities involved in the manufactur -
ing process. A common database is used in all
aspects of the process, from design through
assembly, accounting, and resource management.
Advanced CIM systems integrate computer-aided
design and engineering (CAD/CAE), material
requirements planning (MRP), and robotic assem-
bly control to provide "paperless" management of
the entire manufacturing process. 2. Acronym for
computer-input microfilm. A process in which
information stored on microfilm is scanned and
the data (both text and graphics) converted into
codes that can be used and manipulated by a com-
puter. Computer-input microfilm is similar to pro-
cesses such as optical character recognition, in
which images on paper are scanned and con-
verted to text or graphics. Compare COM (defini-
tion 4).
.cincinnati.oh.us \ dot-sin-s-naC º-dot-O-I-F dot-
U-S\ n. On the Internet, the major geographic
domain specifying that an address is located in
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States.
cipher \siir\ n. 1. A code. 2. An encoded char -
acter. 3. A zero.
circuit \srkt\ n. 1. Any path that can carry elec-
trical current. 2. A combination of electrical com-
ponents interconnected to perform a particular
task. At one level, a computer consists of a single
circuit; at another, it consists of hundreds of inter -
connected circuits.
U..!
94
I
circuit analyzer \srkt an--lFzr\ n. Any
device for measuring one or more characteristics
of an electrical circuit. Voltage, current, and resis-
tance are the characteristics most commonly mea-
sured. Oscilloscopes are circuit analyzers.
circuit board \srkt brd\ n. A flat piece of
insulating material, such as epoxy or phenolic
resin, on which electrical components are
mounted and interconnected to form a circuit.
Most modern circuit boards use patterns of cop-
per foil to interconnect the components. The foil
layers may be on one or both sides of the board
and, in more advanced designs, in several layers
within the board. A printed circuit board is one in
which the pattern of copper foil is laid down by a
printing process such as photolithography. See
the illustration. See also board, printed circuit
board.
Circuit board.
circuit breaker \srkt brªkr\ n. A switch that
opens and cuts off the flow of current when the
current exceeds a certain level. Circuit breakers
are placed at critical points in circuits to protect
against damage that could result from excessive
current flow, which is typically caused by compo-
nent failure. Circuit breakers are often used in
place of fuses because they need only to be reset
rather than replaced. Compare surge protector.
circuit card \srkt krd\ n. See circuit board.
Circuit Data Services \srkt dªt srvi-ss,
dat\ n. A GTE service that uses circuit switching
technology to provide fast data transfer using a
laptop computer and cellular telephone. Acronym:
CDS (CD-S). See also circuit switching.
[ommunications Act of 1934.
both privately owned and public-access network
computers. See also asynchronous transmission,
CCITT, channel (definition 2), communications
protocol, IEEE, ISDN, ISO/OSI model, LAN,
modem, network, synchronous transmission.
Compare data transmission, telecommunications,
teleprocess.
Communications Act of 1934 \k-myd-n-kª -
shnz akt v nintºn-thr-tº-fr\ n. See FCC.
communications channel \ k-my-n-kª shnz
chan1\ n. See channel (definition 2).
communications controller \ k-myd-n-ka -
shnz kn-trªlr\ n. A device used as an interme-
diary in transferring communications to and from
the host computer to which it is connected. By
relieving the host computer of the actual tasks of
sending, receiving, deciphering, and checking
transmissions for errors, a communications con-
troller helps to make efficient use of the host com-
puter’s processing timetime that might be better
used for noncommunications tasks. A communica-
tions controller can be either a programmable
machine in its own right or a nonprogrammable
device designed to follow certain communications
protocols. See also front-end processor (defini-
tion 2).
communications link \ k-my-no-ka shonz
1ºnk \ n. The connection between computers that
enables data transfer.
communications network \ k-my6-n-kªsh3nz
netwrk\ n. See network.
communications parameter \ k-myd-n-kª --
shnz par-am-tr\ n. Any of several settings
required in order to enable computers to commu-
nicate. In asynchronous communications, for
example, modem speed, number of data bits and
stop bits, and type of parity are parameters that
must be set correctly to establish communication
between two modems.
communications port \ k-myO-n-kª shnz
port \ n. See COM (definition 1).
communications program \ k-my-n-kashnz
program\ n. A software program that enables a
computer to connect with another computer and
to exchange information. For initiating communi-
cations, communications programs perform such
tasks as maintaining communications parameters,
storing and dialing phone numbers automatically,
iu:i
recording and executing logon procedures, and
repeatedly dialing busy lines. Once a connection
is made, communications programs can also be
instructed to save incoming messages on disk or to
find and transmit disk files. During communica-
tion, these types of programs perform the major,
and usually invisible, tasks of encoding data, coor -
dinating transmissions to and from the distant
computer, and checking incoming data for trans-
mission errors.
communications protocol \ k-my3b-n-kashnz
prot-kol\ n. A set of rules or standards designed
to enable computers to connect with one another
and to exchange information with as little error as
possible. The protocol generally accepted for stan-
dardizing overall computer communications is a
seven-layer set of hardware and software guide-
lines known as the OSI (Open Systems Intercon-
nection) model. A somewhat different standard,
widely used before the OSI model was developed,
is IBM’s SNA (Systems Network Architecture). The
word protocol is often used, sometimes confus-
ingly, in reference to a multitude of standards
affecting different aspects of communication, such
as file transfer (for example, XMODEM and ZMO-
DEM), handshaking (for example, XON/XOFF),
and network transmissions (for example, CSMA/
CD). See also ISO/OSI model, SNA.
communications satellite \ k-my-n-kashnz
sat-lit\ n. A satellite stationed in geosynchro-
nous orbit that acts as a microwave relay station,
receiving signals sent from a ground-based station
(earth station), amplifying them, and retransmit-
ting them on a different frequency to another
ground-based station. Initially used for telephone
and television signals, communications satellites
can also be used for high-speed transmission of
computer data. Two factors affecting the use of
satellites with computers, however, are propaga-
tion delay (the time lag caused by the distance
traveled by the signal) and security concerns. See
also downlink, uplink.
communications server \ k-my-n-ka shnz
srvr\ n. A gateway that translates packets on
a local area network (LAN) into asynchronous
signals, such as those used on telephone lines
or in RS-232-C serial communications, and allows
all nodes on the LAN access to its modems or
computer-assisted instruction -
Cal application programs can help to determine
the cause, symptoms, and treatment of a problem
as well as to maintain a record of a patient’s medi-
cal history and test results. See also expert system.
computer-assisted instruction \ km-pyd tr--
si-stud in-strukshn\ n. See CAT.
computer-assisted learning \ km-pydb tr--
sistd lrneng\ n. The use of computers and
their multimedia abilities to present information
for educational purposes.
computer-assisted teaching \ km-pyd tr--si-
stud techeng\ n. See CAT.
computer-based learning \ km-pydb tr-bªsd
lrneng\ n. See CBL.
computer-based training \ km-pydb tr-bsd
trªnŁng\ n. See CBT.
computer center \knm-pydbtnr sentr\ n. A
centralized location that contains computers, such
as mainframes or minicomputers, along with asso-
ciated equipment for providing data processing
services to a group of people.
computer conferencing \krn-pybtnr konfrn-
seng\ n. Person-to-person interaction through the
use of computers located in different places but
connected through communications facilities.
computer control console \ km-py3b tr kn-
trl konsl\ n. See system console.
computer crime \ km-pyO tr krTm \ n. The
illegal use of a computer by an unauthorized indi-
vidual, either for pleasure (as by a computer
hacker) or for profit (as by a thief). See also hacker
(definition 2).
computer-dependent \ km-py tr d-pen -
dnt\ adj. See hardware-dependent.
Computer Emergency Response Team \ km-
pyFitr º-mrjn-sº r-spons tºm\ n. See CERT.
computer engineering \ km-pydb tr en-jo-
nºreng\ n. The discipline that involves the design
and underlying philosophies involved in the
development of computer hardware.
computer family \km-pydbtr fam-lº\ n. A
term commonly used to indicate a group of com-
puters that are built around the same microproces-
sor or around a series of related microprocessors
and that share significant design features. For
example, the Apple Macintosh computers, from
the original Macintosh (introduced in 1984) to the
Quadra, represent a family designed by Apple
U
Computer Graphics Metafile
around the Motorola 68000, 68020, 68030, and
68040 microprocessors. Computer families tend to
parallel microprocessor families, but this is not
always the case. For instance, Macintoshes are no
longer made with 680x0 processors, and the Mac-
intosh family has "extended" to another genera-
tion: the Power Macs, based on the PowerPC
microprocessor.
computer game \kam-py3’tar gam\ n. A class
of computer program in which one or more users
interact with the computer as a form of entertain-
ment. Computer games run the gamut from simple
alphabet games for toddlers to chess, treasure
hunts, war games, and simulations of world
events. The games are controlled from a keyboard
or with a joystick or other device and are supplied
on disks, on CD-ROMs, as game cartridges, or as
arcade devices.
computer graphics \km-pydbtr grafiks\ n.
The display of "pictures," as opposed to only
alphabetic and numeric characters, on a computer
screen. Computer graphics encompasses different
methods of generating, displaying, and storing
information. Thus, computer graphics can refer to
the creation of business charts and diagrams; the
display of drawings, italic characters, and mouse
pointers on the screen; or the way images are
generated and displayed on the screen. See also
graphics mode, presentation graphics, raster graph-
ics, vector graphics.
Computer Graphics Interface \ km-pydb tr
grafiks intr-fªs\ n. A software standard applied
to computer graphics devices, such as printers and
plotters. Computer Graphics Interface is an off-
shoot of a widely recognized graphics standard
called GKS (Graphical Kernel System), which pro-
vides applications programmers with standard
methods of creating, manipulating, and displaying
or printing computer graphics. Acronym: CGI
(CG-V). See also Graphical Kernel System.
Computer Graphics Metafile \ km-pyb tr
graIiks met-fTl\ n. A software standard related
to the widely recognized GKS (Graphical Kernel
System) that provides applications programmers
with a standard means of describing a graphic as
a set of instructions for re-creating it. A graphics
metafile can be stored on disk or sent to an output
device; Computer Graphics Metafile provides a

control signal \kn-trl signl\ n. An electronic
signal used to control internal or external devices
or processes.
control statement \kn-trªl stªtmnt\ n. A
statement that affects the flow of execution
through a program. Control statements include
conditional statements (CASE, IF-THEN-ELSE),
iterative statements (DO, FOR, REPEAT, WHILE),
and transfer statements (GOTO). See also condi-
tional statement, iterative statement, statement,
transfer statement.
control strip \kn-trl strip\ n. 1. An equipment
calibration tool used to determine the corrections
needed to restore accuracy by comparing
recorded data against known values. 2. A utility
that groups shortcuts to commonly used items or
information, such as time, battery power level,
desktop items, and programs, in an easily acces-
sible place. See also shortcut.
control structure \kn-trl strukchur\ n. A por-
tion of a program defined by the relationship
between the statements, used in structured pro-
gramming. There are three basic control struc-
tures: sequence, where one statement simply
follows another; selection, where program flow
depends on which criteria are met; and iteration,
where an action is repeated until some condition
occurs.
control unit \kn-trl ybnit\ n. A device or cir-
cuit that performs an arbitrating or regulating func-
tion. For example, a memory controller chip
controls access to a computer’s memory and is the
control unit for that memory.
control variable \kn-trl vrº--bl\ n. In pro-
gramming, the variable in a control statement that
dictates the flow of execution. For example, the
index variable in a FOR loop controls the number
of times a group of statements are executed. See
also control statement.
convention \ kn-venshn \ n. Any standard that
is used more or less universally in a given situa-
tion. Many conventions are applied to microcom-
puters. In programming, for example, a language
such as C relies on formally accepted symbols
and abbreviations that must be used in programs.
Less formally, programmers usually adopt the
convention of indenting subordinate instructions
in a routine so that the structure of the program is
"U
COflVer sjoi
more easily visualized. National and international
committees often discuss and arbitrate conve n-
tions for programming languages, data structures’
communication standards, and device characteris-
tics. See also CCITT, ISO, NTSC, standard (defini
tion 1).
conventional memory \ kn-ven shn-1 meri.
n. The amount of RAM addressable by an
IBM PC or compatible machine operating in real
mode. This is typically 640 kilobytes (KB). With-
out the use of special techniques, conventional
memory is the only kind of RAM accessible to
MS-DOS programs. See also protected mode, real
mode. Compare expanded memory, extended
memory.
convergence \ kn-vrns \ n. A coming to-
gether. Convergence can occur between different
disciplines and technologies, as when telephone
communications and computing converge in the
field of telecommunications. It can also Occur
within a program, such as a spreadsheet, when a
circular set of formulas are repeatedly recalculated
(iterated), with the results of each iteration coming
closer to a true solution.
conversational \ kon vr-sª sh-nl\ adj. Of, per-
taining to, or characteristic of the mode of opera-
tion, typical of microcomputers, in which the
computer user and the system engage in a dia-
logue of commands and system responses. See
also interactive.
conversational interaction \ kon-vr-sª sh-nl
in-tar-akshn\ n. Interaction in which two or
more parties alternately transmit and receive
messages from each other. See also interactive
processing.
conversational language \ kon-vr-sª sh-nl
langwj\ n. Any programming language that
allows the programmer to instruct the computer in
a conversational mode, as opposed to more for-
mal, structured languages. For example, in a
COBOL program, in order to execute a procedure
called CHECK 10 times, a program would use the
following statement: PERFORM CHECK 10
TIMES.
conversational mode \konvor-sªsh-nl md\
n. See conversational.
conversion \kn-vrzhn\ n. The process of
changing from one form or format to another;

device dependence \d-vis d-pendns\ n. The
requirement that a particular device be present or
available for the use of a program, interface, or
protocol. Device dependence in a program is
often considered unfortunate because the program
either is limited to one system or requires adjust-
ments for every other type of system on which it
is to run. Compare device independence.
device driver \d-vis driTvr\ n. A software com-
ponent that permits a computer system to commu-
nicate with a device. In most cases, the driver also
manipulates the hardware in order to transmit the
data to the device. However, device drivers asso-
ciated with application packages typically perform
only the data translation; these higher-level drivers
then rely on lower-level drivers to actually send
the data to the device. Many devices, especially
video adapters on PC-compatible computers, will
not work properlyif at allwithout the correct
device drivers installed in the system.
device independence \ d-vis’ in-do-pen dns\
n. A characteristic of a program, interface, or pro-
tocol that supports software operations that pro-
duce similar results on a wide variety of hardware.
For example, the PostScript language is a device-
independent page description language because
programs issuing PostScript drawing and text com-
mands need not be customized for each potential
printer. Compare device dependence.
device-independent bitmap \ d-vTs in-d-pen -
dnt bitThap\ n. See DIB.
device manager \d-vTs man-jor\ n. A software
utility that allows viewing and changing hardware
configuration settings, such as interrupts, base
addresses, and serial communication parameters.
Device Manager \d-vis man-jr\ n. In Win-
dows 95, a function within the System Properties
utility that indicates device conflicts and other
problems and allows a user to change the proper -
ties of the computer and each device attached to
it. See also property, property sheet.
device name \d-vTs nªm\ n. The label by
which a computer system component is identified
by the operating system. MS-DOS, for example,
uses the device name COM1 to identify the first
serial communications port.
device resolution \d-vis rez -1shn\ n. See
resolution (definition 1).
1411
1-11,
diacritica1rnar
DFS \DF-S\ n. See distributed file system.
DGIS \DG-I-S\ n. Acronym for Direct Graphics
Interface Specification.. An interface developed by
Graphics Software Systems. DGIS is firmware
(generally implemented in ROM on a video
adapter) that allows a program to display graphics
on a video display through an extension to the
IBM BIOS Interrupt 10H interface.
DHCP \DH-C-P\ n. Acronym for Dynamic
Host Configuration Protocol. A TCP/IP protocol
that enables a network connected to the Internet
to assign a temporary IP address to a host auto-
matically when the host connects to the network.
See also IP address, TCP/IP. Compare dynamic
SLIP.
Dhrystone \drUstn\ n. A general-performance
benchmarking test, originally developed by Rhein-
hold Weicker in 1984 to measure and compare
computer performance. The test reports general
system performance in dhrystones per second. It
is intended to replace the older and less reliable
Whetstone benchmark. The Dhrystone bench-
mark, like most benchmarks, consists of standard
code revised periodically to minimize unfair
advantages to certain combinations of hardware,
compiler, and environment. Dhrystone concen-
trates on string handling and uses no floating-
point operations. Like most benchmarking tests, it
is heavily influenced by hardware and software
design, such as compiler and linker options, code
optimizing, cache memory, wait states, and integer
data types. See also benchmark 2 . Compare sieve of
Eratosthenes, Whetstone.
DIA \DI-A\ n. Acronym for Document Inter-
change Architecture. A document exchange
guideline used in IBM’s Systems Network Archi-
tecture (SNA). DIA specifies methods of organiz-
ing and addressing documents for transmission
between computers of different sizes and models.
DIA is supported by IBM’s Advanced Program-to-
Program Communication (APPC) and by Logical
Unit (LU) 6.2, which establish the capabilities and
types of interactions possible in an SNA environ-
ment. See also DCA (definition 1), SNA.
diacritical mark \di--kriti-k1 mrk\ n. An
accent mark above, below, or through a written
characterfor example, the acute () and grave C)
accents.
digicash
-e
C
Time
Differentiator. An example of the action of a
dfferentiator circuit.
subscribers in place of the multiple individual
posts that the digest contains. If the mailing list is
moderated, the digest may be edited. See also
moderated.
digicash \dijikash\ n. See c-money.
digit \dijit\ n. One of the characters used to
indicate a whole number (unit) in a numbering
system. In any numbering system, the number of
possible digits is equal to the base, or radix,
used. For example, the decimal (base-10) system
has 10 digits, 0 through 9; the binary (base-2)
system has 2 digits, 0 and 1; and the hexadecimal
(base-16) system has 16 digits, 0 through 9 and A
through F.
digital \diji-tl\ adj. 1. Related to digits or the
way they are represented. 2. In computing, analo-
gous to binary because the computers familiar to
most people process information coded as combi-
nations of binary digits (bits). Compare analog.
digital audio disc \ dij i-tl d’&-6 disk’, 6 clº-O\
n. See compact disc.
digital audio tape \diji-tl dº- tap, dº-
tap\ n. A magnetic tape storage medium for
recording digitally encoded audio information.
Acronym: DAT (dat, DA-T).
digital audio/video connector \ dij i-tl a dº-ª-
vidº-O k-nektr, dº-\ n. An interface on
some high-end video cards or TV tuner cards that
allows the simultaneous transmission of digital
audio and video signals. Also called DAV connec-
tor. See also interface (definition 3), video
adapter.
digital camera \ diji-tl kamr-, kamr\ n. A
type of camera that stores photographed images
electronically instead of on traditional film. A dig-
ital camera uses a CCD (charge-coupled device)
up
1411411
digital fin e
element to capture the image through the lens
when the operator releases the shutter in the cam-
era; circuitry within the camera then stores the
image captured by the CCD in a storage medium
such as solid-state memory or a hard disk. After
the image has been captured, it is downloaded by
cable to the computer using software supplied
with the camera. Once stored in the computer, the
image can be manipulated and processed much
like the image from a scanner or related input
device. See also charge-coupled device.
digital cash \dij-i-tl kash\ n. See c-money.
digital communications \ dij i-tl k-myb-n-
kªshnz\ n. Exchange of communications in
which all information is transmitted in binary-
encoded (digital) form.
digital computer \diji-tl km-pydb’Ir\ n. A
computer in which operations are based on two or
more discrete states. Binary digital computers are
based on two states, logical "on" and "off," repre-
sented by two voltage levels, arrangements of
which are used to represent all types of informa-
tionnumbers, letters, graphics symbols, and pro-
gram instructions. Within such a computer, the
states of various circuit components change con-
tinuously to move, operate on, and save this infor -
mation. Compare analog computer.
Digital Darkroom \diji-tl drkrFm\ n. A Mac-
intosh program developed by Silicon Beach Soft-
ware for enhancement of black-and-white
photographs or scanned images.
digital data transmission \ dif i-t1 dª t tranz-
mishn, dat\ n. The transfer of information
encoded as a series of bits rather than as a fluctu-
ating (analog) signal in a communications chan-
nel.
digital display \diji-tl dis-plª\ n. A video dis-
play capable of rendering only a fixed number of
colors or gray shades. Examples of digital displays
are IBM’s Monochrome Display, Color/Graphics
Display, and Enhanced Color Display. See also
CGA, EGA, MDA. Compare analog display.
digital line \diji-tl 11n\ n. A communications
line that carries information only in binary-
encoded (digital) form. To minimize distortion and
noise interference, a digital line uses repeaters to
regenerate the signal periodically during transmis-
sion. See also repeater. Compare analog line.
digital linear tape \diji-tl linº-r tªp\ n. A
magnetic storage medium used to back up data.
Digital linear tape allows for faster transfer of data
compared with other tape technologies. Acronym:
DLT (DL-T).
Digital Micromirror Display \ dij i-tl mF kr-
mºr-r dis-plª\ n. The circuit technology behind
Texas Instruments’ Digital Projection System. An
array of individually addressable mirrors on a chip,
each less than 0.002 mm wide, rotate to reflect
light into the lens of the projection system, creat-
ing a bright, full-color display. Displays can be
combined to create high-definition systems of
1,920 x 1,035 (1,987,200) pixels with 64 million
colors. Acronym: DMD (DM-D9.
digital photography \difi-tl f-togr-fº\ n.
Photography by means of a digital camera. Digital
photography differs from conventional photogra-
phy in that a digital camera does not use a silver
halidebased film to capture an image. Instead, a
digital camera captures and stores each image
electronically. See also digital camera.
digital proof \difi-tl prbf\ n. See direct digital
color proof.
digital recording \ dij i-tl r-kordeng\ n. The
storage of information in binary-encoded (digi-
tal) format. Digital recording converts informa-
tiontext, graphics, sound, or picturesto
strings of is and Os that can be physically repre-
sented on a storage medium. Digital recording
media include computer disks and tapes, optical
(or compact) discs, and ROM cartridges of the
type used for some software and many computer
games.
digital signal \diji-tl signl\ n. A signal, such as
one transmitted within or between computers, in
which information is represented by discrete
statesfor example, high and low voltages
rather than by fluctuating levels in a continuous
stream, as in an analog signal.
digital signal processor \ dif i-tl signal pros es-
n. An integrated circuit designed for high-
speed data manipulation and used in audio,
communications, image manipulation, and other
data acquisition and data control applications.
Acronym: DSP (D’S-P’).
digital signature \diji-tl sign-chur\ n. A per-
sonal authentication method based on encryption
14115
and secret authorization codes used for "signing"
electronic documents.
Digital Simultaneous Voice and Data \ dif i-tl
sFmul-tªnº-s vois and dªt, dat\ n. A modem
technology, patented by Multi-Tech Systems, Inc.,
that allows a single telephone line to be used for
conversation together with data transfer. This is
accomplished by switching to packet-mode com-
munications when the need for voice transfer is
detected; digitized voice packets are then trans-
ferred along with data and command packets.
Acronym: DSVD (DS-V-D).
digital sort \difi-tl sOrt\ n. A type of ordering
process in which record numbers or their key val-
ues are sorted digit by digit, beginning with the
least significant (rightmost) digit. Also called radix
sort.
digital speech \difi-tl spºch\ n. See speech syn-
thesis.
digital subscriber line \ dif i-tl sub-skri br lin \
n. An ISDN BRI (Basic Rate Interface) line or chan-
nel. Acronym. DSL (D’S-L’). See also BRI, ISDN.
digital-to-analog converter \ dif i-tl-t-an -
log kn-vr-tor\ n. A device that translates digital
data to an analog signal. A digital-to-analog con-
verter takes a succession of discrete digital values
as input and creates an analog signal whose ampli-
tude corresponds, moment by moment, to each
digital value. See the illustration. Acronym: DAC
(DA-C). Compare analog-to-digital converter.
Digital Analog
input output
Digital-to-analog converter.
digital versatile disc \difi-t1 vrs-tol disk\ n.
See digital video disc.
digital video disc \difi-tl vidº- disk\ n. The
next generation of optical disc storage technology.
With digital video disc technology, video, audio,
and computer data can be encoded onto a corn-
pact disc (CD). A digital video disc can store
greater amounts of data than a traditional CD. A
standard single-layer, single-sided digital video

