This section describes the vocabulary used in identifying phrases and words associated with computer hardware and software.

ABEND

Term is short for abnormal end, and refers to a program stopping prematurely due to a bug. Example: If a computer program has a programming error and the program is submitted to run against a file, the program will abend.

ACCESS TIME

Time required to read data from an I/O (Input/Output) device such as disk or tape.

ACTIVE X

Technology that links desktop applications to the world wide web.

ALPHANUMERIC

The set of alphabetic and numeric characters.

APPLICATIONS & APP

Programs designed for a specific purpose, such as payroll, airline, network system, etc.

ARCHITECTURE

Organizational structure of a computing system, mainly referring to the CPU or microprocessor.

ASCII

American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A method of encoding alphanumeric characters for data transmission or storage.

ASSEMBLE

Program that translates assembly language programs into a language that the computer understands.

ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE

(Symbolic machine language) low-level programming language. One assembly language instruction equals one machine language instruction.

BACKUP

An extra copy of software or data normally kept on file in case the original is damaged or lost.

BANDWIDTH

The amount of information a connection is capable of carrying (text, images, sound, video, etc.). Usually measured in bits per second.

BASIC

(Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) - A programming language with a small repertoire of commands and a simple syntax, primarily designed for numerical applications and interactive computing.

BATCH

(Batch processing) a group of records or data processing jobs brought together for processing or transmission.

BAUD

A measurement (in bits per second) of the speed in which information is transferred between two computer devices, a computer and printer, for example.

BAUD RATE

Speed of transmission (see baud).

BINARY

A numbering system consisting of only two digits, either 0 or 1 as contrasted with the ten digits, 0 to 9, of the decimal system.

BIT

Smallest unit of information, a binary digit of 1 or 0 (8 bits make up a byte or character).

BOARD

Circuit board or card containing circuitry for one or more functions.

BOOT, BOOTING or BOOTSTRAP

A program used to "start" a computer system, usually initializing memory and devices and loading the operating system into memory (usually from disk or tape).

BROWSER

Software used to view various Internet sites and is capable of viewing text, images, and other file formats as well as playing music and sound. The most common types of browsers are Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.

BUG

A problem with a program or a mistake in software.

BUS

A set of hardware lines that may be used to connect several devices together for communication purposes.

BYTE

The number of bits that a computer processes as a unit (8 BITS - 1 BYTE).

CD

Compact Disc - CDs can hold up to 700 MB of data or 80 minutes of audio. The data on a CD is stored as small notches on the disc and is read by a laser from an optical drive. The drives translate the notches (which represent 1's and 0's) into usable data.

CD-R

Compact Disc Recordable. CD-R discs are blank CDs that can record data written by a CD burner.  The data burned onto a CD-R disc is permanent, meaning it can’t be altered or erased like the data on a hard drive. Typically, once a CD has been burned, it will not be able to record any more data.

CD-ROM

Compact Disc Read-Only Memory, A CD-ROM is a CD that can be read by a computer with an optical drive. The "ROM" part of the term means the data on the disc is "read-only," or cannot altered or erased.

CD-RW

Compact Disc Re-Writable. A CD-RW is a blank CD that can be written to by a CD burner. Unlike a CD-R (CD-Recordable), a CD-RW can be written to multiple times. The data burned on a CD-RW cannot be changed, but it can be erased. Therefore, you have to completely erase a CD-RW every time you want to change the files or add new data.

CICS

(Customer Information Control System) - A program product that enables transactions entered at remote terminals to be processed concurrently by user-written application programs. It also includes facilities for building, using, and maintaining databases.

CHIP

(see IC) an integrated circuit etched into a tiny piece of semiconductor material.

CLOCK SPEED

Clock speed is the rate at which a processor can complete a processing cycle. It is typically measured in megahertz or gigahertz. One megahertz is equal to one million cycles per second, while one gigahertz equals one billion cycles per second. This means a 1.8 GHz processor has twice the clock speed of a 900 MHz processor.

COBOL (Common Business - Oriented Language)

A high-level programming language for business applications.

COMMAND

A word or character that causes a computer to do something.

COMPATIBILITY

A computer's ability to interconnect directly with another device without special equipment, programs or code.

COMPILER

A program used to convert a source program into machine language (object program). There are separate compiler programs for the each of the various languages.

