Computer knowledge

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The time interval between the instant that data is requested and Access Time
the instant that it is received.
A character or group of characters that identify a register, a Address
location or some other data source or destination.
A set of rules for solving a problem in a given number of steps.
Algorithm

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Layer seven of the OSI reference model. It serves as a means by

Application Layer
which applications access communications services.

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A program that is written for or by a user that applies to the users

discipline.
A group of programs designed to perform tasks that can be
tailored to users specific needs.
American Standard Code for Information Interchange

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Application
program
Application
software
ASCII

A program that converts symbolically-coded programs into object Assembler

level, machine code. In an assembler program, unlike a compiler,
there is a one-to-one correspondence between human-readable
instructions and the machine-language code.
Process of establishing who you are.
Authentication
Permission to access non-public information or use equipment
that is either fully or partially restricted. Process of establishing
what you can do.
A piece of the spectrum occupied by some form of signal, where
it is television, voice, fax data, etc.. Signals require a certain size
and location of bandwidth in order to be transmitted. The higher
the bandwidth, the faster the signal transmission, and thus
allowing for a more complex signal such as audio or video.
Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. A commonly
used personal-computer language, first developed at Dartmouth
during the 1960s
A file containing one or more strings of data bits which are not
printable characters. Some binary files may be computer
programs or other forms of data that contain no text characters at
all. Binary files cannot be displayed on screen, but can be
downloaded for use with appropriate applications on your
computer. Binary (base 2) is also the building block of computer
information, representing "on" or "off" and "true" or "not true" as

Authorization

Bandwidth

BASIC

Binary

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1 or 0.
A number written using binary notation which only uses zeros Binary Number
and ones. Example: decimal number seven in binary notation is:
111.
A binary digit, either a 0 or 1. In the U. S. , 8 bits make up one Bit
byte; in Europe, byte equals one word.
Bits per second
The speed at which bits are transmitted.
(bps)
Someone who creates and maintains an online diary
Blogger

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Turning on your computer

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An interruption to a transmission; usually a provision to allow a Break

controlled terminal to interrupt the controlling computer.
A device that connects two networks and passes traffic between Bridge
them based only on the node address, so that traffic between
nodes on one network does not appear on the other network. For
example, an Ethernet bridge only looks at the Ethernet address.
A single message addressed to all nodes on a network.
Broadcast

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A software tool used to read electronic documents. Mosaic,

NetScape and Lynx are the most popular browsers.
A temporary memory for data, normally used to accommodate the
difference in the rate at which two devices can handle data during
a transfer.
An error. Can be a hardware malfunction or a software
programming error.
Network wiring commonly used by Ethernet in which all nodes
on the network see all packets.
A group of adjacent binary digits, usually 8, on which a computer
operates as a unit; often used to represent a single character.
A set of wires connecting pieces of computer hardware.

Booting

Browser
Buffer

Bug
Bus Topology
Byte
Cable

Compact Disk - Read Only Memory. Optical (CD) disks that are CD-ROM
mastered and then can only be read; i.e., the data cannot be
manipulated, removed, etc
Any medium by which information can be transmitted.
Channel
A tiny piece of semi-conductive material, usually based on Chip
silicon, used in the manufacture of electronic components.
A computer program that uses the services of another computer Client
program. Software that extracts information from a server; your

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auto-dial phone is a client, and the phone company is its server.

A relationship in which client software obtains services from a
server on behalf of a person.
The result of two nodes transmitting at the same time on a
multiple access network such as Ethernet. Both packets may be
lost or partial packets may result.
A request, typed from a terminal or embedded in a file, to
perform an operation or to execute a particular program
A program that translates human-readable programs into a form
the computer understands. The input (source code) to the
compiler is a description of an algorithm in a problem- oriented
language; its output (object code) is an equivalent description of
the algorithm in a machine-oriented language.
Time that elapses while the user of a terminal is connected to a
time-sharing system; it is measured by the duration between
logon and logoff.
A special function key on a computer keyboard, frequently used
in combination with alphabetic keys, to enter commands.
Central Processing Unit. The main internal component of a
computer where executions of instructions are carried out and
calculations are performed.
A computer system is said to crash when it stops working for
some reason and must be restarted.
Information suitable for communication, interpretation or
processing by a computer.
The collection and redistribution of data through communications
channels, often including operations such as coding, decoding
and validation.
The systematic performance of operations upon data, for
example, handling, merging, sorting and computing.
A file or group of files associated with one part of a study.
A collection of interrelated data values that may be integrated
permanently into a single connected structure or integrated
temporarily for each interrogation, known as a query.
A systematic approach to storing, updating, securing and
retrieving information stored as data items, usually in the form of
records in one or more files.
To detect, trace and eliminate errors in computer programs.

client/server
Collision

Command
Compiler

Connect Time

Control Key
CPU

Crash
Data
Data
Communications
Data Processing
Dataset
Database

Database
Management
System
Debug

A software function or operation which occurs automatically Default

unless the user specifies something else.

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DHCP

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Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. Supports booting

workstations and other devices that need information from
outside before they can complete the booting process, such as an
IP number or name of program file to download.
The ability to read or write data directly from or to any location
on a storage device without having to refer to data that was
previously written.
A small, flat, either rigid or floppy magnetic disk for storing data
permanently. Magnetic medium for data storage. Either "floppy"
diskettes (720K to 1.4 megabytes), or "hard" disks (usually 20
megabytes or more).
The data resides in more than one physical database in a network.
Access to the data involves more than one database server.
Clients may have to connect to more than one server directly and
integrate the data they receive according to the applications
needs.
A printer that creates each character from an array of dots. The
dots are formed by pins striking a ribbon against the paper, one
pin for each dot position. The printer may be a serial printer
(printing one character at a time) or a line printer.
Combining or defining a data structure of attributes and a group
of associated functions and behaviors as a single object.
Coding condential data so that only a user with the right
password can read the data.
A program that permits the review and editing of the contents of a
file.
A high speed channel for transmitting data. Made of high-purity
glass sealed within an opaque tube. Much faster than
conventional copper wire such as coaxial cable.
A computer designated to store software, courseware,
administrative tools, and other data on a local- or wide-area
network. It "serves" this information to other computers via the
network when users enter their personal access codes.
Partial packet caused by a collision

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A packet sent over a serial link.