drill down \dril doun\ vb. To start at a top-level
menu, directory, or Web page and pass through
several intermediate menus, directories, or linked
pages, until the file, page, menu command, or
other item being sought is reached. Drilling down
is common practice in searching for files or infor -
mation on the Internet, where high-level Gopher
menus and World Wide Web pages are frequently
very general and become more specific at each
lower level. See the illustration. See also Gopher,
menu, Web page.
Drill down.
drive \drTv\ n. See disk drive.
drive bay \driv bª\ n. A hollow, rectangular area
in a computer chassis designed to hold a disk
drive. A drive bay always has side walls, usually
made of metal, that generally contain holes to
facilitate installation of a disk drive. Some drive
bays, such as those intended to hold hard disks,
are not visible to the user. Most drives are located
on the front of the chassis so that the user can
interact with the drive.
drive letter \drv 1etr\ n. The naming conven-
tion for disk drives on IBM and compatible com-
puters. Drives are named by letter, beginning with
A, followed by a colon.
drive mapping \driv mapeng\ n. The assign-
ment of a letter or name to a disk drive so that the
operating system or network server can identify
and locate it. For example, in PCs, the primary
drive mappings are A: and B: for floppy disk drives
and C: for the hard disk. See also A:, disk drive,
hard disk.
jA
U. ,
dru in
drive number \driv numbr\ n. The naming
convention for Macintosh disk drives. For exam-
ple, a two-drive system calls its drives 0 and 1.
driver \drivar\ n. A hardware device or a pro-
gram that controls or regulates another device. A
line driver, for example, boosts signals transmitted
over a communications line. A device driver is a
device-specific control program that enables a
computer to work with a particular device, such as
a printer or a disk drive. See also device driver.
DRO \DR-O\ n. Acronym for destructive read-
out. See destructive read.
drop cap \drop kap\ n. A large capital letter at
the beginning of a text block that occupies the ver-
tical depth of two or more lines of regular text. See
the illustration.
Jih sectetuer sed
adipsicing
elite in sed
L. JIlL utm diam
nonummy nibh wisi
tincidunt eusismond ut
laoreet dolore
Drop cap.
drop-dead halt \dropded hlC\ n. See dead halt.
drop-down menu \dropdoun menyF\ n. A
menu that drops from the menu bar when
requested and remains open without further
action until the user closes it or chooses a menu
item. Compare pull-down menu.
drop in \drop in\ vb. To read a spurious signal
during a data read/write operation, producing
erroneous data.
droplet \droplit\ n. 1. An extension for Quark
Express that allows files to be dragged onto a page
from the finder. 2. A feature from Frontier that
allows scripts to be embedded within an applica-
tion and run when the application is double-
clicked. 3. A general name for any AppleScript
program that allows files to be dragged and
dropped into it for processing. See also Apple-
Script.
drop out \drop ouC\ vb. To lose the signal
momentarily during a data read/write operation,
thus producing erroneous data.
drum \drum\ n. A rotating cylinder used with
some printers and plotters and (in the early days
 allows for faster read times than DRAM of compa-
rable speed by allowing a new read cycle to begin
while data is being read from a previous cycle.
This allows for faster overall system performance.
Compare dynamic RAM, EDO RAM.
EDO RAM \ED-O ram, R-A-M\ n. Acronym for
extended data out random access memory. A
type of dynamic RAM that keeps data available for
the CPU while the next memory access is being
initialized, resulting in increased speed. Pentium-
class computers using Intel’s Triton chip set are
designed to take advantage of EDO RAM. See also
central processing unit, dynamic RAM. Compare
EDO DRAM.
EDP \ED-P\ n. Acronym for electronic data pro-
cessing. See data processing.
.edu \dot-ED-U\ n. In the Internet’s Domain
Name System, the top-level domain that identifies
addresses operated by four-year, degreed educa-
tional institutions. The domain name .edu appears
as a suffix at the end of the address. In the United
States, schools that offer kindergarten through
high school classes use the top-level domain of
112.us or just .us. See also .k12.us, .us, DNS (def -
inition 1), domain (definition 3). Compare .com,
.gov, .mil, .net, org.
edutainment \ ej db-tªnmnt, edydb-tanmnt\
n. Multimedia content in software, on CD-ROM, or
on a Web site that purports to educate the user as
well as entertain. See also multimedia.
.ee \dotE-E\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in Estonia.
EEMS \EE-M-S\ n. Acronym for Enhanced
Expanded Memory Specification. A superset of the
original Expanded Memory Specification (EMS).
Version 3.0 of EMS allowed only storage of data
and supported 4-page frames. EEMS allowed up to
64 pages along with executable code to be stored
in expanded memory. The features of EEMS were
included in EMS version 4.0. See also EMS, page
frame.
EEPROM \EEprom, EE-PR-O-M\ n. Acronym
for electrically erasable programmable read-only
memory. A type of EPROM that can be erased
with an electrical signal. It is useful for stable stor -
age for long periods without electricity while still
allowing reprogramming. EEPROMs contain less
I.’.
Iwo
memory than RAM, take longer to reprogram, and
can be reprogrammed only a limited number of
times before wearing out. See also EPROM, ROM.
EFF \EF-F\ ii. See Electronic Frontier Foundation.
e-form \Eiªrm\ n. Short for electronic form. An
online document that contains blank spaces for a
user to fill in with requested information and that
can be submitted through a network to the orga-
nization requesting the information. On the Web,
e-forms are often coded in CGI script and secured
via encryption. See also CGI (definition 1).
.eg \dotE-G\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in Egypt.
EGA \EG-A\ n. Acronym for Enhanced Graphics
Adapter. An IBM video display standard intro-
duced in 1984. It emulates the Color/Graphics
Adapter (CGA) and the Monochrome Display
Adapter (MDA) and provides medium-resolution
text and graphics. It was superseded by Video
Graphics Display (VGA).
EGP \EG-P\ n. See External Gateway Protocol.
.eh \dotE-H\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in Western Sahara.
EIA \EI-A\ n. Acronym for Electronic Industries
Association. An association based in Washington,
D.C., with members from various electronics man-
ufacturers. It sets standards for electronic compo-
nents. RS-232-C, for example, is the EIA standard
for connecting serial components. See also RS-
232-C standard.
EIDE \EI-D-E\ n. See Enhanced IDE.
Eiffel \Yfl\ n. An object-oriented programming
language developed by Bertrand Meyer in 1988. It
runs on MS-DOS, OS/2, and UNIX. Its major
design features are the ability to use modules in
multiple programs and software extensibility.
EIS \EI-S\ n. See executive information system.
EISA \es, EI-S-A\ n. Acronym for Extended
Industry Standard Architecture. A bus standard
for the connection of add-on cards to a PC moth-
erboard, such as video cards, internal modems,
sound cards, drive controllers, and cards that
support other peripherals. EISA was introduced
in 1988 by a consortium of nine computer indus-
try companies. The companiesAST Research,
Compaq, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, NEC, Olivetti,
0
fan-in \fanin\ n. The maximum number of sig-
nals that can be fed to a given electronic device,
such as a logic gate, at one time without risking
signal corruption. The fan-in rating of a device
depends on its type and method of construction.
Compare fan-out.
fan-out \fanout\ n. The maximum number of
electronic devices that can he fed by a given elec-
tronic device, such as a logic gate, at one time
without the signal becoming too weak. The fan-
out rating of a device depends on its type and
method of construction. Compare fan-in.
fanzine \fanzºn\ n. A magazine, distributed
online or by mail, that is produced by and devoted
to fans of a particular group, person, or activity.
See also ezine.
FAQ \fak, FA-Q\ n. Acronym for frequently
asked questions. A document listing common
questions and answers on a particular subject.
FAQs are often posted on Internet newsgroups
where new participants ask the same questions
that regular readers have answered many times.
farad \frad\ n. Abbreviated F. The unit of
capacitance (the ability to hold a charge). A 1-
farad capacitor holds a charge of 1 coulomb with
a potential difference of 1 volt between its plates.
In practical use, a farad is an extremely large
amount of capacitance; capacitance is usually
expressed in terms of microfarads (10) or pico-
farads (10 -12
) .
FARNET \frnet, F-A-Rnet\ See Federation of
American Research Networks.
Fast Ethernet \fast ºthr-net\ n. Ethernet capa-
ble of supporting 100 megabits per second. See
also Ethernet (definition 1).
fast Fourier transform \ fast fdbr º-ª trans frm\
n. A set of algorithms used to compute the discrete
Fourier transform of a function, which in turn is
used for solving series of equations, performing
spectral analysis, and carrying out other signal-
processing and signal generation tasks. Acronym:
FFT (FF-T). See also Fourier transform.
fast infrared port \fast infr-red prC\ n. See
FIR port.
fast packet \fast paket\ n. A standard for high-
speed network technology that utilizes fast switch-
ing of fixed-length cells or packets for real-time
transmission of data. Also called Asynchronous
up
I1I?
Transfer Mode, ATM. See also packet (definition
2), packet switching.
Fast SCSI \fast skuzº, SC-S-Y\ n. A form of the
SCSI-2 interface that can transfer data 8 bits at a
time at up to 10 megabytes per second. The Fast
SCSI connector has 50 pins. Also called Fast SCSI-
2. See also SCSI, SCSI-2. Compare Fast/Wide SCSI,
Wide SCSI.
Fast/Wide SCSI \fasfwid skuzº, SC-S-V\ n. A
form of the SCSI-2 interface that can transfer data
16 bits at a time at up to 20 megabytes per second.
The Fast/Wide SCSI connector has 68 pins. Also
called Fast/Wide SCSI-2. See also SCSI, SCSI-2.
Compare Fast SCSI, Wide SCSI.
FAT \fat, FA-T\ n. See file allocation table.
fatal error \fªtl rr\ n. An error that causes the
system or application program to crashthat is, to
fail abruptly with no hope of recovery.
fat application \fat a-pl-kªshn\ n. An appli-
cation that can be used on both PowerPC proces-
sor-based Macintosh computers and 68K-based
Macintosh computers.
fat binary \fat binr-º\ n. An application format
that supports both PowerPC processor-based
Macintosh computers and 68K-based Macintosh
computers.
fatbits \fatbits\ n. 1. Originally (as FatBits), a fea-
ture of the Apple MacPaint program in which a
small portion of a drawing can be enlarged and
modified one pixel (FatBit) at a time. 2. A similar
feature in any program that allows pixel-by-pixel
modification through a zoom feature.
fat client \faf clTnt\ n. In a client/server archi-
tecture, a client machine that performs most or all
of the processing, with little or none performed by
the server. The client handles presentation and
functions, and the server manages data and access
to it. See also client (definition 3), client/server
architecture, server (definition 2), thin server.
Compare fat server, thin client.
FAT file system \fat flY si-stm, FA-T\ n. The
system used by MS-DOS to organize and manage
files. The FAT (file allocation table) is a data struc-
ture that MS-DOS creates on the disk when the
disk is formatted. When MS-DOS stores a file on a
formatted disk, the operating system places infor-
mation about the stored file in the FAT so that MS-
DOS can retrieve the file later when requested.