COMPUTER

A functional unit that can perform substantial computation including numerous arithmetic operations or logic operations.

CONNECT TIME

The length of time a computer is connected to an ISP (Internet Service Provider).

CONSOLE

Control panel or keyboard providing the link between a computer and humans.

CONTROLLER

The device in a system that dictates the occurrence of events in that system. (A computer's "traffic cop.")

COOKIE

A packet of information that travels between a browser and the web server.

COPY

To transfer data from one medium to another or to the same medium (for example, copying a file from one disk to another for backup purposes.)

CPU

Central processing unit: the "brain" of a computer-executes instructions (programs).

CRASH

A hardware or software failure or blockage. (A headcrash of a disk system refers to the accidental impact of the read/write head on the disk surface.)

CRT

Cathode ray tube (a terminal screen or video monitor.)

CURSOR

Blinking or solid symbol on a video terminal that indicates where next character will appear.

DATA

Synonym for information.

DATABASE

A collection of data used and/or produced by a program.

DATA BASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DBMS)

Software system for managing the storage, access, and updating of a database.

DATA SET

The major unit of data storage and retrieval, consisting of a collection of data saved under a name to which the system has access.

DEBUG

To remove errors from programs.

DEDICATED

A system or component assigned to one task is said to be dedicated.

DEDICATED LINE

A line with a continuous connection.

DEFAULT

An alternative value, attribute, or option that is assumed when none has been specified.

DETAILED GENERAL LEDGER

Combines detailed information about each disbursement with the information available in a general ledger. Each transaction during an accounting cycle is posted to its appropriate general ledger account (balance sheet, income, or expense), and shows information normally available in a cash disbursements journal, (payee, check number, date of check, etc.)

DIAL-UP CONNECTION

A connection established when a phone line is used to connect a computer to another computer or an Internet provider.

DISK

A round flat plate coated with a magnetic substance on which data from a computer is stored.

DISKETTE

Floppy disk.

DISK CONTROLLER

Part of computer system used to control the computer's access to the disk drive (can be plugged into the BUS).

DISK DRIVE

A device that reads computerized data from a disk.

DISPLAY

Visual representation of data such as front console of terminal screen.

DOCUMENTATION

(1) The instruction manual for a piece of hardware or software, or (2) the process of gathering information while writing a program so that others using the program are able to see what was done.

DOT MATRIX

Printer that forms characters as a series of dots.

DOUBLE-DENSITY

Method of recording twice as much information floppy disk.

DOUBLE-SIDED

Floppy disk with data recorded on both sides.

DOWNTIME

A period when the computer is not available or not working.

DRIVE

A device that reads/writes data to/from a disk, such as a floppy disk or a hard disk. Various computer systems have different drive names: A, B, C, D, Q, etc.

DVD

Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc, a DVD is a high-capacity optical disc that looks like a CD, but can store much more information. While a CD can store 650 to 700 MB of data, a single-layer, single-sided DVD can store 4.7 GB of data.

DVD+R

Digital Versatile Disc Recordable, DVD+R discs look the same as regular DVDs, but can be used to record data. Single-sided, single-layer DVD+R discs can store 4.7GB of data, while double-layer discs can store 8.5GB and double-sided DVD-Rs can store 9.4GB.

DVD-R

Digital Versatile Disc Recordable, a DVD-R looks the same as a regular DVD, but like a CD-R, it can be used to record data. Once a DVD-R has been "burned", or written to, it cannot be written to again. A basic single-sided, single-layer DVD-R disc can store 4.7GB of data. Double-layer discs can store 8.5 GB, while double-sided DVD-Rs can store 9.4 GB.

DVD+RW

Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable, a DVD+RW is like a DVD+R, but can be erased and rewritten.

DVD-RW

Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable, a DVD-RW is like a DVD-R but can be erased and written to again.

EDITOR

Program to display, insert, or modify a text file interactively.

EDITING

Making corrections or changes in a file.

EDP

Electronic Data Processing.

ELECTRONIC MAIL

E-mail - memos, personal letters, messages, and communiqués sent from one person to another through a computer.

END USER

The eventual user of a computer system or of applications software.

EXECUTE

To carry out an instruction or series of instructions.

FIELD

(1) A subdivision of a record, or (2) an area on a screen to be filled in by a user.