Frame

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Software that is distributed for free, with no license fee.

Freeware

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A measurement of the number of electromagnetic waves that pass Frequency

over a given point in a given period of time.
File Transfer Protocol. A program that allows for file transfers FTP

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Direct Access

disk or diskette

Distributed
database

Dot-matrix printer

Encapsulation
Encryption
Editor
Fiber Optics

File Server

Fragment

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over the Internet.

Unwanted or meaningless information in memory, on disk or on a
tape.
Graphic Interchange Format. Compuserves non-platform specific
format for low-resolution, compressed graphics interchange.
A procedure performed by modems, terminals, and computers to
verify that communication has been correctly established.
When a computer freezes, so that it does not respond to keyboard
commands.
A data-recording system using solid disks of magnetic material
turning at high speeds.
A hierarchical file is one that contains information collected on
multiple units of analysis where each unit of analysis is
subordinate to another unit.
A computer that is made available for use by multiple people
simultaneously.
Hypertext Markup Language. A convention of codes used to
access documents over the World-Wide Web.
A pointer that when chosen displays the item to which it points. It
typically takes the form of a button or highlighted text that points
to related text, picture, video, or audio. Hyperlinks allow nonlinear exploration of media that contain them.
Circuits that are permanently interconnected to perform a specific
function, as distinct from circuits addressed by software in a
program and, therefore, capable of performing a variety of
functions, albeit more slowly. Also used to describe a nonswitched connection between devices.
A technique by which the structure and precise usage of
information and data is concealed. The information is private to
its owning objects and accessible to all other objects only by
sending a message to the owner. This is the basis of
encapsulation.
The ability of hierarchically-arranged objects to acquire attributes
and behaviors of objects above them without duplicating the
code.
Internet Relay Chat, or just Chat. An on-line group discussion

Garbage
GIF
Handshaking
Hang
Hard Disk
Hierarchical File

Host
HTML
Hyperlink

Hardwired

Information
Hiding

Inheritance

IRC

An editor where the text is considered to be a series of lines Line Editor

separated by end-of-line markers and in which alterations are
made to individual lines or groups of lines through editor
commands.

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A programming language or instruction code that is immediately

interpretable by the hardware of the machine concerned.
A flat circular plate with a magnetizable surface layer used for
storage of data.
A tape with a magnetizable surface layer on which data can be
stored by magnetic recording.
Usually the fastest storage device of a computer and the one from
which instructions are executed.
A computer system in which the central processing unit is built as
a single tiny semiconductor chip or as a small number of chips.
Main computer chip that provides speed and capabilities of the
computer. Also called CPU.
Short for MOdulation/DEModulation, it is a device that can
convert a digital bit stream into an analog signal (modulation) and
can convert incoming analog signals back into digital signals
(demodulation). The analog communications channel is typically
a telephone line and the analog signals are typically sounds.
A device that merges information from multiple input channels to
a single output channel.
The capability of some computer systems to provide access to
many simultaneous users.
Supports the concept of the object and the use of messages to
communicate between the objects.
Basic component of communication over a network. A group of
bits of fixed maximum size and well-defined format that is
switched and transmitted as a complete whole through a network.
It contains source and destination address, data and control
information.
A request that specifies the manner in which data is to be
extracted from one or more databases.
Random Access Memory. Memory in which each element can be
individually addressed and accessed with the same speed as any
other element of the memory. The main memory of a computer is
usually RAM. One of the earliest forms of RAM was called core,
because it consisted of directly addressed doughnuts or cores of
ferromagnetic material each of which represented one bit. A faster
more recent form of RAM is called Dynamic RAM.
An organization of data into tables with each column containing
the values of a data element and each row representing a record.
The ability to access a computer from outside a building in which
it is housed. Remote access requires communications hardware,
software, and actual physical links, although this can be as simple

Machine language
Magnetic disk
Magnetic Tape
Main Memory
Micro computer
Micro processor
Modem

multiplexer
Multiuser

Object-based
Packet

Query
RAM

Relational
Database
Remote access

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as common carrier (telephone) lines or as complex as TELNET

login to another computer across the Internet.
Read-only memory. Information is stored once, usually by the
manufacturer that cannot be changed. Most compact discs are
ROM.
A device connecting separate networks that forwards a packet
from one network to another based only on the network address
for the protocol being used. For example, an IP router looks only
at the IP network number.
The process of finding a path over which a packet can travel to
reach its destination.
A section of network wiring. Segments are connected by
repeaters, bridges or routers.
An imitation of the behavior of some existing or intended system,
or some aspect of that behavior.
To arrange a set of items in sequence according to keys

ROM

Router

Routing
Segments
Simulation
Sort

Simultaneous Peripheral Operations On-Line. A scheme that Spool

allows multiple devices to simultaneously write output to the
same device such as multiple computers printing to the same
printer at the same time. The data are actually written to
temporary files while a program called a spooler sends the files to
the device one at a time.
99. Storing programs on disk and then transferring these programs Swapping
into main storage as and when they are needed. The technique is
used to process large programs or several programs into limited
memory
100. A device mounted on a communication satellite which receives, Transponder
amplifies and retransmits signals from earth stations