.fidonet.org \dot-fIdO-net-dot-org\ n. On the
Internet, the major domain specifying that an
address is located on Fidonet.
field \fºld\ n. 1. A location in a record in which a
particular type of data is stored. For example,
EMPLOYEE-RECORD might contain fields to store
Last-Name, First-Name, Address, City, State, Zip-
Code, Hire-Date, Current-Salary, Title, Department,
and so on. Individual fields are characterized by
their maximum length and the type of data (for
example, alphabetic, numeric, or financial) that can
be placed in them. The facility for creating these
specifications usually is contained in the data def-
inition language (DDL). In relational database man-
agement systems, fields are called columns. 2. A
space in an on-screen form where the user can
enter a specific item of information.
field-effect transistor \ fºld. o-fekt tranz-i str\ n.
See FET.
field-programmable logic array \ fºld pro-gram-
-bl lojik r-ª\ n. An integrated circuit containing
an array of logic circuits in which the connections
between the individual circuits, and thus the logic
functions of the array, can be programmed after
manufacture, typically at the time of installation in
the field. Programming can he performed only
once, typically by passing high current through
fusible links on the chip. Acronym: FPLA (FP-L-
A’). Also called PLA, programmable logic array.
field separator \fºld sepr-ª-tr\ n. Any charac-
ter that separates one field of data from another.
See also delimiter, field (definition 1).
FIFO \fTiO, FI-F-0\ n. See first in, first out.
fifth-generation computer \ fifthjen-r-ª shun
km-pydbtr\ n. See computer.
fifth normal form \fifth n6rm1 fOrm\ n.
Abbreviated 5NF. See normal form (definition 1).
file \fil\ n. A complete, named collection of infor -
mation, such as a program, a set of data used by a
program, or a user-created document. A file is the
basic unit of storage that enables a computer to
distinguish one set of information from another. A
file is the "glue" that binds a conglomeration of
instructions, numbers, words, or images into a
coherent unit that a user can retrieve, change,
delete, save, or send to an output device.
file allocation table \f11 al--kªshn tªbl\ n. A
table or list maintained by some operating systems
IR,
19a1i
file form
to manage disk space used for file storage. Files on
a disk are stored, as space allows, in fixed-size
groups of bytes (characters) rather than from
beginning to end as contiguous strings of text or
numbers. A single file can thus be scattered in
pieces over many separate storage areas. A file
allocation table maps available disk storage space
so that it can mark flawed segments that should
not be used and can find and link the pieces of a
file. In MS-DOS, the file allocation table is com-
monly known as the FAT. See also FAT file system.
file attribute \fTl atru-byflt\ n. A restrictive
label attached to a file that describes and regulates
its usefor example, hidden, system, read-only,
archive, and so forth. In MS-DOS, this information
is stored as part of the file’s directory entry.
file backup \fTl bakup\ n. See backup.
file compression \fTl km-preshn\ n. The pro-
cess of reducing the size of a file for transmission
or storage. See also data compression.
file control block \fil kn-trOL hlok\ n. A small
block of memory temporarily assigned by a com-
puter’s operating system to hold information about
an opened file. A file control block typically con-
tains such information as the file’s identification,
its location on disk, and a pointer that marks the
user’s current (or last) position in the file. Acro-
nym: FCB (FC-B).
file conversion \fTl kn-vrzhn\ n. The pro-
cess of transforming the data in a file from one for-
mat to another without altering its contentsfor
example, converting a file from a word processor’s
format to its ASCII equivalent.
file extension \f11 eks-tenshn\ n. See extension
(definition 1).
file extent \fTl eks-tent\ n. See extent.
file format \fTl fflrmat\ n. The structure of a file
that defines the way it is stored and laid out on the
screen or in print. The format can be fairly simple
and common, as are files stored as "plain" ASCII
text, or it can be quite complex and include vari-
ous types of control instructions and codes used
by programs, printers, and other devices. Exam-
ples include RTF (Rich Text Format), DCA (Docu-
ment Content Architecture), PICT, DIF (Data
Interchange Format), DXF, TIFF (Tagged Image
File Format), and EPSF (Encapsulated PostScript
Format).
file server \fTl srvr\ n. A file-storage device on
a local area network that is accessible to all users
on the network. Unlike a disk server, which
appears to the user as a remote disk drive, a file
server is a sophisticated device that not only stores
files but manages them and maintains order as net-
work users request files and make changes to
them. To deal with the tasks of handling multiple
sometimes simultaneousrequests for files, a file
server contains a processor and controlling soft-
ware as well as a disk drive for storage. On local
area networks, a file server is often a computer
with a large hard disk that is dedicated only to the
task of managing shared files. Compare disk server.
file sharing \fW shareng\ n. The use of com-
puter files on networks, wherein files are stored
on a central computer or a server and are
requested, reviewed, and modified by more than
one individual. When a file is used with different
programs or different computers, file sharing can
require conversion to a mutually acceptable for-
mat. When a single file is shared by many people,
access can be regulated through such means as
password protection, security clearances, or file
locking to prohibit changes to a file by more than
one person at a time.
Me size \f11 siz\ n. The length of a file, typically
given in bytes. A computer file stored on disk actu-
ally has two file sizes, logical size and physical
size. The logical file size corresponds to the file’s
actual sizethe number of bytes it contains. The
physical size refers to the amount of storage space
allotted to the file on disk. Because space is set
aside for a file in blocks of bytes, the last charac-
ters in the file might not completely fill the block
(allocation unit) reserved for them. When this hap-
pens, the physical size is larger than the logical
size of the file.
filespec \fTlspek\ n. See file specification (defini-
tion 1).
file specification \fiI spes-f-kªshn\ n. 1.
Abbreviated filespec. The path to a file, from a disk
drive through a chain of directory files to the file-
name that serves to locate a particular file. 2. A
filename containing wildcard characters that indi-
cate which files among a group of similarly named
files are requested. 3. A document that describes
the organization of data within a file.
U
file structure \fil strukchur\ n. A description of
a file or group of files that are to be treated
together for some purpose. Such a descriptio n
includes file layout and location for each file under
consideration.
file system \fil sistm\ n. In an operating sys-
tem, the overall structure in which files are named,
stored, and organized. A file system consists of
files, directories, and the information needed to
locate and access these items. The term can also
refer to the portion of an operating system that
translates requests for file operations from an
application program into low-level, sector-
oriented tasks that can be understood by the driv-
ers controlling the disk drives. See also driver.
file transfer \fTl transfr\ n. The process of
moving or transmitting a file from one location to
another, as between two programs or over a net-
work.
File Transfer Protocol \fTl trans-far prt-kol\
n. See FTP 1 (definition 1).
file type \fil tip\ n. A designation of the opera-
tional or structural characteristics of a file. A file’s
type is often identified in the filename. With MS-
DOS, a file’s type is usually reflected in the file-
name extension. See also file format.
fill \fil\ n. In computer graphics, to "paint" the
inside of an enclosed figure, such as a circle, with
color or a pattern. The portion of the shape that
can be colored or patterned is the fill area. Draw-
ing programs commonly offer tools for creating
filled or nonfilled shapes; the user can specify
color or pattern.
film at 11 \film at -levn\ A phrase sometimes
seen in newsgroups. An allusion to a brief news-
break on TV that refers to a top news story that
will he covered in full on the 11 o’clock news, it is
used sarcastically to ridicule a previous article’s
lack of timeliness or newsworthiness. See also
newsgroup.
film recorder \filrn r-kOrdr\ n. A device for
capturing on 35-mm film the images displayed on
a computer screen.
film ribbon \film ribn\ n. See carbon ribbon.
filter \filtr\ n. 1. A program or set of features
within a program that reads its standard or desig-
nated input, transforms the input in some desired
way, and then writes the output to its standard or
 external device using infrared light. See also infra-
red, input/output port.
FIRST \frst, FI-R-S-T\ n. Acronym for Forum of
Incident Response and Security Teams. An organi-
zation within the Internet Society (ISOC) that coor-
dinates with CERT in order to encourage
information sharing and a unified response to
security threats. See also CERT, Internet Society.
first-generation computer \ frst-jen-r-ª shun
km-pytr\ n. See computer.
first in, first out \frst-infrst-out\ n. A method
of processing a queue, in which items are
removed in the same order in which they were
addedthe first in is the first out. Such an order is
typical of a list of documents waiting to be printed.
Acronym: FIFO (fif, FI-F-O). See also queue.
Compare last in, first out.
first normal form \frsf nOr-ml frm\ n. See
normal form (definition 1).
fitting \fiteng\ n. The calculation of a curve or
other line that most closely approximates a set of
data points or measurements. See also regression
analysis.
FIX \fiks, FI-X\ n. Acronym for Federal Internet
Exchange. A connection point between the U.S.
government’s various internets and the Internet.
There are two Federal Internet Exchanges: FIX
West, in Mountain View, California; and FIX East,
in College Park, Maryland. Together, they link the
backbones of MILNET, ESnet (the TCP/IP network
of the Department of Energy), and NSInet (NASA
Sciences Internet) with NSFnet. See also backbone
(definition 1), MILNET, NSFnet, TCP/IP.
fixed disk \fiksd disk\ n. See hard disk.
fixed-length field \fiksdlength fºld\ n. In a
record or in data storage, a field whose size in
bytes is predetermined and constant. A fixed-
length field always takes up the same amount of
space on a disk, even when the amount of data
stored in the field is small. Compare variable-
length field.
fixed-pitch spacing \fiksCpich spa seng\ n. See
monospacing.
fixed-point arithmetic \ fiksd point r-ith m-
tik\ n. Arithmetic performed on fixed-point num-
bers. See also fixed-point notation.
fixed-point notation \fiksdpoint no-tªshn\ n.
A numeric format in which the decimal point has
19*1
a specified position. Fixed-point numbers are a
compromise between integral formats, which are
compact and efficient, and floating-point numeric
formats, which have a great range of values. Like
floating-point numbers, fixed-point numbers can
have a fractional part, but operations on fixed-
point numbers usually take less time than floating-
point operations. See also floating-point notation,
integer.
fixed space \fiksd spas\ n. A set amount of hori-
zontal space used to separate characters in text-- -
often, the width of a numeral in a given font. See
also em space, en space, thin space.
fixed spacing \fiksd spa seng\ n. See monospac-
ing.
fixed storage \fiksd storj\ n. Any nonremov-
able storage, such as a large disk that is sealed per-
manently in its drive.
fixed-width font \fiksdwidth font\ n. See mono-
space font.
fixed-width spacing \fiksdwidth spaseng\ n.
See monospacing.
fixed-word-length computer \ fiksd vvrd length
km-pytr\ n. A description that applies to
almost all computers and refers to the uniform
size of the data units, or words, that are pro-
cessed by the microprocessor and shuttled
through the system over the hardware lines com-
posing the main data bus. Fixed-word-length
computers, including IBM and Macintosh per-
sonal computers, commonly work with 2 or 4
bytes at a time.
.1j \dotTF-f\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in Fiji.
F keys \Fkºz\ n. See function key.
flag \fiag\ n. 1. Broadly, a marker of some type
used by a computer in processing or interpreting
information; a signal indicating the existence or
status of a particular condition. Flags are used in
such areas as communications, programming, and
information processing. Depending on its use, a
flag can be a code, embedded in data, that identi-
fies some condition, or it can be one or more bits
set internally by hardware or software to indicate
an event of some type, such as an error or the
result of comparing two values. 2. In the HDLC
communications protocol, a flag is the unique
U
 series of bits 01111110, used to start and end a
transmission frame (message unit). See also HDLC.
flame’ \flªrn\ n. An abusive or personally insult-
ing e-mail message or newsgroup posting.
flame2 \flªni\ vb. 1. To send an abusive or per-
sonally insulting e-mail message or newsgroup
posting. 2. To criticize personally by means of e-
mail messages or newsgroup postings.
flame bait \flªm bªt\ n. A posting to a mailing
list, newsgroup, or other online conference that is
likely to provoke flames, often because it
expresses a controversial opinion on a highly
emotional topic. See also flame’, flame war. Com-
pare troll.
flamefest \flªmfest\ n. A series of inflammatory
messages or articles in a newsgroup or other
online conference.
flamer \flmr\ n. A person who sends or posts
abusive messages via e-mail, in newsgroups and
other online forums, and in online chats. See also
chat’ (definition 1), newsgroup.
flame war \flm wr\ n. A discussion in a mail-
ing list, newsgroup, or other online conference
that has turned into a protracted exchange of
flames. See also flame 1
. scanner, sheet-fed scanner.
flash memory \flash memr-º\ n. A type of
nonvolatile memory. Flash memory is similar
to EEPROM memory in function but it must
be erased in blocks, whereas EEPROM can be
erased one byte at a time. Because of its block-
oriented nature, flash memory is commonly used
as a supplement to or replacement for hard disks
in portable computers. In this context, flash
memory either is built into the unit or, more
commonly, is available as a PC Card that can be
plugged into a PCMCIA slot. A disadvantage of
the block-oriented nature of flash memory is that
it cannot he practically used as main memory
(RAM) because a computer needs to be able to
write to memory in single-byte increments. See
also EEPROM, nonvolatile memory, PC Card,
PCMCIA slot.
flash ROM \flash rom, R-O-M\ n. See flash mem-
ory.
flat address space \flat adres spªs, -dres\ n.
An address space in which each location in mem-
ory is specified by a unique number. (Memory
addresses start at 0 and increase sequentially by 1.)
I.
I.,.)
The Macintosh operating system, OS/2, and Win-
dows NT use a flat address space. MS-DOS uses a
segmented address space, in which a location
must be accessed with a segment number and an
offset number. See also segmentation. Compare
segmented address space.
flatbed plotter \flaChed plotr\ n. A plotter in
which paper is held on a flat platform and a pen
moves along both axes, traveling across the paper
to draw an image. This method is slightly more
accurate than that used by drum plotters, which
move the paper under the pen, but requires more
space. Flatbed plotters can also accept a wider
variety of media, such as vellum and acetate,
because the material does not need to be flexible.
See also plotter. Compare drum plotter, pinch-
roller plotter.
flatbed scanner \flaCbed skanr\ n. A scanner
with a flat transparent surface that holds the image
to be scanned, generally a book or other paper
document. A scan head below the surface moves
across the image. Some flatbed scanners can also
reproduce transparent media, such as slides. See
the illustration. Compare drum scanner, handheld
Flatbed scanner.
flat file \flaC ful\ n. A file consisting of records of
a single record type in which there is no embed-
ded structure information that governs relation-
ships between records.
flat-file database \flatfil dªt-bªs\ n. A database
that takes the form of a table, where only one table
can be used for each database. A flat-file database
can only work with one file at a time. Compare
relational database.
flat file directory \flaf f-i V dr-ektr-º\ n. A
directory that cannot contain subdirectories but
 ing errors in the data. See also error-correction
coding.
forward pointer \fªrwrd pointr\ n. A pointer
in a linked list that contains the address (location)
of the next element in the list.
FOSDIC \fozdik, F-O-SD-I-C\ n. Acronym for
film optical sensing device for input to computers.
A device used by the U.S. government to read doc-
uments on microfilm and store them digitally on
magnetic tape or on a disk that can be accessed by
a computer.
Fourier transform \fdrº-ª tranzfOrm\ n. A
mathematical method, developed by the French
mathematician jean-Baptiste-Joseph Fourier (1768-
1830), for signal processing and signal generation
tasks such as spectral analysis and image process-
ing. The Fourier transform converts a signal value
that is a function of time, space, or both into a func-
tion of frequency. The inverse Fourier transform
converts a function of frequencies into a function
of time, space, or both. See also fast Fourier trans-
form.
fourth-generation computer \ frthjen-r-ªshn
kom-py tr\ n. See computer.
fourth-generation language \ frthjen-r-ª shun
langwj\ n. See 4GL.
fourth normal form \fOrth nrmol fOrm\
Abbreviated 4NF. See normal form (definition 1).
FPD \FP-D\ n. See full-page display.
FPLA \FP-L-A\ n. See field-programmable logic
array.
FPU \FP-U\ n. Acronym for floating-point unit. A
circuit that performs floating-point calculations.
See also circuit, floating-point operation.
fr \dotF-R\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in France.
fractal \fraktl\ n. A word coined by mathemati-
cian Benoit Mandelbrot in 1975 to describe a class
of shapes characterized by irregularity, but in a
way that evokes a pattern. Computer graphics
technicians often use fractals to generate nature-
like images such as landscapes, clouds, and for-
ests. The distinguishing characteristic of fractals is
that they are ’self-similar"; any piece of a fractal,
when magnified, has the same character as the
whole. The standard analogy is that of a coastline,
which has a similar structure whether viewed on a
local or continental scale. Interestingly, it is often
difficult to measure the length of the perimeter of
such a shape exactly because the total distance
measured depends on the size of the smallest ele-
ment measured. For example, one could measure
on a given coastline the perimeter of every penin-
sula and inlet, or at a higher magnification the
perimeter of every small promontory and jetty,
and so on. In fact, a given fractal may have a finite
area but an infinite perimeter; such shapes are
considered to have a fractional dimensionfor
example, between 1 (a line) and 2 (a plane)-_
hence the name fractal. See the illustration. See
also cellular automata, graftal.
.
..
n. FractaL The first figure shows the classical
Mandeibrot set; the three below it show succes-
sive magnifications of the lobe at the bottom of
the first figure.
fractional Ti \fraksh-nl T-wn\ n. A shared
connection to a Ti line, in which only a fraction of
the 24 Ti voice or data channels are used. Acro-
nym: FT1 (F’T-wn). See also Ti.
FRAD \frad, FR-A-D\ n. See frame relay assem-
bler/disassembler.
fragmentation \ frag mn-tª shn\ n. The scatter-
ing of parts of the same disk file over different
areas of the disk. Fragmentation occurs as files on
a disk are deleted and new files are added. Such
fragmentation slows disk access and degrades the
overall performance of disk operations, although
usually not severely. Utility programs are available
for rearranging file storage on fragmented disks.
FRAM \Fram, FR-A-M\ n. Acronym for ferro-
magnetic random access memory. A form of data
storage technology in which data is recorded
U.’..
104’
I.