FILE

A collection of data organized in a special way, e.g., under names and addresses.

FILE COMPRESSION AND DECOMPRESSION

Allows one to compact files, making the file size smaller for uploading, downloading, or putting on disk. After moving, the file must be decompressed in order to use it.

FILE EXTENSION

A file extension is the suffix at the end of a filename indicating what type of file it is. Common file extension can include txt (text files), doc or docs (Word Document files), xls or xlsx (Excel Files), JPG (graphic file).

FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL (FTP)

A method of transferring files over the Internet. Users login to one Internet site in order to retrieve or send files.

FIREWALL

A method used to protect one computer network from another computer network. It blocks unauthorized access while allowing authorized traffic.

FLASH DRIVE

A flash drive consists of a flash memory data storage device integrated with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface. USB flash drives are typically removable and rewritable, and physically much smaller than a floppy disk. Most weigh less than 30 g (1 oz). Flash Drive storage capacity vary, newest versions are as large as 256 gigabytes (GB).

FLOPPY DISK ("FLOPPY")

A flexible disk coated with magnetic material used to store data (comes in 8 inch diameter (obsolete), mini-floppy of 5.25 inch diameter, and diskette of 3.5 inches.)

FORMAT

An arrangement of data.

FORTRAN - (Formula Translation)

A high-level language used for scientific and mathematical applications.

FREEWARE

Software which may be used for free, but cannot be modified.

GENERAL LEDGER

A collection of all balance sheet, income, and expense accounts used to keep the accounting records of a business. It is where the summary of all assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses for a given time period are posted and from which financial statements are prepared.

GIGABYTE (GB)

A unit of data storage equal to 2 to 30th power or 1,073,741,824 bytes. A gigabyte is 1,024 megabytes and precedes the terabyte unit of measurement. Hard drive sizes are typically measured in gigabytes, such as a 160GB or 250GB drive. The term gigabyte is often abbreviated as simply a "gig" in speech.

GIGAHERTZ (GHz)

Processor speed.

GRAPHICS

Computer output in the form of displays, drawings or pictures.

GUI

Abbreviation for "Graphical User Interface" also pronounced "gooey". It refers to the graphical interface of a computer that allows users to click and drag objects with a mouse instead of entering text at a command line. Two of the most popular operating systems, Windows and the Mac OS, are GUI-based.

HACKER

Person who attempts to access a computer system without authorization.

HARD COPY

Any printed information produced by computer and used by permanent storage.

HARD DISK

A disk made of rigid material that is capable of storing more data and having faster access times than floppy disks.

HARDWARE

The physical components of a computer system.

HEXADECIMAL

A numeration system having a base of 16 and using the symbols 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E, and F.

HSM (Hierarchical Storage Manager)

A software product that automatically moves unused files to storage and retrieves them when requested.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language)

Standard language used to create documents for the World Wide Web. Documents have embedded tags in them indicating color, text formatting, hypertext links, graphics, etc.

HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol)

Language used to move hypertext files across the Internet.

HYPERLINK

A work or phrase that can be "clicked on" to cause another document to be retrieved or displayed.

IC (Integrated Circuit)

A tiny chip of semiconductor material enclosed in a plastic or ceramic case, holding thousands of electronic components.

IMAGING

The scanning of data into a data format or an image format.

INPUT

Any information put into a computer, such as a program or data.

INPUT DEVICE

A device that allows the input of information or data into a computer system. The device may be a tape drive, CRT, keyboard, or PC.

INTERACTIVE

Programs that react to user input, with each entry calling forth a response from a system or program.

INTERFACE

The place at which independent systems meet and act on or communicate with each other.

INTERNET

A network of computers that provides services and information on almost any subject.

INTERNET RELAY CHAT

Provides a means for users on different systems to converge into "rooms", called channels and have text-based discussions similar to a conference call or party line. This can be used for entertainment or serious discussion.

INTRANET

An internal network of computers.

I/O - Input/Output

May be used as I/O Device.

ISDN ( Integrated Services Digital Network)

Digital phone lines 6-10 times the speed of a typical phone line.

ISP

Internet Service Provider.

JAVA

A programming language.

JCL - (Job Control Language)

A problem-oriented language designed to identify the job or describe its requirements to an operating system.