the data wires), in which each device indicates its
readiness to send or receive data. A software
handshake consists of signals transmitted over the
same wires used to transfer data, as in modem-to-
modem communications over telephone lines.
hands-on \ handz ’on\ adj. Involving interactive
work with a computer or a computer program. A
hands-on tutorial, for example, would teach a
skill (such as the use of a program) by means of
practice sessions and question-and-answer dia-
logues.
handwriting recognition \ hand ’rF tºng rek-g-
nishn\ n. 1. The ability of a computer to identify
a user by recognizing features of handwriting,
especially a signature. 2. The ability of a computer
to translate handwritten text into character data for
input. This technology is still under considerable
development, and most handwriting recognition
programs require users to form letters and words
in a very consistent and clear manner to work ade-
quately. The development of handwriting recogni-
tion programs has been spurred by PDAs, which
frequently have keyboards that are too small for
data entry, and software designed for Asian mar-
kets that have languages with numerous charac-
ters, which makes keyboards a cumbersome
method for entering text. See also PDA. Compare
optical character recognition.
hang \hang\ vb. To stop responding. A hung pro-
gram or computer system does not respond to
user input, but the screen looks as if everything is
running normally. The program or system might
be waiting for something, for example, informa-
tion from a network, or it might have terminated
abnormally. It might resume running normally on
its own, or the user might need to terminate and
restart the program or reboot the computer. A
hung computer system is said to be locked up. See
also crash (definition 1).
hanging indent \hangeng in’dent\ n. Placement
of the beginning of the first line of a paragraph far-
ther to the left than the subsequent lines. Also
called outdent. Compare indent.
hard \hrd\ adj. 1. Permanent, fixed, or physically
defined; unchangeable by the ordinary operation
of a computer system. See also hard copy, hard
error, hard return, hard-sectored disk, Compare
soft (definition 1). 2. Retaining magnetization even
U
harddisjT
in the absence of an external magnetic field. Com-
pare soft (definition 2).
hard card \hrd’ krd\ n. A circuit board, carrying
a hard disk and containing its controller, that plugs
into an expansion slot and uses the expansion bus
for power as well as for data and control signals.
By contrast, a hard disk in a drive bay communi-
cates with a separate controller card by a ribbon
cable and has a direct cable to the computer’s
main power supply. See also controller, drive bay,
expansion slot, ribbon cable.
hard-coded \hrd"kdd\ adj. 1. Designed to
handle a specific situation only. 2. Depending on
values embedded in the program code rather than
on values that can be input and changed by the
user.
hard copy \hrd" kop"e\ n. Printed output on
paper, film, or other permanent medium. Compare
soft copy.
hard disk \hrd disk\ n. A device containing one
or more inflexible platters coated with material in
which data can be recorded magnetically, together
with their read/write heads, the head-positioning
mechanism, and the spindle motor in a sealed case
that protects against outside contaminants. The
protected environment allows the head to fly 10 to
25 millionths of an inch above the surface of a
platter rotating typically at 3,600 to 7,200 rpm;
therefore, much more data can be stored and
accessed much more quickly than on a floppy
disk. Most hard disks contain from two to eight
platters. See the illustration. Also called hard disk
drive. Compare floppy disk.
Read/write head
Platter
Hard disk. The cover of this bard disk has been
removed to reveal the components within.
 especially the World Wide Web. A home page is
called a start page in Microsoft Internet Explorer.
2. An entry page for a set of Web pages and other
files in a Web site.
home record \hOm rekrd\ n. See header record.
homogeneous environment \ h-m-jº ne-s en-
virn-mnt, en-virn-mnt\ n. A computing
milieu, usually within an organization, in which
only one manufacturer’s hardware and one manu-
facturer’s software are used. compare heteroge-
neous environment.
homogeneous network \h-m-jºnº-s net-wrk\
n. A network on which all the hosts are similar and
only one protocol is used.
hook \hdbk\ n. A location in a routine or program
in which the programmer can connect or insert
other routines for the purpose of debugging or
enhancing functionality.
horizontal blanking interval \hOr-zon-tl blan -
keng in-tar-vl\ n. See blanking, horizontal re-
trace.
horizontal flyback \hOr-zon-tl flibak\ n. See
horizontal retrace.
horizontal market software \ Mr--zon tl mr -
kt softwr\ n. Application programs, such as
word processors, that can be used in all types of
business, as opposed to those geared for a certain
industry.
horizontal retrace \hr-zon-tl rºtrªs\ n. The
movement of the electron beam in a raster-scan
video display from the right end of one scan line
to the left end (the beginning) of the next. During
horizontal retrace, the electron beam is turned off,
so the time required for the beam to move is called
the horizontal blanking interval. See also blanking.
Compare vertical retrace.
horizontal scrolling \hr-zon-tol skroleng\ n.
A feature of programs such as word processors
and spreadsheets that enables the user to scroll left
and right to display information beyond the hori-
zontal limits of the screen (or window, in a graph-
ical user interface).
horizontal synchronization \ hr -zon-tl sºn -
kr-no-zªshn\ n. On raster displays, the timing
produced by a signal that controls the sweep of
the display’s electron beam as it moves from left to
right and back again to form an image line by line.
The horizontal synchronization signal is usually
I,
controlled by a circuit known as a phase-locked
loop, which maintains a constant precise fre-
quency so that a clear image is formed.
host \hst\ n. The main computer in a system of
computers or terminals connected by communica-
tions links.
host adapter \ host - -dap tr\ n. A device for
connecting a peripheral to the main computer,
typically in the form of an expansion card. Also
called controller, host bus adapter.
host bus adapter \hOsC bus -daptr\ n. See
host adapter.
host language \hOsC lang’wj\ n. 1. The machine
language of a CPU. 2. A high-level language that
is specifically supported by an operating system
with its toolbox routines and native development
systems.
host name \hOsC nm\ n. The name of a specific
server on a specific network within the Internet,
leftmost in the complete host specification. For
example, www.microsoft.com indicates the serv -
er called "www" within the network at Microsoft
Corporation.
host not responding \hOst not r-spondeng\
n. An error message issued by an Internet cli-
ent indicating that the computer to which a
request has been sent is refusing the connec-
tion or is otherwise unavailable to respond to
the request.
host timed out \hOsC timd ouC\ n. An error con-
dition that occurs when a remote system fails to
respond within a reasonable amount of time (a
few minutes) during an exchange of data over a
TCP connection. This condition may mean that the
remote system has crashed or been disconnected
from the network. The error message the user sees
may or may not be phrased in this manner. See
also TCP. Compare host not responding.
host unreachable \hOst un-rºch-bl\ n. An
error condition that occurs when the particular
computer to which the user wishes to connect
over a TCP/IP network cannot be accessed on its
LAN because it is either down or disconnected
from the network. The error message the user sees
may or may not be phrased in this manner. See
also TCP/IP.
hot \hot\ adj. Of special or urgent interest, or
deemed popular.
 hot carrier diode \hot kr-º-r dUd\ n. See
Schottky diode.
hot docking \hot dokeng\ n. The process of
attaching a laptop computer to a docking station
while the computer is running, and automatically
activating the docking station’s video display and
other functions. See also docking station, laptop.
hot insertion \hot in-srshn\ n. The insertion
of a device or card while there is power to the sys-
tem. Many newer laptops allow for hot insertion of
PCMCIA cards. High-end servers may also allow
hot insertion to reduce downtimes.
HotJava \hotjav\ n. A Web browser developed
by Sun Microsystems, Inc. that is optimized to run
Java applications and applets embedded in Web
pages. See also applet, Java, Java applet.
hot key’ \hot kº\ n. A keystroke or combination
of keystrokes that switches the user to a different
program, often a terminate-and-stay-resident
(TSR) program or the operating system user inter-
face. See also TSR.
hot key2 \hot kº\ vb. To transfer to a different
program by pressing a hot key.
hot link \hot lºnk\ n. 1. A connection
between two programs that instructs the second
program to make changes to data when changes
occur in the first program. For example, a word
processor or desktop publishing program could
update a document based on information
obtained from a database through a hot link. 2.
See hyperlink.
hotlist \hotlist\ n. A list of frequently accessed
items, such as Web pages in a Web browser, from
which the user can select one. The hotlist of Web
pages is called the bookmark list in Netscape Nav -
igator and Lynx and is called the Favorites folder
in Microsoft Internet Explorer.
hot plugging \hot plug-eng\ n. A feature that
allows equipment to be connected to an active
device, such as a computer, while the device is
powered on.
hot spot \hot spot\ n. The position in a mouse
pointer, such as the position at the tip of an arrow
or the intersection of the lines in a cross, that
marks the exact location that will be affected by a
mouse action, such as a button press.
hot swapping \hot swapeng\ n. See hot plug-
ging.
L
HotWired \hotwird\ n. A Web site affiliated with
Wired magazine that contains news, gossip, and
other information about the culture of the Internet:
http://www.hotwired.com/frontdoor/.
housekeeping \houskepeng\ n. Any of various
routines, such as updating the clock or perform-
ing garbage collection, designed to keep the sys-
tem, the environment within which a program
runs, or the data structures within a program in
good working order.
HPC \HP-C\ n. See handheld PC.
HPFS \HP-F-S\ n. Acronym for High Perfor -
mance File System. A file system available with
OS/2 versions 1.2 and later. See also FAT file sys-
tem, NTFS.
HPGL \HP-G-L\ n. Acronym for Hewlett-Packard
Graphics Language. A language originally devel-
oped for images destined for plotters. An HPGL
file consists of instructions that a program can use
to reconstruct a graphical image.
HPIB \HP-I-B\ n. Acronym for Hewlett-Packard
Interface Bus. See general-purpose interface bus.
HPPCL \WP-P-C-L\ n. Acronym for Hewlett-
Packard Printer Control Language. See Printer
Control Language.
HP/UX or HP-UX \HP-U-X\ n. Acronym for
Hewlett-Packard UNIX. A version of the UNIX
operating system specifically designed to be run
on Hewlett-Packard’s workstations. See also UNIX.
.hqx \dotH-Q-X\ n. A file extension for a file
encoded with BinHex. See also BinHex.
.hr \dotH-R\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in Croatia.
HREF \Href\ Short for hypertext reference. An
attribute in an HTML document that defines a link
to another document on the Web. See also HTML.
HSB \I-FS-B\ n. Acronym for hue-saturation-
brightness. A color model in which hue is the
color itself as placed on a color wheel, where 0 is
red, 60 0 is yellow, 120 1 is green, 180 is cyan, 240
is blue, and 300 is magenta; saturation is the per -
centage of the specified hue in the color; and
brightness is the percentage of white in the color.
Also called HLS, HSV, hue. See also color model.
Compare CMY, RGB.
HSV \FFS-V\ n. Acronym for hue-saturation-
value. See HSB.

checksums on the code can he recomputed and
compared with the stored original checksums
each time the program is run; if any have
changed, the program file is corrupt and may he
infected. See also checksum, virus.
input’ \in’pdht\ n. Information entered into a
computer or program for processing, as from a
keyboard or from a file stored on a disk drive.
input2 \in’pdbt\ vb. To enter information into a
computer for processing.
input area \in"pdbt r"º-\ n. See input buffer.
input-bound \ in "pdbt-bound" \ adj. See input/
output-bound.
input buffer \in’pd’bt buf’r\ n. A portion of com-
puter memory set aside for temporary storage of
information arriving for processing. See also
buffer’.
input channel \in"pdbt chan"l\ n. See input/out-
put channel.
input device \ fl "pUt d-vis" \ n. A peripheral
device whose purpose is to allow the user to give
input to a computer system. Examples of input
devices are keyboards, mice, joysticks, and sty -
luses. See also peripheral.
input driver \ inpdt dri"vr\ n. See device
driver.
input/output \ in" pd’bt-out"pdbt\ n. The comple-
mentary tasks of gathering data for a computer or
a program to work with, and of making the results
of the computer’s activities available to the user or
to other computer processes. Gathering data is
usually done with input devices such as the key-
board and the mouse, as well as disk files, while
the output is usually made available to the user via
the display and the printer and via disk files or
communications ports for the computer. Acronym:
1/0 (1-0’).
input/output area \in"pdbt-ouC’pdbt r"º-\
See input/output buffer.
input/output-bound \ in" pdbt-out"pdt-bound" \
adj. Characterized by the need to spend lengthy
amounts of time waiting for input and output of
data that is processed much more rapidly. For
example, if the processor is capable of making
rapid changes to a large database stored on a disk
faster than the drive mechanism can perform the
read and write operations, the computer is input/
output-bound. A computer may be simply input-
input/output devic
bound or output-bound if only input or only out-
put limits the speed at which the processor accepts
and processes data. Also called I/O-bound.
input/output buffer \in"pdbt-out"pdbt buf’r\ n.
A portion of computer memory reserved for tem-
porary storage of incoming and outgoing data.
Because input/output devices can often write to a
buffer without intervention from the CPU, a pro-
gram can continue execution while the buffer fills,
thus speeding program execution. See also buffer 1 .
input/output bus \in"pdbt-outpdht bus"\ n. A
hardware path used inside a computer for transfer-
ring information to and from the processor and
various input and output devices. See also bus.
input/output channel \in"pd’bt-outpdht chan"1\
n. A hardware path from the CPU to the input/out-
put bus. See also bus.
input/output controller \ in" pc3’bt-out"pdbt kn-
tr"lr\ n. Circuitry that monitors operations and
performs tasks related to receiving input and trans-
ferring output at an input or output device or port,
thus providing the processor with a consistent
means of communication (input/output interface)
with the device and also freeing the processor’s
time for other work. For example, when a read or
write operation is performed on a disk, the drive’s
controller carries out the high-speed, electroni-
cally sophisticated tasks involved in positioning
the read-write heads, locating specific storage
areas on the spinning disk, reading from and writ-
ing to the disk surface, and even checking for
errors. Most controllers require software that
enables the computer to receive and process the
data the controller makes available. Also called
device controller, I/O controller.
input/output device \ in" pdbt-out"pdbt d-vi’s" \
n. A piece of hardware that can he used both for
n. providing data to a computer and for receiving
data from it, depending on the current situation. A
disk drive is an example of an input/output
device. Some devices, such as a keyboard or a
mouse, can be used only for input and are also
called input devices. Other devices, such as print-
ers, can be used only for output and are also called
output devices. Most devices require installation of
software routines called device drivers to enable
the computer to transmit and receive data to and
from them.
UI
1
input/output interface
input/output interface \ in pdbt-ouf pdbt in tar -
fªs\ n. See input/output controller.
input/output port \inpdbt-ouCpdbt pOrtT\ n. A
channel through which data is transferred
between an input or output device and the proces-
sor. The port appears to the CPU as one or more
memory addresses that it can use to send or
receive data. Specialized hardware, such as in an
add-on circuit board, places data from the device
in the memory addresses and sends data from the
memory addresses to the device. Ports may also he
dedicated solely to input or to output.
input/output processor \ in pc3bt-outpdbt pros’-
es-r\ n. Hardware designed to handle input and
output operations to relieve the burden on the
main processing unit. For example, a digital signal
processor can perform time-intensive, complicated
analysis and synthesis of sound patterns without
CPU overhead. See also front-end processor (defi-
nition 1).
input/output statement \ in pdbt-outpdbt stªt -
mnt\ n. A program instruction that causes data to
be transferred between memory and an input or
output device.
input port \ in pdbt pOrf \ n. See input/output
port.
input stream \ inpdbt strºm \ n. A flow of infor-
mation used in a program as a sequence of bytes
that are associated with a particular task or desti-
nation. Input streams include series of characters
read from the keyboard to memory and blocks of
data read from disk files. Compare output stream.
inquiry \inkwr-º\ n. A request for information.
See also query.
INS \FN-S\ n. See WINS.
insertion point \ in-srshn point ’\ n. A blinking
vertical bar on the screen, such as in graphical user
interfaces, that marks the location at which inserted
text will appear. See also cursor (definition 1).
insertion sort \in-srshn srt\ n. A list-sorting
algorithm that starts with a list that contains one
item and builds an ever-larger sorted list by insert-
ing the items to be sorted one at a time into their
correct positions on that list. Insertion Sorts are
inefficient when used with arrays, because of con-
stant shuffling of items, but are ideally suited for
sorting linked lists. See also sort algorithm. Com-
pare bubble sort, quicksort.
1I
Insert key \insrt kº\ n. A key on the keyboard,
labeled "Insert" or "Ins," whose usual function is
to toggle a program’s editing setting between an
insert mode and an overwrite mode, although it
may perform different functions in different appli-
cations. Also called Ins key.
insert mode \ insrt md \ n. A mode of opera-
tion in which a character typed into a document or
at a command line pushes subsequent existing
characters further to the right on the screen rather
than overwriting them. Insert mode is the opposite
of overwrite mode, in which new characters
replace subsequent existing characters. The key or
key combination used to change from one mode
to the other varies among programs, but the Insert
key is most often used. Compare overwrite mode.
Ins key \ insrt kº \ n. See Insert key.
install \in-stU\ vb. 1. To set in place and prepare
for operation. Operating systems and application
programs commonly include a disk-based installa-
tion program that does most of the work of setting
up the program to work with the computer,
printer, and other devices. Often such a program
can check for devices attached to the system,
request the user to choose from sets of options,
create a place for the program on the hard disk,
and modify system startup files as necessary. 2. To
transfer one of a limited number of copies of a
program to a disk from a copy-protected program
disk; a special procedure is needed because the
normal method of copying the program has been
disabled.
installable device driver \in-stlo-bl d-vTs drF-
vr\ n. A device driver that can be embedded
within an operating system, usually in order to
override an existing, less-functional service.
Installable File System Manager \in-stb-bl fTU
si-stm man-jr\ n. In Windows 95, the part of
the file system architecture responsible for arbitrat-
ing access to the different file system components.
Acronym: IFS (ITF-5).
installation program \ inst-lªshn program\
n. A program whose function is to install another
program, either on a storage medium or in mem-
ory. An installation program might be used to
guide a user through the often complex process of
setting up an application for a particular combina-
tion of machine, printer, and monitor. Installation
1/0 port
tion, ion-deposition printers tend to produce thick,
slightly fuzzy characters; the technology is also
more expensive than that of a laser printer. See
also electrophotographic printers, nonimpact
printer, page printer. Compare laser printer, LCD
printer, LED printer.
I/O port \ 1-0 pOrt \ n. See input/output port.
I/O processor \I-0 proses-r\ n. See input/out-
put processor.
IO.SYS \1’6-sis, I-Odot-S-Y-S’\ n. One of two
hidden system files installed on an MS-DOS star-
tup disk. IO.SYS in IBM releases of MS-DOS
(called IBMBIO.COM) contains device drivers for
peripherals such as the display, keyboard, floppy
disk drive, hard disk drive, serial port, and real-
time clock. See also MSDOS.SYS.
IP \I-P\ n. Acronym for Internet Protocol. The
protocol within TCP/IP that governs the breakup
of data messages into packets, the routing of the
packets from sender to destination network and
station, and the reassembly of the packets into the
original data messages at the destination. IP corre-
sponds to the network layer in the ISO/OSI model.
See also ISO/OSI model, TCP/IP. Compare TCP.
IP address \I-P’ a’dres, -dres’\ n. Short for Inter-
net Protocol address. A 32-bit (4-byte) binary
number that uniquely identifies a host (computer)
connected to the Internet to other Internet hosts,
for the purposes of communication through the
transfer of packets. An IP address is expressed in
"dotted quad" format, consisting of the decimal
values of its 4 bytes, separated with periods; for
example, 127.0.0.1. The first 1, 2, or 3 bytes of the
IP address, assigned by InterNIC Registration Ser -
vices, identify the network the host is connected
to; the remaining bits identify the host itself. The
32 bits of all 4 bytes together can signify almost
232, or roughly 4 billion, hosts. (A few small ranges
within that set of numbers are not used.) See also
host, InterNIC, IP, packet (definition 2). Compare
domain name.
IPC \FP-C\ n. See interprocess communication.
IPL \F-P-L\ n. See initial program load.
IP multicasting \I-P muLtº-kastºng, muLti -
kasteng\ n. Short for Internet Protocol multi-
casting. The extension of local area network mul-
ticasting technology to a TCP/IP network. Hosts
send and receive multicast datagrams, the destina-
I.
264k
a
.1 i-1
tion fields of which specify IP host group
addresses rather than individual IP addresses, A
host indicates that it is a member of a group by
means of the Internet Group Management Proto-
col. See also datagram, Internet Group Member-
ship Protocol, IP, MBONE, multicasting.
IPng \Ipºng, ITP-N-G\ Acronym for Internet Pro-
tocol next generation. A version of Internet Proto-
col (IP) developed by the Internet Engineering
Task Force (IETF). Improvements over the original
Internet Protocol include better security and an
increased IP address size of 16 bytes. See also
IETF, IP, IP address.
IP spoofmg \I-P’ spbfeng\ n. The act of insert-
ing a false sender IP address into an Internet trans-
mission in order to gain unauthorized access to a
computer system. See also IP address, spoofing.
1P switching \I-P’ swicheng\ n. A technology
developed by Ipsilon Networks (Sunnyvale, Calif.)
that enables a sequence of IP packets with a com-
mon destination to be transmitted over a high-
speed, high-bandwidth Asynchronous Transfer
Mode (ATM) connection.
IPv6 \FP-V-siks’\ n. Short for Internet Protocol
version 6. A proposed next generation for the
Internet Protocol, currently version 4, which was
introduced in September 1995 by the Internet
Engineering Task Force and formerly known as
IPng. See also IP, IPng.
IPX \I’P-X\ n. Acronym for Internetwork Packet
Exchange. The protocol in Novell NetWare that
governs addressing and routing of packets within
and between LANs. IPX packets can be encapsu-
lated in Ethernet packets or Token Ring frames.
IPX operates at ISO/OSI levels 3 and 4 but does
not perform all the functions at those levels. In
particular, IPX does not guarantee that a message
will be complete (no lost packets); SPX has that
job. See also Ethernet (definition 1), packet, Token
Ring network. Compare SPX (definition 1).
IPX/SPX \FP-X-ST-X\ n. The network and trans-
port level protocols used by Novell NetWare,
which together correspond to the combination of
TCP and IP in the TCP/IP protocol suite. See also
IPX, SPX (definition 1).
.iq \dotI-Q\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in Iraq.
 ments, such as Microsoft Windows, a unit of infor-
mation passed among running programs, certain
devices in the system, and the operating environ-
ment itself.
message header \mesj hedr\ n. A sequence
of bits or bytes at the beginning of a message that
usually provides a timing sequence and specifies
such aspects of the message structure as its length,
data format, and block identification number. See
also header (definition 2).
message of the day \mesj av dh dª\ n. A
daily bulletin for users of a network, multiuser
computer, or other shared system. In most cases,
users are shown the message of the day when they
log into the system. Acronym: MOTD (MO-T-D).
message queue \mesj kyO\ n. An ordered list
of messages awaiting transmission, from which
they are taken up on a first in, first out (FIFO)
basis.
message reflection \mesj r-flekshn\ n. In
object-oriented programming environments, such
as Visual C++, OLE, and ActiveX, a function that
allows a control to handle its own message. See
also ActiveX controls, control (definition 2), OCX,
VBX.
Message Security Protocol \ mes j se-kyr i-tº
prt-kol\ n. A protocol for Internet messages
that is based on the use of encryption and verifi-
cation to ensure security. It also allows for permis-
sions at the server level for delivery or rejection of
e-mail. Acronym: MSP (MS-P).
message switching \mesj swicheng\ n. A tech-
nique used on some communications networks in
which a message, with appropriate address infor-
mation, is routed through one or more intermedi-
ate switching stations before being sent to its
destination. On a typical message-switching net-
work, a central computer receives messages,
stores them (usually briefly), determines their des-
tination addresses, and then delivers them. Mes-
sage switching enables a network both to regulate
traffic and to use communications lines efficiently.
Compare circuit switching, packet switching.
messaging \mes-jeng\ n. The use of comput-
ers and data communication equipment to con-
vey messages from one person to another, as by
e-mail, voice mail, or fax.
I
messaging application \mes-jeng a-pl-kashn\
n. An application that enables users to send mes-
sages (such as e-mail or fax) to each other.
Messaging Application Programming Inter -
face \mes -jºng a-pl-kª-shn prgram-ºng
intr-fªs\ n. See MAPI.
messaging client \mes-jeng klFnt\ n. An
application program that enables its user to send
or receive messages (such as e-mail or fax) to and
from other users with the help of a remote server.
metacharacter \met-krk-tr\ n. A character
embedded in a program source or a data stream
that conveys information about other characters,
rather than itself representing a character. A simple
example is the backslash (\) character, which,
when used in strings in the C programming lan-
guage, indicates that the letter following the back-
slash is part of an escape sequence that enables C
to display a nongraphic character. See also escape
character.
metacompiler \met-km-pFlor\ n. A compiler
that produces compilers. The UNIX utility yacc
(Yet Another Compiler-Compiler) is a metacom-
piler. If it is given a language specification, yacc
produces a compiler for that language. See also
compiler (definition 2).
Meta-Content Format \ metT -kontent fOtTmat\
n. An open format for describing information
about content of a structured body of data such as
a Web page, a set of files on a Windows desktop,
or a relational database. Meta-Content Format
might be used for indexes, data dictionaries, or
price lists. Acronym: MCF (MC-F).
meta data or metadata \met dªt, dat\ n.
Data about data. For example, the title, subject,
author, and size of a file constitute meta data
about the file. See also data dictionary, reposi-
tory.
Metadata Interchange Specification \ metT -
dªt intr-chªnj spes--f-kashn\ n. A set of
specifications dealing with the exchanging, shar-
ing, and managing of meta data. Acronym: MDIS
(MD-I-S). See also meta data.
metaffle \met-fTF\ n. A file that contains or
defines other files. Many operating systems use
metafiles to contain directory information about
other files on a given storage device.
I metalanguage ... . .. . ..
metalanguage \met-langwj\ n. A language
used to describe other languages. Backus-Naur
form (BNF) is a metalanguage commonly used to
define programming languages. Also called lan-
guage-description language. See also Backus-Naur
form.
metal-oxide semiconductor \ met l-oks Td
sem-kn-duk tar, scm º-kn-duk tr\ n. See
MOS.
metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transis-
tor \ met l-oks Id sem I-kn-duk tr fºld -fekt
tranz-Istr, semº-kn-duk tr\ n. See MOSFET.
metaoperating system \ met a-op r-a-teng
sistm\ n. An operating system under which sev-
eral other operating systems are active. Also called
supervisor.
method \methd\ n. In object-oriented program-
ming, a process performed by an object when it
receives a message. See also object (definition 2),
object-oriented programming.
Metropolitan Area Exchange \ m& tr-pol -tn
rº- eks-chªnj\ n. An interconnection point for
Internet access providers within a metropolitan
area. Data sent between participants in a Metro-
politan Area Exchange can pass directly from one
network to another without passing through a
major backbone. Acronym: MAE (MA-E). See
also backbone (definition 1), Isp.
metropolitan area network \ me-tr-poF -tn
ªrº- neCwrk\ n. See MAN.
MFLOPS \Mflops, M-F-UO-P-S\ n. Short for mil-
lion floating-point operations per second. A mea-
sure of computing speed. Also called megaflops.
MFM encoding \M-F-M en-kYdºng\ n. See mod-
ified frequency modulation encoding.
MFS \MF-S\ n. See Macintosh File System.
.mg \dofM-G\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in Madagascar.
mget \Mget\ n. Short for multiple get. A com-
mand in most FTP clients with which a user can
request the transfer of several files at once. See also
FTP 1 (definition 1).
.nth \dofM-H\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in the Marshall Islands.
MHz \meg-hrtz\ n. See megahertz.
MI \M-U\ n. See multiple inheritance.
. 1 n1cs
MICR \mUkr, MI-C-R\ n. See magnetic-ink char-
acter recognition.
micro- \mUkrO\ prefix 1. In nonexact measure-
ments, small or compact, as in microprocessor or
microcomputer. 2. Metric prefix meaning 10
(one millionth).
Micro Channel Architecture \mFkr chan1
rk-tek-chur\ n. The design of the bus in IBM
PS/2 computers (except Models 25 and 30). The
Micro Channel is electrically and physically incom-
patible with the IBM PC/AT bus. Unlike the PC/AT
bus, the Micro Channel functions as either a 16-bit
or a 32-bit bus. The Micro Channel can also be
driven independently by multiple bus master pro-
cessors.
microchip \mUkr-chip \ n. See integrated cir-
cuit.
microcircuit \mUkr-srkt\ n. A miniaturized
electronic circuit etched on a semiconductor chip.
A microcircuit is made up of interconnected tran-
sistors, resistors, and other components. However,
it is fabricated as a unit rather than as a set of vac-
uum tubes, discrete transistors, or other elements
that have to be wired together. See also integrated
circuit.
microcode \ ml krO-kªd n. Very low-level code
that defines how a processor operates. Microcode
is even lower in level than machine code; it speci-
fies what the processor does when it executes a
machine-code instruction. See also machine code,
microprogramming.
microcomputer \mUkrO-km-pydF/tr\ n. A
computer built around a single-chip microproces-
sor. Less powerful than minicomputers and main-
frames, microcomputers have nevertheless
evolved into very powerful machines capable of
complex tasks. Technology has progressed so
quickly that state-of-the-art microcomputers are as
powerful as mainframe computers of only a few
years ago, at a fraction of the cost. See also com-
puter.
microelectronics \mFkr-i-lek-troniks\ n. The
technology of constructing electronic circuits and
devices in very small packages. The most signifi-
cant advance in microelectronics technology has
been the integrated circuit. Circuits that 40 years
ago required a roomful of power-hungry vacuum
tubes can now be fabricated on a silicon chip
IF
U
 smaller than a postage stamp and require only a
few milliwatts of power. See also integrated cir-
cuit.
microfiche \mkr-fºsh\ n. A small sheet of
film, about 4 by 6 inches, used for recording pho-
tographically reduced images, such as document
pages, in rows and columns forming a grid pat-
tern. The resulting images are too small to read
with the naked eye, and a microfiche reader is
required to view the documents. compare micro-
film.
microfilm \mUkrO-film\ n. A thin strip of film
stored on a roll and used to record sequential data
images. As with microfiche, a special device mag-
nifies the images so that they can be read. See also
CIM (definition 2), COM (definition 4). Compare
microfiche.
microfloppy disk \mFkr-flopº disk\ n. A 3.5-
inch floppy disk of the type used with the Apple
Macintosh and with IBM and compatible micro-
computers. A microfloppy disk is a round piece of
polyester film coated with ferric oxide and
encased in a rigid plastic shell equipped with a
sliding metal cover. On the Macintosh, a single-
sided microfloppy disk can hold 400 kilobytes
(KB); a double-sided (standard) disk can hold 800
KB; and a double-sided high-density disk can hold
1.44 megabytes (MB). On IBM and compatible
machines, a microfloppy can hold either 720 KB or
1.44 MB of information. See also floppy disk.
microform \mUkr-fOrm\ n. The medium, such
as microfilm or microfiche, on which a photo-
graphically reduced image, called a microimage is
stored. A microimage usually represents text, such
as archived documents. See also microfiche, micro-
film.
micrographics \mFkro-grafiks\ n. The tech-
niques and methods for recording data on micro-
film. See also microform.
microimage \mUkrO-imj\ n. A photographically
reduced image, usually stored on microfilm or
microfiche, that is too small to be read without
magnification. See also microform, micrographics.
microinstruction \ mYkr-in-struk shn\ n. An
instruction that is part of the microcode. See also
microcode.
microjustification \ miT krO-ju-st-f-kª shn\ n.
See microspace justification.
’p
:wr
microkernel \miTkrO-krnl\ n. 1. In program-
ming, the strictly hardware-dependent part of an
operating system that is intended to be portable
from one type of computer to another. The micro-
kernel provides a hardware-independent interface
to the rest of the operating system, so only the
microkernel needs to be rewritten to port the
operating system to a different platform. See also
kernel, operating system. 2. A kernel that has been
designed with only the basic features and typically
in a modular fashion.
micrologic \miTkro-lofik\ n. A set of instructions,
stored in binary form, or a set of electronic logic
circuits that defines and governs the operation
within a microprocessor.
microminiature \mFkr-min-chur\ n. An
extremely small circuit or other electronic compo-
nent, especially one that is a refinement of an
already miniaturized element.
microphone \ mYkru-fn \ n. 1. A device that
converts sound waves into analog electrical sig-
nals. Additional hardware can convert the micro-
phone’s output into digital data that a computer
can process; for example, to record multimedia
documents or analyze the sound signal. 2. A com-
munications program that runs on the Apple Mac-
intosh computer.
microprocessor \miTkro-proses-or\ n. A central
processing unit (CPU) on a single chip. A modern
microprocessor can have over 1 million transistors
in an integrated-circuit package that is roughly 1
inch square. Microprocessors are at the heart of all
personal computers. When memory and power
are added to a microprocessor, all the pieces,
excluding peripherals, required for a computer are
present. The most popular lines of microproces-
sors today are the 680x0 family from Motorola,
which powers the Apple Macintosh line, and the
80x86 family from Intel, which is at the core of all
IBM PCcompatible and PS/2 computers. See also
6502, 65816, 6800, 68000, 68020, 68030, 68040,
80286, 80386DX, 80386SX, 8080, 8086, 8088,
88000, DECchip 21064, i486DX, i486DX2, i486SL,
1486SX, Pentium, Pentium Pro, PowerPC, SPARC,
Z80.
microprogramining \ miT krª-pro gram-eng\ n.
The writing of microcode for a processor. Some
systems, chiefly minicomputers and mainframes,
paragraph \ pr-graf’ \ n. 1. In word processing,
any part of a document preceded by one para-
graph mark and ending with another. To the pro-
gram, a paragraph represents a unit of information
that can be selected as a whole or given formatting
distinct from the surrounding paragraphs. 2. On
IBM and other computers built around the Intel
8088 or 8086 microprocessor, a 16-byte section of
memory beginning at a location (address) that can
be divided evenly by 16 (hexadecimal 10).
parallel \pªr-lel \ adj. 1. Of or relating to elec-
tronic circuits in which the corresponding terminals
of two or more components are connected. 2. In
geometry and graphics, of, relating to, or being
lines that run side by side in the same direction in
the same plane without intersecting. 3. In data
communications, of, relating to, or being informa-
tion that is sent in groups of bits over multiple
wires, one wire for each bit in a group. See also par-
allel interface. Compare serial. 4. In data handling,
of or relating to handling more than one event at
a time, with each event having its own portion of
the system’s resources. See also parallel processing.
parallel access \pr-lel akses\ n. The ability to
store or retrieve all of the bits composing a single
unit of information, such as a byte or a word (usu-
ally two bytes), at the same time. Also called simul-
taneous access.
parallel adder \pr-lel adr\ n. A logic device
that processes the addition of several (typically 4,
8, or 16) binary inputs simultaneously rather than
sequentially, as is the case with half adders and full
adders. Parallel adders speed processing because
they require fewer steps to produce the result. Com-
pare full adder, half adder.
parallel algorithm \pr-lel algr-idh-m\ n.
An algorithm in which more than one portion of
the algorithm can be followed at one time. Parallel
algorithms are usually used in multiprocessing
environments. Compare sequential algorithm.
parallel circuit \pr-lel srkt\ n. A circuit in
which the corresponding leads of two or more of
the circuit components are connected. In a parallel
circuit, there are two or more separate pathways
between points. The individual components in a
parallel circuit all receive the same voltage but
share the current load. See the illustration. Coin-
pare series circuit.
I.!
’I
Parallel circuit
parallel computer \pr-lel km-py1r\ n. A
computer that uses several processors that work
concurrently. Software written for parallel comput-
ers can increase the amount of work done in a
specific amount of time by dividing a computing
task among several simultaneously functioning
processors. See also parallel processing.
parallel computing \pªr-lel km-pydteng\ n.
The use of multiple computers or processors to
solve a problem or perform a function. See also
array processor, massively parallel processing,
pipeline processing, SNIP.
parallel database \pr-lel dt-bªs\ n. A data-
base system involving the concurrent use of two
or more processors or operating system processes
to service database management requests such as
SQL queries and updates, transaction logging, I/O
handling, and data buffering. A parallel database is
capable of performing a large number of simulta-
neous tasks across multiple processors and storage
devices, providing quick access to databases con-
taining many gigabytes of data.
Parallel Data Structure \pr-lel dt strukchur\
n. See PDS (definition 2).
parallel execution \pr-1el eks--kydbshn\ n.
See concurrent execution.
parallel interface \ pr-lel in1r-fªs\ n. The
specification of a data transmission scheme that
sends multiple data and control bits simulta-
neously over wires connected in parallel. The
most common parallel interface is the Centronics
interface. See also Centronics parallel interface.
Compare serial interface.
parallel port \pr-lel porC\ n. The input/output
connector for a parallel interface device. See also
input/output port.
parallel printer \pr-1el printr\ n. A printer
that is connected to the computer via a parallel
interface. In general, a parallel connection can
move data between devices faster than a serial con-
paralleiprocessing
nection can. The parallel interface is preferred in
the IBM PC world because its cabling is more stan-
dardized than that of the serial interface and
because the MS-DOS operating system assumes that
the system printer is attached to the parallel port.
See also parallel interface. Compare serial printer.
parallel processing \pªr-lel pros es-eng\ n. A
method,of processing that can run only on a com-
puter that contains two or more processors run-
fling simultaneously. Parallel processing differs
from multiprocessing in the way a task is distrib-
uted over the available processors. In multipro-
cessing, a process might be divided up into
sequential blocks, with one processor managing
access to a database, another analyzing the data,
and a third handling graphical output to the
screen. Programmers working with systems that
perform parallel processing must find ways to
divide a task so that it is more or less evenly dis-
tributed among the processors available. Compare
coprocessor, multiprocessing.
parallel server \ pr-lel srvr\ n. A computer
system that implements some form of parallel pro-
cessing to improve its performance as a server. See
also SMP server.
parallel transmission \ pr-lel tranz-mishon\
n. The simultaneous transmission of a group of
bits over separate wires. With microcomputers,
parallel transmission refers to the transmission of
1 byte (8 bits). The standard connection for paral-
lel transmission is known as the Centronics inter -
face. See also Centronics parallel interface.
Compare serial transmission.
parameter \ pr-am-tr \ n. In programming, a
value that is given to a variable, either at the begin-
ning of an operation or before an expression is
evaluated by a program. Until the operation is
completed, a parameter is effectively treated as a
constant value by the program. A parameter can
be text, a number, or an argument name assigned
to a value that is passed from one routine to
another. Parameters are used as a means of cus-
tomizing program operation. See also argument,
pass by address, pass by value, routine.
parameter-driven \ pr-am-tr-driv n\ ac/f Of,
pertaining to, or being a program or an operation
whose character or outcome is determined by the
values of the parameters that are assigned to it.
:I4I
parity
parameter passing \pr-am-tr paseng\ n. In
programming, the substitution of an actual parame-
ter value for a formal parameter when a procedure
or function call is processed.
parameter RAM \ pr-am-tar ram, R-A-M\ n. A
few bytes of battery-backed CMOS RAM on the
motherboards of Apple Macintosh computers.
Information about the configuration of the system
is stored in parameter RAM. Acronym: PRAM
(Pram, PR-A-M, pram). See also CMOS RAM.
Compare CMOS (definition 2).
PARC \park, PA-R-C\ n. See Xerox PARC.
parent/child \prnt-child\ adj. 1. Pertaining to
or constituting a relationship between processes in
a multitasking environment in which the parent
process calls the child process and most often sus-
pends its own operation until the child process
aborts or is completed. 2. Pertaining to or consti-
tuting a relationship between nodes in a tree data
structure in which the parent is one step closer to
the root (that is, one level higher) than the child.
parity \pr-tº\ n. The quality of sameness or
equivalence, in the case of computers usually re-
ferring to an error-checking procedure in which the
number of is must always be the sameeither even
or oddfor each group of bits transmitted without
error. If parity is checked on a per-character basis,
the method is called vertical redundancy checking,
or VRC; if checked on a block-by-block basis, the
method is called longitudinal redundancy check-
ing, or LRC. In typical modem-to-modem commu-
nications, parity is one of the parameters that must
be agreed upon by sending and receiving parties
before transmission can take place. Types of parity
are shown in the following table. See also parity bit,
parity check, parity error.
Type Description
Even parity The number of is in each successfully
transmitted set of bits must be an
even number.
Odd parity The number of is in each successfully
transmitted set of bits must be an odd
number.
No parity No parity bit is used.
Space parity A parity hit is used and is always set
to 0.
Mark parity A parity bit is used and is always set
to 1.
0
 more than two possible states, and each state is
interpreted as a relative change from the state pre-
ceding it. No reference values or timing consider -
ations are required, and because more than two
states are possible, more than one binary digit can
represent each state. Acronym: PSK (P’S-K’). See
also phase modulation.
Phoenix BIOS \fºniks bids, B-I-O-S\ n. An
IBM-compatible ROM BIOS manufactured by
Phoenix Technologies, Ltd. A popular ROM BIOS
in many so-called PC "clone" computers, the
Phoenix BIOS was an early leader among the IBM-
compatible computers shortly after they began to
appear in the marketplace. See also BIOS, ROM
BIOS. Compare AMI BIOS.
phone connector \fn k-nektr\ n. An attach-
ment, usually an RJ-11 connector, used to join a
telephone line to a device such as a modem. See
the illustration.
Phone connector.
phoneme \fnºm\ n. In linguistics, the smallest
unit of speech that distinguishes one word sound
from another. Phonemes are the elements on
which computer speech is based.
phono connector \fn k-nektr\ n. An
attachment used to connect a device, such as a
microphone or a pair of headphones, to a piece of
audio equipment or to a computer peripheral or
adapter with audio capability. See the illustration.
Phono connector.
phosphor \fosTOr\ n. Any substance capable of
emitting light when struck by radiation. The inside
surface of a CRT screen is coated with a phosphor
that, when excited by an electron beam, displays
an image on the screen. See also persistence.
PhotoCD \fªt-C-D\ n. A digitizing system from
Kodak that allows 35mm film pictures, negatives,
IR
slides, and scanned images to be stored on a com-
pact disc. Images are stored in a file format called
Kodak PhotoCD IMAGE PAC File Format, or PCD.
Many photography or film development busi-
nesses offer this service. Images stored on a Pho-
toCD can usually be viewed by any computer with
CD-ROM capabilities and the software required to
read PCD. Such images can also be viewed using
one of a variety of players designed to display
images stored on CDs.
photo cell \ftO seL\ n. See photoelectric device.
photocomposition \fto-kom-p-zishn\ n. In
traditional typesetting, the use of photographic
and electronic equipment in laying out and pro-
ducing a printed page. In desktop publishing,
phototypesetters are used to accomplish the same
ends. See also phototypesetter. Compare image-
setter.
photoconductor \ f t-kn-duk tr\ n. A mate-
rial that exhibits increased conductivity when it is
exposed to a source of light. Photoconductors are
used in photodetectors, which are used in fiber
optics to register light and convert it into electrical
pulses. See also fiber optics.
photo editor \ft ed-tr\ n. A graphics appli-
cation used to manipulate an image, such as a
scanned photograph, digitally.
photoelectric device \ fOt-i-lek trik d-vis \ n.
A device that uses light to create or modulate an
electric signal. A photoelectric device uses semi-
conductor material and falls in one of two catego-
ries. In one type (photocell), light falling on the
semiconductor generates an electrical current. In
another type of device (photosensor), light
changes the resistance of the semiconductor mate-
rial, modulating an applied voltage.
photolithography \ foto-li-tho gr-fe\ n. A tech-
nique used in the fabrication of integrated circuits.
The circuit pattern is drawn, photographed, and
reduced to a negative having the desired final size.
This negative is called the photomask. Light is
passed through the photomask onto a wafer made
of semiconductor material that has been coated
with a photoresistive material. Where light strikes
the photoresistive material, its composition is
changed. In the next step, the photoresistive mate-
rial not affected by light is washed off. Finally, the
semiconductor material is exposed to an etching