JPG or JPEG

Stands for "Joint Photographic Experts Group", in short JPG or JPEG is a compressed image (picture) file format.

Jump Drive

Another name for Flash Drive, or meaning to jump data from one computer to another, see Flash Drive

KBPS

Kilobits per second a term which describe data transfer rates.

KILOBYTE (Kbyte, K)

Is 2 to the 10th power or 1,024 bytes. Most small files on personal computers are measured in kilobytes, while anything larger than 1,024KB is measured in megabytes.

KEYBOARD

Manual keys used to enter data into the computer.

LASER PRINTER

A printer that produces hardcopy one page at a time using laser imaging.

LINE EDITOR

A text editor that is line-oriented, with most commands applying to one line of the file at a time rather than to a whole screen's worth (as opposed to a screen editor).

LOAD

To put data and/or programs into a computer.

LOGIN

Logging onto a computer system or network. Can also mean an individual user name.

MAC or MACOS

Is the operating system that runs on Macintosh computers. It is pronounced, "mack-oh-es". The Mac OS has been around since the first Macintosh was introduced in 1984.

MACHINE LANGUAGE

Language the computer understands.

MAINFRAME

(1) The box that houses the computer's BUS, memory, CPU, I/O interfaces, etc., or (2) a large computer system (as opposed to a microcomputer or a PC).

MASS STORAGE

A device capable of holding large amounts of data.

MCAFEE VIRUS SCAN

Antivirus software.

MEGABYTE

Is 2 to the 20th power or 1,048,576 bytes. Large computer files are typically measured in megabytes. For example, a high-quality JPEG photo from a digital camera takes up about 3MB of space. A four minute CD-quality audio clip takes up about 40MB of space and CDs can hold up to 700MB of space.

MEGAHERTZ (MHz)

Millions of times per second. It is used to measure transmission speeds of electronic devices. The most common area you will see Megahertz used is in measuring processor clock speed. 

MEMORY

That part of the computer which stores data temporarily during execution of a program (permanent storage is on disk or tape.)

MEMORY STICK

Is a removable flash memory card format, launched by Sony in October 1998, and is also used in general to describe the whole family of Memory Sticks, including USB Flash Drives. Typical use is a storage device for some portable devices such as digital camera, music players, PDA and cell phones. Recent improvements to Memory Sticks provides the user with an attachment to insert the memory stick into and plug into a computer/laptop USB port.

MENU

A list of choices within a program.

MENU BAR

Is a horizontal strip that contains lists of available menus for a certain program. In Windows programs, the menu bar resides at the top of each open window, while on the Mac, the menu bar is always fixed on the top of the screen. Despite this major difference, the menu bar serves the same purpose on each platform.

MERGE

To combine two or more sets into one set.

MICROCOMPUTER

A computer system whose processing unit is a microprocessor.

MICROPROCESSOR

The CPU of a microcomputer contained in an integrated circuit.

MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER

An Internet browser.

MICROSOFT OUTLOOK

Personal and work group e-mail, appointments, contacts, and tasks software.

MINI-FLOPPY

5 1/4 inch floppy disk.

MIPS

Million instructions per second.

MIS (Management Information System)

Management performed with the aid of automatic data processing. Also is an alternate name for an ADP Department.

MODEM (Modulator Demodulator)

A device that provides an interface between a communications link (such as phone line) and a computer system.

MONITOR

(1) A video display, or (2) a control program, that is part of an operating system. When active, you are in "monitor mode."

MOUSE

In computer graphics, a locator device operated by moving the device on a surface.

MULTI-USER SYSTEM

System capable of handling more than one user at a time.

NETWORK

An interconnected group of microcomputers or terminals linked together for specific purposes.

NODE

A station on a network; may be a terminal, a printer or a computer.

OFFLINE

Work done by a computer while it is not connected to another computer or network.

ONLINE

Work done by a computer while it is connected to another computer or network.

OPERATOR ID

Numbers or characters entered by an operator during logon that identifies the operator to the system.

OUTPUT

Data transferred from storage or produced by a program and displayed or stored on some output device. The results may be intermediate results or final results and the output devices may be tape, hardcopy, or CRT display.

OUTPUT DEVICE

A device that allows the output of information or data. The device may be a tape drive, diskette drive, CRT, or printer.

PASSWORD

A unique string of characters that must be supplied to meet security requirements before gaining access to data or to a locked system.