solution that eats away the surface not protected
by the photoresistive material, creating the desired
circuit pattern on the surface of the wafer. See also
photomask, photoresist.
photomask \ f t-mask \ n. A photographic nega-
tive image of a circuit pattern used in fabrication
of integrated circuits. See also photolithography.
photorealism \ft-rº-lizm\ n. The process
of creating images that are as close to photo-
graphic or "real-life" quality as possible. In com-
puter graphics, photorealism requires powerful
computers and highly sophisticated software and
is heavily mathematical. See also ray tracing.
photoresist \ft-rº-zist\ n. A compound that is
used in photolithographic fabrication of integrated
circuits and printed circuit boards. When exposed
to ultraviolet light through a photomask, the pho-
toresistive material exposed to the light polymer-
izes (hardens); the areas not exposed can be
washed away, leaving the pattern of traces on the
substrate. Subsequent etching removes areas not
protected by the polymerized photoresist.
photosensor \fOt-sensr\ n. See photoelectric
device.
phototypesetter \fto-tipset-r\ n. A printer
similar to a laser printer but capable of resolutions
over 2,000 dots per inch. Phototypesetters apply
light directly to a photographic film or photosensi-
tive paper. See also photocomposition. Compare
imagesetter.
photovoltaic cell \ft-vl-tªik seY\ n. See solar
cell.
phreak’ \frºk\ n. A person who breaks into, or
cracks telephone networks or other secured sys-
tems. In the 1970s, the telephone system used audi-
ble tones as switching signals, and phone phreaks
used homebrew hardware to match the tones and
steal long-distance service. See also homebrew.
Compare cracker, hacker (definition 2).
phreak2 \frºk\ vb. To break into, or crack, phone
networks or computer systems. See also home-
brew. Compare hack.
physical \fizi-kl\ adj. In computing, of, pertain-
ing to, or characteristic of a real, as opposed to a
conceptual, piece of equipment or frame of refer-
ence. Compare logical (definition 2).
physical address \fizi-kl adres, -dres\ n. An
address that corresponds to a hardware memory
:ui
0
picoseconf]
location. In simple processors such as the 8088
and the 68000, every address is a physical address.
In processors supporting virtual memory, pro-
grams reference virtual addresses, which are then
mapped by memory management hardware onto
physical addresses. See also memory management
unit, paging, virtual memory.
physical-image file \fizi-k1-imj fTl\ n. A hard
disk copy of the material to be recorded onto a
CD-ROM. Creating a complete copy precludes
problems in writing the CD-ROM because of
delays in assembling the material from a scattered
group of files. See also CD-ROM. Compare virtual-
image file.
physical layer \fizi-kl lr, lªr\ n. The first, or
lowest, of the seven layers in the International
Organization for Standardization’s Open Systems
Interconnection (OSI) model for standardizing
computer-to-computer communications. The
physical layer is totally hardware-oriented and
deals with all aspects of establishing and maintain-
ing a physical link between communicating com-
puters. Among specifications covered on the
physical layer are cabling, electrical signals, and
mechanical connections. See also ISO/OSI model.
physical memory \fizi-kl memr-º\ n. Memory
actually present in the system, as opposed to virtual
memory. A computer might have only 4 megabytes
of physical RAM but support a virtual memory
capacity of 20 MB. Compare virtual memory.
physical storage \fizi-kl storj\ n. See real stor-
age.
PlC \PI-C\ n. See programmable interrupt con-
troller.
pica \pik\ n. 1. With reference to typewriters, a
fixed-width type font that fits 10 characters to the
linear inch. See also pitch (definition 1). 2. As used
by typographers, a unit of measure equal to 12
points or approximately 1/6 inch. See also point 1
(definition 1).
pico- \pºkO\ prefix Abbreviated p. Denotes one
trillionth (10-12), or, in the British numbering sys-
tem, one million millionth.
picojava \pek-jav\ n. A microprocessor devel-
oped by Sun Microsystems, Inc., that executes Java
code. See also Java.
picosecond \pek-seknd\ n. Abbreviated psec.
One trillionth of a second.
Plug and Play
while the paper is moved back and forth by
small rollers.
Plug and Play \plug and plª\ n. A set of specifi-
cations developed by Intel that allows a PC to con-
figure itself automatically to work with peripherals
such as monitors, modems, and printers. A user
can "plug" in a peripheral and "play" it without
manually configuring the system. A Plug and Play
PC requires both a BIOS that supports Plug and
Play and a Plug and Play expansion card. See also
BIOS, expansion board, peripheral.
plugboard \plug’bOrd\ n. A board that permits
users to control the operation of a device by plug-
ging cables into sockets.
plug-compatible \ plug km-pat -bl\ adj. Equip-
ped with connectors that are equivalent both in
structure and in usage. For example, most
modems having DB-25 connectors on their rear
panels are plug-compatible; that is, one can be
replaced by another without the cable having to
be rewired. Compare pin-compatible.
plug-in \plugin\ n. 1. A small software program
that plugs into a larger application to provide
added functionality. 2. A software component that
plugs into the Netscape Navigator. Plug-ins permit
the Web browser to access and execute files
embedded in HTML documents that are in formats
the browser normally would not recognize, such as
many animation, video, and audio files. Most plug-
ins are developed by software companies who
have proprietary software in which the embedded
files are created. Compare helper application.
.pm \dotP-M\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in St. Pierre and Miquelon.
Internal diagram
00000000000
Emitter 00000000000 Collector
00000000000
00000000000
00000000000
Base
PNP transistor.
I...!
:wo
0
P 011111
p-machine \ P ’m-shºn \ Ti. See pseudomachine.
PMMU \PM-M-U\ n. See paged memory manage-
ment unit.
PMOS \P’mos\ n. Acronym for P-channel metal
oxide semiconductor. A MOSFET semiconductor
technology in which the conduction channel is
formed by the movement of holes (electron
"vacancies" created as electrons move from atom
to atom) rather than electrons. Because holes
move more slowly than electrons do, PMOS is
slower than NMOS, but it is also easier and less
expensive to fabricate. See also MOS, MOSFET, P-
type semiconductor. Compare CMOS, NMOS.
PMS \PM-S\ n. See Pantone Matching System.
.pn \dotP-N\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in Pitcairn Island.
PNG \PN-G\ n. See Portable Network Graphics.
PNP \PN-P\ n. See Plug and Play, PNP transistor.
PNP transistor \PN-P tranz-istr\ n. A type of
bipolar transistor in which a base of N-type mate-
rial is sandwiched between an emitter and a col-
lector of P-type material. The base, emitter, and
collector are the three terminals of the transistor
through which current flows. In a PNP transistor,
holes (electron "vacancies") are the majority of the
charge carriers, and they flow from the emitter to
the collector. See the illustration. See also N-type
semiconductor, P-type semiconductor. Compare
NPN transistor.
point’ \point\ n. 1. A unit of measure used in
printing, equal to approximately ‰2 of an inch.
Character height and the amount of space (lead-
ing) between lines of text are usually specified in
points. 2. A single pixel on the screen, identified
Schematic diagram
Emitter
Base
Collector
polarized component . .
exists between two points, one point has a posi-
tive polarity and the other a negative polarity.
Electrons flow from negative to positive; by con-
vention, however, "current" is considered to flow
from positive to negative.
polarized component \ plr-Tzd km-p nent\
n. A circuit component that must be installed with
its leads in a particular orientation with respect to
the polarity of the circuit. Diodes, rectifiers, and
some capacitors are examples of polarized com-
ponents.
polarizing filter \polr-i-zeng filtr\ n. A trans-
parent piece of glass or plastic that polarizes the
light passing through it; that is, it allows only
waves vibrating in a certain direction to pass
through. Polarizing filters are often used to reduce
glare on monitor screens. See also glare filter.
Polish notation \piish n,5-tªshn\ n. See prefix
notation.
polling \pOleng\ n. See autopolling.
polling cycle \poleng sFkl\ n. The time and
sequence required for a program to poll each of its
devices or network nodes. See also autopolling.
polygon \ pole-gon \ n. Any two-dimensional
closed shape composed of three or more line seg-
ments, such as a hexagon, an octagon, or a triangle.
Computer users encounter polygons in graphics
programs.
polyline \po1e-lTn\ n. An open shape consisting
of multiple connected segments. Polylines are
used in CAD and other graphics programs. See also
CAD.
polymorphism \polº-mruiz-m\ n. In an
object-oriented programming language, the ability
to redefine a routine in a derived class (a class that
inherited its data structures and routines from
another class). Polymorphism allows the program-
mer to define a base class that includes routines
that perform standard operations on groups of
related objects, without regard to the exact type of
each object. The programmer then redefines the
routines in the derived class for each type, taking
into account the characteristics of the object. See
also class, derived class, object (definition 2),
object-oriented programming.
Pong \pong\ n. The first commercial video game,
a table tennis simulation, created by Nolan Bush-
nell of Atari in 1972.
:IW2
. .. ..:
pop \pop\ vb. To fetch the top (most recently
added) element of a stack, removing that element
from the stack in the process. compare push (defi-
nition 1).
POP \pop\ n. See point of presence, Post Office
Protocol.
POP3 \PO-P-thrº\ n. Acronym for Post Office
Protocol 3. This is the current version of the Post
Office Protocol standard in common use on TCP/
IP networks. See also Post Office Protocol, TCP/IP.
populate \popy-lªf\ vb. 1. To put chips in the
sockets of a circuit board. 2. To import prepared
data into a database from a file using a software
procedure rather than by having a human operator
enter individual records.
pop-up Help \popup help\ n. An online help
system whose messages appear as pop-up win-
dows when the user clicks on a topic or area of the
screen about which help is desired. Typically, a
special form of click, such as clicking the right
mouse button or Option-clicking, will activate
pop-up Help, if it is available. See also balloon
help.
I
pop-up menu or popup menu \ pop up men
y5_0\ n. In a graphical user interface, a menu that
appears on-screen when a user selects a certain
item. Pop-up menus can appear anywhere on the
screen and generally disappear when the user
selects an item in the menu. See the illustration.
Also called popup. Compare drop-down menu,
pull-down menu.
Pop-up menu.
pop-up messages \popup mes-jz\ n. The
messages that appear when pop-up Help is used.
pop-up window \popup windO\ n. A window
that appears when an option is selected. Typically,
the window remains visible until the mouse button
is released. See the illustration.
port’ \pOrt\ n. See input/output port, port
number.
S
 port expander

Portable Digital Document \ par t-bl dij’ i-tl do’-

Pop-up window.
port \pOrt\ vb. 1. To change a program in order
to be able to run it on a different computer. 2. To
move documents, graphics, and other files from
one computer to another.
portable \port-bl\ ad]. 1. Capable of running on
more than one computer system or under more
than one operating system. Highly portable soft-
ware can be moved to other systems with little
effort, moderately portable software can be moved
only with substantial effort, and nonportable soft-
ware can be moved only with effort similar to or
greater than the effort of writing the original pro-
gram. 2. Light enough, rugged enough, and free
enough of encumbering external connections to
be carried by a user.
portable computer \port-b1 km-pyYtr\ n.
Any computer designed to be moved easily. Por-
table computers can be characterized by size and
weight as in the table below.
kyz)-mQnt\ n. See PDD.
Portable Distributed Objects \port-bl dis-trib -
y-td oblekts\ n. Software from NeXT, running
under UNIX, that supports an object model in
which objects to be stored at various locations on
a network can be accessed as though they were at
a single location. Acronym: PDO (PD-O).
Portable Document Format \pOrt-b1 doky-
mont ffmat\ n. The Adobe specification for
electronic documents that use the Adobe Acrobat
family of servers and readers. Acronym: PDF
(PD-F). See also Acrobat, .pdf.
portable language \port-bl lang’wj\ n. A lan-
guage that runs in the same way on different sys-
tems and therefore can be used for developing
software for all of them. C, FORTRAN, and Ada are
portable languages because their implementations
on different systems are highly uniform; assembly
language is extremely nonportable.
Portable Network Graphics \ pOr t-bl netwrk
grafiks\ n. A file format for bitmapped graphic
images, designed to be a replacement for the GIF
format, without the legal restrictions associated
with GIF. Acronym: PNG (PN-G). See also GIF.
port enumerator \porC -n mr-ªtr\ n. In
Windows, part of the Plug and Play system that
detects I/O ports and reports them to the configu-
ration manager. See also Plug and Play.
port expander \prt eks-pandr\ n. A hardware
mechanism used for connecting several devices to

PORTABLE COMPUTERS

Type Approximate weight Power source Comments

Transportable 15-30 lb. House current Sometimes called luggable;
usually has floppy and hard
drives; standard CRT screen.
Laptop 8-15 lb. House current or batteries Can be held on the lap; usu-
ally has a floppy drive; uses
flat LCD or plasma screen.
Ultralight 2-8 lb. Batteries or transformer Easy to carry in a briefcase;
pack sometimes uses RAM drive or
EPROM instead of floppy or
hard drive; thinner models are
known as notebook
computers.
Handheld Less than 2 lb. Batteries or transformer Also called palmtop; can be
pack held in one hand.

L :1w3
0
 gramming element is the procedure (a named
sequence of statements, such as a routine, subrou-
tine, or function). The most widely used high-level
languages (C, Pascal, Basic, FORTRAN, COBOL,
Ada) are all procedural languages. See also proce-
dure. Compare nonprocedural language.
procedural rendering \ pr-sºjr-1 ren dr-ºng\
n. The rendering of a two-dimensional image from
three-dimensional coordinates with texturing
according to user-specified conditions, such as
direction and degree of lighting.
procedure \pr-sºjr\ n. In a program, a named
sequence of statements, often with associated con-
stants, data types, and variables, that usually per-
forms a single task. A procedure can usually be
called (executed) by other procedures, as well as
by the main body of the program. Some languages
distinguish between a procedure and a function,
with the latter (the function) returning a value. See
also function, parameter, procedural language,
routine, subroutine.
procedure call \ pm-se jr kl \ n. In program-
ming, an instruction that causes a procedure to be
executed. A procedure call can be located in
another procedure or in the main body of the pro-
gram. See also procedure.
process’ \proses\ n. A program or part of a pro-
gram; a coherent sequence of steps undertaken by
a program.
process \proses\ vb. To manipulate data with a
program.
process-bound \ pros es-bound \ adj. Limited in
performance by processing requirements. See also
computation-bound.
process color \ pros es kl r\ n. A method of
handling color in a document in which each block
of color is separated into its subtractive primary
color components for printing: cyan, magenta, and
yellow (as well as black). All other colors are cre-
ated by blending layers of various sizes of halftone
spots printed in cyan, magenta, and yellow to cre-
ate the image. See also color model, color separa-
tion (definition 1). Compare spot color.
processing \pros’es-eng\ n. The manipulation of
data within a computer system. Processing is the
vital step between receiving data (input) and pro-
ducing results (output)the task for which com-
puters are designed.
I,
uJ
processor \ pros es-r\ n. See central processing
unit, microprocessor.
Processor Direct Slot \ pros es-r-dr-ekt slot ’\
n. See PDS (definition 1).
Prodigy Information Service \prod-je in-far -
mªshn sr\ T s\ n. An online information service
founded by IBM and Sears. Like its competitors
America Online and CompuServe, Prodigy offers
access to databases and file libraries, online chat,
special interest groups, e-mail, and Internet con-
nectivity. Also called Prodigy.
product \produkt\ n. 1. An operator in the rela-
tional algebra used in database management that,
when applied to two existing relations (tables),
results in the creation of a new table containing all
possible ordered concatenations (combinations)
of tuples (rows) from the first relation with tuples
from the second. The number of rows in the
resulting relation is the product of the number of
rows in the two source relations. Also called Car-
tesian product. Compare inner join. 2. In mathe-
matics, the result of multiplying two or more
numbers. 3. In the most general sense, an entity
conceived and developed for the purpose of com-
peting in a commercial market. Although comput-
ers are products, the term is more commonly
applied to software, peripherals, and accessories
in the computing arena.
production system \pm-dukshn sistm\ n. In
expert systems, an approach to problem solving
based on an "IF this, THEN that" approach that
uses a set of rules, a database of information, and
a "rule interpreter" to match premises with facts
and form a conclusion. Production systems are
also known as rule-based systems or inference
systems. See also expert system.
Professional Graphics Adapter \ pm-fesh o-n1
grafiks -daptr\ n. A video adapter introduced
by IBM, primarily for CAD applications. The Pro-
fessional Graphics Adapter is capable of display-
ing 256 colors, with a horizontal resolution of 640
pixels and a vertical resolution of 480 pixels. Acro-
nym: PGA (PG-A).
Professional Graphics Display \ pm-fesh -nl
grafiks dis-plª\ n. An analog display introduced
by IBM, intended for use with their Professional
Graphics Adapter. See also Professional Graphics
Adapter.
query
query \kwºrº, kwrº\ n. 1. The process of
extracting data from a database and presenting it
for use. 2. A specific set of instructions for extract-
ing particular data repetitively.
query by example \kwºrº bi ig-zampl, kwrº\
n. A simple-to-use query language implemented
on several relational database management sys-
tems. Using query by example, the user specifies
fields to be displayed, intertable linkages, and
retrieval criteria directly onto forms displayed on
the screen. These forms are a direct pictorial rep-
resentation of the table and row structures that
make up the database. Thus, the construction of a
query becomes a simple "checkoff" procedure
from the viewpoint of the user. Acronym: QBE
(Q ’B-E’).
query language \kwºrº 1angwj, kwrº\ n. A
subset of the data manipulation language; specifi-
cally, that portion relating to the retrieval and dis-
play of data from a database. It is sometimes used
loosely to refer to the entire data manipulation lan-
guage. See also data manipulation language.
question mark \ kwes chn mrk \ n. In some
operating systems and applications, a wildcard
character often used to represent any other single
character. The question mark is one of two wild-
card characters supported by the MS-DOS, Win-
dows NT, and OS/2 operating systems. See also
asterisk.
queue \ky\ n. A multi-element data structure
from which (by strict definition) elements can be
removed only in the same order in which they
were inserted; that is, it follows a first in, first out
(FIFO) constraint. There are also several types of
queues in which removal is based on factors other
than order of insertionfor example, some prior -
ity value assigned to each element. See also deque,
element (definition 1). compare stack.
queued access method \kydbd akses methd\
n. A programming technique that minimizes
input/output delays by synchronizing the transfer
of information between the program and the com-
puter’s input and output devices. Acronym: QAM
(QA-M, kwm).
II!
QWERTY keyboard ,
QuickDraw \kwikdrª, dr\ n. On the Apple Mac-
intosh, the built-in group of routines within the
operating system that control the display of graph-
ics and text. Application programs call QuickDraw
for on-screen displays. See also Toolbox.
QuickDraw 3-D \kwikdr thrº-D, kwikdr\ n.
A version of the Macintosh QuickDraw library that
includes routines for doing 3-D graphics calcula-
tions. See also QuickDraw.
quicksort \kwiksrt\ n. An efficient sort algo-
rithm, described by C.A.R. Hoare in 1962, in which
the essential strategy is to "divide and conquer." A
quicksort begins by scanning the list to be sorted
for a median value. This value, called the pivot, is
then moved to its final position in the list. Next, all
items in the list whose values are less than the
pivot value are moved to one side of the list, and
the items with values greater than the pivot value
are moved to the other side. Each resulting side is
sorted the same way, until a fully sorted list results.
See also sort algorithm. Compare bubble sort,
insertion sort, merge sort.
QuickTime \kwiktim\ n. The multimedia exten-
sions to the Apple Macintosh System 7 software,
also available for Windows. QuickTime can syn-
chronize up to 32 tracks of sounds, video images,
or MIDI or other control output.
Quick Viewers \kwik vy5Frz\ n. A set of file
viewers supplied with Windows 95.
quit’ \kwit\ n. 1. An FTP command that instructs
the server to drop the current connection with the
client from which it received the command. 2. A
command in many applications for exiting the pro-
gram.
quit2 \kwit\ vb. 1. To stop in an orderly manner.
2. To execute the normal shutdown of a program
and return control to the operating system. Com-
pare abort, bomb 2 , crash 2 (definition 1), hang.
QWERTY keyboard \kwertº kºbªrd\ n. A key-
board layout named for the six leftmost characters
in the top row of alphabetic characters on most
keyboardsthe standard layout of most typewrit-
ers and computer keyboards. Compare Dvorak
keyboard, ergonomic keyboard.
rag \ rag\ n. Irregularity along the left or right edge
of a set of lines of text on a printed page. Rag com-
plements justification, in which one or both edges
of the text form a straight vertical line. See the
illustration. See also justify, ragged left, ragged
right.
Ragged right Justified Ragged left
Rag.
ragged left \ragd lefC\ adj. Of, relating to, or
being lines of text whose left ends are not verti-
cally aligned but form an irregular edge. Text may
be right-justified and have a ragged left margin.
Ragged-left text is used infrequentlytypically, for
visual effect in advertisements. See also rag, right-
justify.
ragged right \ragd riC\ adj. Of, relating to, or
being lines of text whose right ends are not verti-
cally aligned but form an irregular edge. Letters and
other word-processed documents are commonly
left-justified, with ragged-right margins. See also
left-justify, rag.
RAID \rªd, WA-I-D\ n. Acronym for redundant
array of independent disks (formerly called
redundant array of inexpensive disks). A data
storage method in which data, along with informa-
tion used for error correction, such as parity bits or
Hamming codes, is distributed among two or more
hard disk drives in order to improve performance
and reliability. The hard disk array is governed by
array management software and a disk controller,
which handles the error correction. RAID is gener -
ally used on network servers. Several defined lev-
els of RAID offer differing trade-offs among access
speed, reliability, and cost. See also disk controller,
error-correction coding, Hamming code, hard
disk, parity bit, server (definition 1).
RAID array \rªd -rª, RA-I-D\ n. See RAID.
RAM \ram, RA-M\ n. Acronym for random
access memory. Semiconductor-based memory
:1?,g!
that can be read and written by the central pro-
cessing unit (CPU) or other hardware devices. The
storage locations can be accessed in any order.
Note that the various types of ROM memory are
capable of random access but cannot be written
to. The term RAM, however, is generally under-
stood to refer to volatile memory that can be writ-
ten to as well as read. Compare core, EPROM,
flash memory, PROM, ROM (definition 2).
RAM cache \ram kash, RA-M\ n. Cache mem-
ory that is used by the system to store and retrieve
data from the RAM. Frequently accessed segments
of data may be stored in the cache for quicker
access compared with secondary storage devices
such as disks. See also cache, RAM.
RAM card \ram krd, RA-M\ n. An add-in cir-
cuit board containing RAM memory and the inter -
face logic necessary to decode memory addresses.
RAM cartridge \ram kr’trij, RA-M\ n. See
memory cartridge.
RAM chip \ram chip, RA-M\ n. A semiconduc-
tor storage device. RAM chips can be either
dynamic or static memory. See also dynamic RAM,
RAM, static RAM.
RAM compression \ ram km-presh n, R-A-M\
n. Short for random access memory compres-
sion. This technology was an attempt by a number
of software vendors to solve the problem of run-
fling out of global memory under Windows 3.x.
Compression of the usual contents of RAM may
lessen the system’s need to read or write to virtual
(hard diskbased) memory and thus speed up the
system, as virtual memory is much slower than
physical RAM. Because of the falling prices of RAM
and the introduction of Windows 95 and Windows
NT, which handle RAM more effectively, RAM com-
pression is generally used only on older PCs. See
also compression, RAM, Windows, Windows 95.
RAMDAC \ramdak, R-A-MD-A-C\ n. Acronym
for random access memory digital-to-analog con-
verter. A chip built into some VGA and SVGA
video adapters that translates the digital represen-
tation of a pixel into the analog information
needed by the monitor to display it. The presence
of a RAMDAC chip generally enhances overall
video performance. See also SVGA, VGA.
RAM disk \ram disk, RA-M\ n. Short for ran-
dom access memory disk. A simulated disk drive
pRAM refresh
whose data is actually stored in RAM memory. A
special program allows the operating system to
read from and write to the simulated device as if it
were a disk drive. RAM disks are extremely fast,
but they require that system memory be given up
for their use. Also, RAM disks usually use volatile
memory, so the data stored on them disappears
when power is turned off. Many portables offer
RAM disks that use battery-backed CMOS RAM to
avoid this problem. See also CMOS RAM. Compare
disk cache.
RAM refresh \ram rº-fresh, RA-M\ n. See
refresh (definition 2).
RAM resident \ram rez-dnt, R-A-M\ adj. See
memory-resident.
RAM-resident program \ ram rez--dent pro --
gram, WA-M\ n. See terminate-and-stay-resident
program.
random access \randm akses\ n. The ability
of a computer to find and go directly to a particu-
lar storage location without having to search
sequentially from the beginning location. The
human equivalent of random access would be the
ability to find a desired address in an address
book without having to proceed sequentially
through all the addresses. A computer’s semicon-
ductor memory (both RAM and ROM) provides
random access. Certain types of files stored on
disk under some operating systems also allow
random access. Such files are best used for data
in which each record has no intrinsic relationship
to what comes physically before or after it, as in a
client list or an inventory. Also called direct
access. See also RAM, ROM. Compare indexed
sequential access method, sequential access.
random access memory \ ran- dam ak-ses mem-
n. See RAM.
random noise \randm noiz\ n. A signal in
which there is no relationship between amplitude
and time and in which many frequencies occur
randomly, without pattern or predictability.
random number generation \randm numbr
jen-r-ªshon\ n. Production of an unpredictable
sequence of numbers in which no number is any
more likely to occur at a given time or place in the
sequence than any other. Truly random number
generation is generally viewed as impossible. The
i.
process used in computers would be more prop-
erly called "pseudorandom number generation."
range \rªnj\ n. 1. A block of cells selected for simi-
lar treatment in a spreadsheet. A range of cells can
extend across a row, down a column, or over a
combination of the two, but all cells in the range
must be contiguous, sharing at least one common
border. Ranges allow the user to affect many cells
with a single commandfor example, to format
them similarly, enter the same data into all of them,
give them a name in common and treat them as a
unit, or select and incorporate them into a formula.
2. In more general usage, the spread between
specified low and high values. Range checking is
an important method of validating data entered
into an application.
range check \rªnj chek\ n. In programming, a
limit check of both the upper and lower limits of
a value, thus determining whether the value lies
within an acceptable range. See also limit check.
RARP \RA-R-P\ n. Acronym for Reverse Address
Resolution Protocol. A TCP/IP protocol for deter -
mining the IP address (or logical address) of a
node on a local area network connected to the
Internet, when only the hardware address (or
physical address) is known. While RARP refers
only to finding the IP address and ARP technically
refers to the opposite procedure, ARP is com-
monly used for both senses. See also ARP.
RAS \RA-S\ n. See remote access server, Remote
Access Service.
raster \rastr\ n. A rectangular pattern of lines;
on a video display, the horizontal scan lines from
which the term raster scan is derived.
raster display \rastr dis-plª\ n. A video moni-
tor (typically a CRT) that displays an image on the
screen as a series of horizontal scan lines from top
to bottom. Each scan line consists of pixels that
can be illuminated and colored individually. Tele-
vision screens and most computer monitors are
raster displays. See also CRT, pixel. Compare vec-
tor display.
raster graphics \rastr grafiks\ n. A method of
generating graphics that treats an image as a col-
lection of small, independently controlled dots
(pixels) arranged in rows and columns. Compare
vector graphics.
RJ 11 connector \RJ--levn k-nektr\ n. See
- ROFL \WO-F-L\ Acronym for rolling on the floor,
phone connector.
RJ 11 jack \RJ--levn jak\ n. See phone connec-
- groups and online conferences, to indicate one’s
tor.
RLIN \R’lin, RL-I-N\ n. See Research Libraries
Information Network.
RLL encoding \RL-L en-ko-deng\ n. See run-
length limited encoding.
rlogin 1 \Wlogin\ n. 1. A protocol used to log in
to a networked computer in which the local sys-
tem automatically supplies the user’s login name.
See also communications protocol, logon. com-
pare telnet 1 . 2. A UNIX command in BSD UNIX
that enables a user to log in to a remote computer
on a network using the rlogin protocol. See also
BSD UNIX.
rlogin2 \Rlogin\ vb. To connect to a networked
computer using the riogin protocol.
RLSD \WL-S-D\ n. Acronym for Received Line
Signal Detect. See DCD.
RMM \RM-M\ n. See real-mode mapper.
.ro \dofR-0\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in Romania.
robopost \r0bª-pOst\ vb. To post articles to
newsgroups automatically, usually by means of a
bot. See also bot (definition 3), newsgroup, post.
robot \rObot\ n. 1. A machine that can sense and
react to input and cause changes in its surround-
ings with some degree of intelligence, ideally
without human supervision. Although robots are
often designed to mimic human movements in
carrying out their work, they are seldom human-
like in appearance. Robots are commonly used in
manufacturing products such as automobiles and
computers. See also robotics. 2. See hot, spider.
robotics \r-botiks\ n. The branch of engineer -
ing devoted to the creation and training of
robots. Roboticists work within a wide range of
fields, such as mechanical and electronic engi-
neering, cybernetics, bionics, and artificial intelli-
gence, all toward the end of endowing their
creations with as much sensory awareness, physi-
cal dexterity, independence, and flexibility as
possible. See also artificial intelligence, bionics,
cybernetics.
robust \r-bust\ adj. Able to function or to con-
tinue functioning well in unexpected situations.
L~]
laughing. An expression, used mostly in news-
appreciation of a joke or other humorous circum-
stance. Also called ROTFL.
role playing game \rolphi-eng giim\ n. A game
-
that is played online such as a MUD, in which par-
ticipants take on the identities of characters that
interact with each other. Often these games have a
fantasy or science fiction setting and have a set of
rules that all players need to follow. See also MUD.
rollback \rOlbak\ n. A return to a previous stable
condition, as when the contents of a hard disk are
restored from a backup after a destructive hard
disk error.
ROM \rom, RO-M\ n. 1. Acronym for read-only
memory. A semiconductor circuit into which code
or data is permanently installed by the manufac-
turing process. The use of this technology is eco-
nomically viable only if the chips are produced in
large quantities; experimental designs or small vol-
umes are best handled using PROM or EPROM.
2. Acronym for read-only memory. Any semicon-
ductor circuit serving as a memory that contains
instructions or data that can be read but not modi-
fied (whether placed there by manufacturing or by
a programming process, as in PROM and EPROM).
See also EEPROM, EPROM, PROM.
roman \rmn\ adj. Having upright rather than
slanted characters in a typeface. See also font fam-
ily. compare italic.
ROM Basic \rom hªsik, R-0-M \ n. A Basic inter-
’
preter stored in ROM (read-only memory) so that
the user can start programming after simply turn-
ing on the machine without having to load Basic
from a disk or tape. ROM Basic was a feature of
many early home computers.
ROM BIOS \rom bUs, R-0-M \ n. Acronym for
’
read-only memory basic input/output system. See
BIOS.
ROM card \rom krd, WO-M\ n. A plug-in mod-
ule that contains one or more printer fonts, pro-
grams, or games or other information stored in
ROM (read-only memory). A typical ROM card is
about the size of a credit card and several times
thicker. It stores information directly in integrated
circuit boards. Also called font card, game card.
See also ROM (definition 1), ROM cartridge.

semantics \s-mantiks\ n. 1. In programming,
the relationship between words or symbols and
their intended meanings. Programming languages
are subject to certain semantic rules; thus, a pro-
gram statement can be syntactically correct but
semantically incorrect; that is, a statement can be
written in an acceptable form and still convey the
wrong meaning. See also syntax. 2. In artificial-
intelligence research, the capacity of a network
to represent relationships among objects, ideas,
or situations in a humanlike way. See the illustra-
tion. Compare syntax.
CANARY - is a - BIRD
has
FEATHERS
Semantics.
semaphore \sem-fr\ n. In programming, a
signala flag variableused to govern access to
shared system resources. A semaphore indicates to
other potential users that a file or other resource is
in use and prevents access by more than one user.
See also flag (definition 1).
semiconductor \ semº-kn-duk-tr, semi-kn-
duk-tr\ n. A substance, commonly silicon or ger -
manium, whose ability to conduct electricity falls
between that of a conductor and that of a noncon-
ductor (insulator). The term is used loosely to refer
to electronic components made from semiconduc-
tor materials.
send \send\ n. To transmit a message or file
through a communications channel.
send statement \send stªtmnt\ n. In SLIP and
PPP scripting languages, a statement that tells the
program that dials an Internet service provider’s
number (a dialer program) to send certain charac-
ters. See also ISP, PPP, scripting language, SLIP.
sensor \sensr\ n. A device that detects or mea-
sures something by converting nonelectrical
energy to electrical energy. A photocell, for exam-
ple, detects or measures light by converting it to
electrical energy. See also transducer.
sensor glove \sensr glv\ n. A hand-worn
computer input device for virtual-reality environ-
ments. The glove translates finger movements by
the user to commands for manipulating objects in
4211
sequential processing.
the environment. Also called data glove. See also
virtual reality.
SEPP \SE-P-P\ n. Acronym for Software Engi-
neering for Parallel Processing. A project of nine
European universities and research institutions to
develop tools for the development of parallel
application programs for distributed memory
multiprocessors.
sequence \sºkwns\ n. An ordered arrangement,
as in a set of numbers, such as the Fibonacci
sequence. See also Fibonacci numbers.
sequence check \sºkwns chek\ n. A process
that verifies that data or records conform to a par-
ticular order. Compare completeness check, con-
sistency check, duplication check.
Sequenced Packet Exchange \sºkwensd pakt
ks-chanf\ n. See SPX (definition 1).
sequential access \si-kwenshl akses\ n. A
method of storing or retrieving information that
requires the program to start reading at the begin-
ning and continue until it finds the desired data.
Sequential access is best used for files in which
each piece of information is related to the informa-
tion that comes before it, such as mailing list files
and word processing documents. Also called serial
access. See also indexed sequential access method.
Compare random access.
sequential algorithm \ si-kwenshl alg-ridhm\
n. An algorithm in which each step must occur in
a particular order. See also algorithm. Compare
parallel algorithm.
sequential execution \ si-kwen shl eks -kyb --
shn\ n. The act of executing routines or pro-
grams in a linear sequence. Compare concurrent
execution.
sequential logic element \si-kwenshl lojik el-
mnt\ n. A logic circuit element that has at least
one input and one output and in which the output
signal depends on the present and past states of
the input signal or signals.
I
sequential processing \ si-kwen shl pros es-eng\
n. 1. The processing of items of information in
the order in which they are stored or input. 2.
The execution of one instruction, routine, or task
followed by the execution of the next in line.
Compare multiprocessing, parallel processing,
pipelining (definition 1).
.si \dotS-Y\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in Slovenia.
sibling \siblØng\ n. A process or node in a data
tree that is descended from the same immediate
ancestor(s) as other processes or nodes. See also
generation (definition 2), node (definition 3).
sideband \sidband\ n. The upper or lower por-
tion of a modulated carrier wave. One portion can
be processed while the other is used to carry sepa-
rate data, a technique that doubles the amount of
information that can be carried over a single line.
See the illustration.
A ,AA , A A I Upper sideband
V VV V V I Lower sideband
Sideband.
sidebar \sidbr\ n. A block of text placed to the
side of the main body of text in a document, often
set off by a border or other graphic element.
side effect \ sTd -fekt \ n. Any change of state
caused by a subroutine, such as a routine that
reads a value from a file and advances the current
file position.
side head \sid hed\ n. A heading placed in the
margin of a printed document and top-aligned
with the body text, rather than being vertically
aligned with text, as is a normal head.
sieve of Eratosthenes \ siv v r--tos th-nºz\
n. An algorithm for finding prime numbers. It is
often used as a benchmark in testing the speed of
a computer or programming language. See also
benchmark’.
.sig \dot-sig, dotS-I-G\ n. A file extension for a
signature file for e-mail or Internet newsgroup use.
The contents of this file are automatically
appended to e-mail correspondence or news-
group articles by their respective client software.
See also signature file.
SIG \sig, SI-G\ n. Acronym for special interest
group. An e-mail online discussion group or a
group of users who meet and share information,
especially one of the groups supported by the
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), such
as SIGGRAPH for computer graphics.
SIGGRAPH \siggraf, SI-GG-RA-P-H\ n. Short
for Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics,
a part of the Association for Computing Machinery
(ACM).
sign \siin\ n. The character used to indicate a posi-
tive or negative number. In assembly-level pro-
gramming, the sign is indicated by the sign bit
accompanying the number. See also sign bit.
signal \signl\ n. 1. Any electrical quantity, such
as voltage, current, or frequency, that can be used
to transmit information. 2. A beep or tone from a
computer’s speaker or a prompt displayed on
screen that tells a user that the computer is ready
to receive input.
signal converter \signl kn-vrtr\ n. A device
or circuit that converts a signal from one form to
another, such as analog to digital, or pulse code
modulation to frequency modulation.
signal-to-noise ratio \signl-t-noiz rª-sh\ n.
Abbreviated S/N. The amount of power, measured
in decibels, by which the signal exceeds the
amount of channel noise at the same point in
transmission. See also noise (definition 2).
signature \sign-chur\ n. 1. A sequence of data
used for identification, such as text appended to
an e-mail message or fax. 2. A unique number
built into hardware or software for authentication
purposes.
signature block \sign-chur blok\ n. A block of
text that an e-mail client or a newsreader automati-
cally places at the end of every message or article
before the message or article is transmitted. Signa-
ture blocks typically contain the name, e-mail
address, and affiliation of the person who created
the message or article.
signature file \ sign-chur fil \ n. See .sig.
sign bit \sTn bit\ n. The most significant, or left-
most, bit of a number field, usually set to 1 if the
number is negative.
sign extension \sTn eks-tenshn\ n. See sign bit.
significant digits \sig-nif-knt dijts\ n. The
sequence from the first nonzero digit to the last
digit in a number (the last nonzero digit in an inte-
ger), used to express the number’s precision (for
example, 12,300 has three significant digits, and
0.000120300 has six). See also floating-point nota-
tion.
sign off \sin of ’\ vb. See log off.
 Acronym: SMTP (SM-T-P9. See also communica-
tions protocol, TCP/IP, Compare CCITT X series,
Post Office Protocol.
Simple Network Management Protocol \simpl
netwrk manj-mnt pr6’-ko1\ n. See SNMP.
simplex transmission \simpleks tranz-mishn\
n. Communication that takes place only from
sender to receiver. Compare duplex 2 (definition
1), half-duplex transmission.
simulation \simy-lashn\ n. The imitation of a
physical process or object by a program that
causes a computer to respond mathematically to
data and changing conditions as though it were
the process or object itself. See also emulator,
modeling (definition 1).
simultaneous access \sFmul-tª-nº-s akses\
See parallel access.
simultaneous processing \ sFmu1-tª-nº-s pros -
es-eng\ n. 1. True multiple-processor operation in
which more than one task can he processed at a
time. See also multiprocessing, parallel processing.
2. Loosely, concurrent operation in which more
than one task is processed by dividing processor
time among the tasks. See also concurrent, multi-
tasking.
sine wave \sin wv\ n. A uniform, periodic wave
often generated by an object that vibrates at a sin-
gle frequency. See the illustration. Compare
square wave.
-a
a pytr\ n. A computer designed for use by a
p.
Sine wave.
single-board \ seng ’1-brd’ \ ad/. Of or pertaining
to a computer that occupies only one circuit
hoard, usually with no capacity for additional
boards.
single-density \sengl-dens-te\ ad/. Of or per-
taining to a disk that is certified only for use with
frequency modulation (FM) recording. A single-
density disk can store much less data than a disk
using modified FM encoding or run-length limited
encoding. See also modified frequency modulation
encoding, run-length limited encoding,
single inline memory module \sºngl in’ln
memr-º mofool, mo’dyool\ n. See SIMM.
single inline package \seng"l inlin pakj\ n.
See SIP.
single inline pinned package \sengl inlIn pind
pakj\ n. See SIP.
single-instruction, multiple-data stream pro-
cessing \ sºn gl-in-strukshn mul’ t-pl-d t
strºm pros-es-eng, dat\ n. See SIMD.
single-precision \sºng1-pm-sizh’n\ adj. Of or
pertaining to a floating-point number having the
n. least precision among two or more options com-
monly offered by a programming language, such
as single-precision versus double-precision. See
also floating-point notation, precision (definition
2). Compare double-precision.
single-sided \sengl-si’dd\ adj. Of or pertaining
to a floppy disk in which data can be stored on
only one side.
single step \sengl step\ vb. To execute a pro-
gram one step at a time, usually within the context
of a debugger. See also debugger.
single threading \seng’l thredeng\ n. 1. Within
a program, the running of a single process at a
time. 2. A condition in which each leaf node of a
tree data structure contains a pointer to its parent.
See also node (definition 3), pointer (definition 1),
threading.
single-user computer \ sºng’1-y-zr km-
single individual; a personal computer. Compare
multiuser system.
sink \sºnk\ n. A device or part of a device that
receives something from another device. See also
data sink, heat sink.
SIP \sip, S’I-P’\ n. Acronym for single inline pack-
age. A type of housing for an electronic compo-
nent in which all leads (connections) protrude
from one side of the package. See the illustration
on the next page. Also called single inline pinned
package. Compare DIP.
SIPP \sip, S’I-P-P\ n. Acronym for single inline
pinned package. See SIP.
SIR \S’I-R\ n. See Serial Infrared.
0
413W
synonym \sin-nim\ n. 1. A word that is an
equivalent of another word. The verbs type and
keyboard are synonyms. 2. In hashing, one of two
distinct keys that produce the same hash address.
See also hash 2
.
syntax \sintaks\ n. The grammar of a language;
the rules governing the structure and content of
statements. See also logic, programming language,
syntax error. compare semantics (definition 1).
syntax checker \sintaks chekr\ n. A program
for identifying errors in syntax for a programming
language. See also syntax, syntax error.
syntax error \ sin’taks rr\ n. An error resulting
from a statement that violates one or more of the
grammatical rules of a language and is thus not
"legal." See also logic, semantics (definition 1),
syntax.
synthesis \sinth-sis’\ n. The combining of sep-
arate elements to form a coherent whole, or the
result of such a combining (for example, combin-
ing digital pulses to replicate a sound, or com-
bining digitized words to synthesize human
speech). See also speech synthesis.
synthesizer \sin’th-sFzr\ n. A computer
peripheral, chip, or stand-alone system that gener -
ates sound from digital instructions rather than
through manipulation of physical equipment or
recorded sound. See also MIDI.
.sys \dot-sis’\ n. A file extension for system con-
figuration files.
sysadinin \sisd-min"\ n. The usual logon name
or e-mail address for the system administrator of a
UNIX-based system. See also system administrator.
sysgen \sisjen\ n. See system generation.
sysop \sis’op\ n. Short for system operator. The
overseer of a BBS or a small multiuser computer
system.
Sys Req key \sis rek kº\ n. Short for System
Request key. A key on some IBM and compatible
keyboards that is intended to provide the same
function as the Sys Req key on an IBM mainframe
computer terminal: to reset the keyboard or to
change from One session to another.
system \sistm\ n. Any collection of component
elements that work together to perform a task.
Examples are a hardware system consisting of a
microprocessor, its allied chips and circuitry, input
and output devices, and peripheral devices; an
4r1r:
operating system consisting of a set of programs
and data files; or a database management system
used to process specific kinds of information.
system administrator \ si stm ad-min-strª-
tr\ n. The person responsible for administering
use of a multiuser computer system, communica-
tions system, or both. A system administrator per-
forms such duties as assigning user accounts and
passwords, establishing security access levels,
allocating storage space, and watching for unau-
thorized access to prevent virus or Trojan horse
programs from entering the system. Also called
sysadmin. See also Trojan horse, virus, compare
sysop.
system board \ sistm brd" \ n. See mother-
board.
system clock \ si’stm klok\ n. See clock (defini-
tion 1).
system console \sFstm konsl\ n. The control
center of a computer system, primarily with refer-
ence to mainframe and minicomputers. In net-
worked or distributed systems, one workstation is
designated as the system administrator’s; this
workstation is analogous to the LAN system con-
sole. See also console, LAN.
system development \ si" stm d-vel p-mnt\ n.
The process of defining, designing, testing, and
implementing a new system.
system disk \ si’stm disk" \ n. A disk that contains
an operating system and can be used to boot a
computer. Also called startup disk, See also boot2 ,
operating system.
system error \sYstm r"r\ n. A software condi-
tion that renders the operating system incapable of
continuing to function normally. This type of error
usually requires rebooting the system.
system failure \sistm fªl"yr\ n. The inability of
a computer to continue functioning, usually
caused by software rather than hardware.
System file \ sYstm Ii-l’\ n. A resource file on the
Macintosh that contains the resources needed by
the operating system, such as fonts, icons, and
default dialog boxes.
System folder \si"stm fl"dr\ n. The Macintosh
file folder (directory) that contains the System file
and other vital files, such as Finder, device drivers,
INIT files, and control panel files. See also control
panel, Finder, INIT, System file.
tr aditional newsgroup hierarchy
Tractor feeders
TractorfeeL Tractorfeeders on a dot-matrix
printer.
traditional newsgroup hierarchy \tra-dish"a-
nal nz"grp hYar-r-kº, hTrr-kº\ n. The
seven standard newsgroup categories in Usenet:
comp., misc., news., rec., sci., soc., and talk. News-
groups can be added within the traditional hierar-
chy only following a formal voting process. See also
comp. newsgroups, misc. newsgroups, newsgroup,
news. newsgroups, rec. newsgroups, Request for
Discussion, sci. newsgroups, soc. newsgroups, talk.
newsgroups, Usenet. compare alt, newsgroup.
traffic \trafik\ n. The load carried by a communi-
cations link or channel.
trailer \trª’lr\ n. Information, typically occupying
several bytes, at the tail end of a block (section) of
transmitted data and often containing a checksum
or other error-checking data useful for confirming
the accuracy and status of the transmission. See also
checksum. Compare header (definition 2).
trailer label \trªlar lª"bal\ n. 1. A small block of
information used in tape processing that marks the
end of a file or the end of the tape and that can
contain other information, such as the number of
records in the file or files on the tape. Compare
header label. 2 A label used in communications
data frames that follows the data and might con-
tain an end-of-message mark, a checksum, and
some synchronization bits.
trailing edge \ tra"leng ej ’\ n. The latter part of an
electronic signal. When a digital signal switches
from on to off, the transition is the trailing edge of
the signal.
train’ \trªn\ n. A sequence of items or events,
such as a digital pulse train consisting of transmit-
ted binary signals.
II4I
transfer ra
I
train \trªn\ vb. To teach an end user how to Use
a software or hardware product. e
transaction \tranz-akshn\ n. A discrete acti- vity
within a computer system, such as an entry of a
customer order or an update of an inventory item
Transactions are usually associated with database
management, order entry, and other online sys-
tems.
transaction file \tranz-ak"shan Ill" \ n. A file that
contains the details of transactions, such as item s
and prices on invoices. It is used to update a mas-
ter database file. See also transaction. Compare
master file.
transaction log \tranz-ak’shan log" \ n. See
change file,
transaction processing \ tranz-ak "shan pros" es-
eng\ n. A processing method in which transac-
tions are executed immediately after they are
received by the system. See also transaction. Com-
pare batch processing (definition 3).
Transaction Processing Council \ tranz-ak" shan
pros’es-ºng koun"sal\ n. A group of hardware
and software vendors with the goal of publishing
benchmark standards. Acronym: TPC (T"P-C9,
transaction processing monitor \tranz-ak"shan
pros-es-ºng mona-tar\ n. See TP monitor.
transceiver \tran"sºvar\ n. Short for transmitter/
receiver. A device that can both transmit and
receive signals. On local area networks, a trans-
ceiver is the device that connects a computer to
the network.
transceiver cable \tran-sºvar kª"bl\ n. A cable
that is used to connect a host adapter within a
computer to a local area network (LAN). See also
AUI cable, LAN.
transducer \tranz"d"sar\ n. A device that con-
verts one form of energy into another. Electronic
transducers either convert electric energy to
another form of energy or convert nonelectric to
electric energy.
transfer \transfar\ n. 1. The movement of data
from one location to another. 2. The passing of
program control from one portion of code to
another.
transfer rate \ transfar rat" \ n. The rate at which
a circuit or a communications channel transfers
information from source to destination, as over a
network or to and from a disk drive. Transfer
 computer to a remote computer by means of a
modem or network. 2. The copy of the file that is
being or has been transferred.
upload 2 \upld\ vb. To transfer a copy of a file
from a local computer to a remote computer. com-
pare download.
uppercase \up.r-kªs\ ad]. Of, pertaining to, or
characterized by capital letters. compare lower-
case.
upper memory area \upr memr-º are- -\ n.
See UMA.
upper memory block \upr memr-º blok\ n.
See UMB.
UPS \UP-S\ n. Acronym for uninterruptible
power supply. A device, connected between a
computer (or other electronic equipment) and a
power source (usually an outlet receptacle), that
ensures that electrical flow to the computer is not
interrupted because of a blackout and, in most
cases, protects the computer against potentially
damaging events, such as power surges and brown-
outs. All UPS units are equipped with a battery and
a loss-of-power sensor; if the sensor detects a loss
of power, it switches over to the battery so that the
user has time to save his or her work and shut off
the computer. See also blackout, brownout.
uptime \uptim\ n. The amount or percentage of
time a computer system or associated hardware is
functioning and available for use. compare down-
time.
upward-compatible \upwrd-km-pat-bl\ ad].
Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a computer
product, especially software, designed to perform
adequately with other products that are expected
to become widely used in the foreseeable future.
The use of standards and conventions makes
upward compatibility easier to achieve.
urban legend \urbn lejond\ n. A widely distrib-
uted story that remains in circulation in spite of the
fact that it is not true. Many urban legends have
been floating around the Internet and other online
services for years, including the request for cards
for the sick boy in England (he’s long since recov-
ered and grown up), the cookie or cake recipe that
cost $250 (it’s a myth), and the Good Times or
Penpal Greetings virus, which will infect your
computer when you read an e-mail message (it
does not exist). See also Good Times virus.
4317
URC \UR-C\ n. See Uniform Resource Citation.
URI \UR-F\ n. See Uniform Resource Identifier.
URL \UR-L, rl\ n. Acronym for Uniform Re-
source Locator. An address for a resource on the In-
ternet. URL5 are used by Web browsers to locate
Internet resources. A URL specifies the protocol to
be used in accessing the resource (such as http: for
a World Wide Web page or ftp: for an FTP site),
the name of the server on which the resource
resides (such as //www.whitehouse.gov ), and,
optionally, the path to a resource (such as an HTML
document or a file on that server). See also FTP 1
(definition 1), HTML, HT[TP, path (definition 1),
server (definition 2), virtual path (definition 1),
Web browser.
URN \UR-N\ n. See Uniform Resource Name.
.us \dohU-S\ n. On the Internet, the major geo-
graphic domain specifying that an address is
located in the United States. Because the United
States was the only possible location in the older
ARPANET naming system, the United States can be
regarded as a default location for domain name
addresses ending in .com, .gov, .edu, .org, .mil,
and .net. See also ARPANET, .com, domain name,
.edu, .gov, .mil, .net, .org.
usable \yzo-bh\ ad]. Of, pertaining to, or char-
acteristic of the ease and adaptability with which a
product can be applied to the performance of the
work for which it is designed. A high degree of
usability implies ease of learning, flexibility, free-
dom from bugs, and good design that does not
involve unnecessarily complicated procedures.
USB \TJS-B\ n. Acronym for universal serial bus.
A serial bus with a bandwidth of 1.5 megabits
per second (Mbps) for connecting peripherals to
a microcomputer. USB can connect up to 127
peripherals, such as external CD-ROM drives,
printers, modems, mice, and keyboards, to the
system through a single, general-purpose port.
This is accomplished by daisy chaining peripher-
als together. USB supports hot plugging and mul-
tiple data streams. Developed by Intel, USB
competes with DEC’s ACCESS.bus for lower-
speed applications. See also bus, daisy chain, hot
plugging, input/output port, peripheral, compare
ACCESS.bus.
U.S. Department of Defense \US d-partmnt
v d-fens\ n. The military branch of the United
1
video controller
video; with a 1.544-Mbps (Ti) channel, full-motion
video can be used. See also 56K, desktop confer-
encing, freeze-frame video, full-motion video, Ti,
teleconferencing. Compare data conferencing.
video controller \vidº- kn-trlr\ n. See
video adapter.
video digitizer \vidº- dij-tT-zr\ n. A device
used in computer graphics that uses a video cam-
era, rather than a scan head, to capture a video
image and then stores it in memory with the aid of
a special-purpose circuit board. See also digitize.
Compare digital camera.
videodisc \vidº--disk\ n. An optical disc used
to store video images and associated audio infor -
mation. See also CD-ROM.
video display \vidº- dis-plª\ n. Any device
capable of displaying, but not printing, text or
graphics output from a computer.
video display adapter \vidº- dis-plª -daptr\
n. See video adapter.
video display board \vidº- dis-plª brd\ n. A
video adapter implementation using an expansion
board rather than the computer’s main system
board. See also video adapter.
video display card \vidº- dis-plª krd\ n. See
video display board.
video display metafile \vidº- dis-piª met-ful\
n. A file containing video display information for
the transport of images from one system to
another. Acronym: VDM (VD-M’).
video display page \vidŁ-ª dis-piª paj\ n. A
portion of a computer’s video buffer that holds one
complete screen image. If the buffer can hold more
than one page, or frame, screen updates can be
completed more rapidly because an unseen page
can be filled while another is being displayed.
video display terminal \vidº- dis-pla trm-
nl\ n. See VDT.
video display tube \vidº- dis-plª tTb \ n. See
CRT.
video display unit \vidº-ª dis-plª yTª-nit\ n.
See monitor.
video DRAM \vidº- Dram, dram, D-R-A-M\ n.
See video RAM.
video driver \vidº- drFvr\ n. Software that
provides the interface between the video adapter
hardware and other programs, including the oper-
ating system. The user can access the video driver
ItN
to specify the resolution and color-bit dePth
images on the monitor during the setup of
See also driver, monitor, video adapter. proces s.
video editor \vidº- ed-tr\ fl. A device or
gram used to modify the contents of a video filpro-
e.
Video Electronics Standards Associati
\vidº-O -lek-troniks stanthrdz -s-sash
n. See VESA 2.
video game \vidº- gam \ n. See computer gam
e
Video Graphics Adapter \vidº- grafiks -dap
tr\ or Video Graphics Array \vidº- graf1k
n. See VGA.
video graphics board \vidº-O graUjks bOrd\
n.
A video adapter that generates video signals for
displaying graphical images on a video screen
video look-up table \vidº- ldbkup tªbl\ n.
See color look-up table.
video memory \vidº- memr-º\ n. Memory
from which a display image is created, located in
the video adapter or video subsystem. If both the
video processor and the central processing unit
(CPU) have access to video memory, images are
produced by the CPU’s modification of video
memory. Video circuitry normally has priority over
the processor when both attempt to read or write
to a video memory location, so updating video
memory is often slower than accessing main mem-
ory. See also video RAM.
video mode \vidº- mOd \ n. The manner in
which a computer’s video adapter and monitor
display on-screen images. The most common
modes are text (character) mode and graphics
mode. In text mode, characters include letters,
numbers, and some symbols, none of which are
"drawn" on screen dot by dot. In contrast, graphics
mode produces all screen images, whether text or
art, as patterns of pixels (dots) that are drawn one
pixel at a time.
videophone \vidº--fn\ n. A device equipped
with camera and screen, as well as a microphone
and speaker, capable of transmitting and receiving
video signals as well as voice over a telephone
line. Using conventional telephone lines, a video-
phone can transmit only freeze-frame video. See
also freeze-frame video.
video port \ vidº- prt \ n. A cable connector
on a computer for output of video signals to a
monitor.
Microsoft Press @

The Comprehensive
Standard for Business,
School, Library, and Home

MICROSOFT PRESS COMPUTER DICTIONARY, THIRD EDITION, is the

authoritative source of definitions for computer terms,
concepts, and acronymsfrom the world’s most respected
computer software company. With more than 7,600 entries-
2,300 of which are newthis comprehensive standard
has been completely updated and revised to cover the
most recent trends in computing, including extensive
coverage of Internet, Web, and intra net-related terms. The
definitions are based on the ways the terms are used in
the real world today. Extensively illustrated, the Third
Edition now offers a more professional, traditional-
dictionary format for maximum utility and ease of use.

U.S.A. $29.99
U. K. £2799 [V.A.T. included]
Canada $39.99
[Recommended]