PATCH

To temporarily modify software or hardware (often becomes permanent.)

PCMCIA

The standards body for PC Card and Express Card, expansion card form factors.

PENTIUM

Microprocessor, in this case the fifth microprocessor in the 80 X 86 series which would have called the 80586, but Intel decided to name it Pentium meaning five.

PETABYTE (PB)

Is 2 to 50th power or 1,125,899,906,842,624 bytes. Also called a pebibyte instead of petabyte, a petabyte is 1,024 terabytes and precedes the exabyte unit of measurement. Since even the largest hard drives are measured in terabytes, petabytes are only used to measure the storage space of multiple hard drives or other collections of data.

PF KEY (Program Function Key)

On a display device keyboard, a key that passes a signal to a program to call for a particular display operation.

PING

Computer network tool used to detect host.

PORT

Part of a computer through which a peripheral device may communicate with a computer.

PRINTER

Output device that produces output in printed form.

PRINTOUT

Hard copy produced by a printer.

PROCESSING

The carrying out of a pre-established sequence of instructions that may involve reading, sorting, classifying, calculating, editing or writing data.

PROGRAM

Sequence of instructions to a computer to perform a particular task.

PROGRAMMER

A person that writes instructions or coding.

PROGRAMMING

A series of instructions written by a programmer to perform a certain function.

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE

A language used to express computer programs. Popular high-level programming languages include: FORTRAN, COBOL, BASIC, PL/1, PASCAL.

PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE

May be used, modified and distributed freely.

QUERY

In interactive systems, an operation at a terminal that elicits a response from the system.

RACF

Resource Access Control Facility - a software product that allows access by identifying and verifying users authorized to use a system.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

The read/write memory of a computer.

REAL PLAYER

Software that allows streaming audio and video on computer networks and the Internet.

REAL TIME

A system that performs the required updating tasks within the actual amount of time in which they must be performed.

RECORD

A collection of data describing an object; a subdivision of a file.

RESOLUTION

The density and overall quality of a video display.

RESPONSE TIME

The time that it takes a system to respond to a user input or command.

ROM (Read-Only Memory)

Permanent, nonvolatile memory, used to store programs permanently in a microcomputer, that can be read from but not written to as can RAM (Random Access Memory).

SAS (Statistical Analysis System)

Software that provides data retrieval and management, programming, statistical, and reporting capabilities, including line-printer graphics.

SCREEN

Video display screen (see MONITOR, TERMINAL, CRT, DISPLAY).

SCREEN EDITOR

Editor that is screen-oriented, in that a whole screen's worth of a file can be displayed at once, and the cursor can be freely moved around the screen to modify the text. (The type of editor found in most word-processing systems)

SCREEN SAVER

A program that takes over the display screen if there are no keystrokes or mouse movements for a specific time or duration. Present day screen savers are mostly a way to liven up the screen.

SCROLL

Vertical movement (up and down) of lines on a video display.

SEARCH ENGINE

Program that allows users to search for keywords or databases.

SERVER

A computer or program that provides services to other computers running client software.

SHAREWARE

Software that must be registered after a trial period, but may be distributed freely.

SINGLE-SIDED

A floppy disk with data recorded on one side only.

SOFTWARE

The entire set of programs, procedures, and related documentation associated with a computer system.

SOFTWARE PIRACY

The possession, use, or distribution of software without authorization from the publisher.

SPAM

Unwanted or unsolicited repetitious messages often referred to as bulk e-mail.

SPREADSHEET

Software that manipulates rows and columns of data. Common spreadsheet software programs are Microsoft Excel and Lotus 1-2-3.

STAND-ALONE MODEM

A modem that is separate from the unit with which it operates. This is commonly referred to as an external modem.

STAND-ALONE WORD PROCESSING EQUIPMENT

Word processing equipment for use by one operator at a time that does not depend on the resources of other equipment for its normal operation.

STREAMING

File downloading that allows one to listen to sound as it is downloaded, rather than having to wait until it is downloaded completely.

SYNTAX

The way in which words are put together to form phrases, clauses, or sentences.

SYSTEM (Computer System)

The collection of hardware and software required to make the computer a usable tool.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE

Programs that manage communications between the computer memory and attached input-output devices. Provides an organized facility for people to communicate with a computer.

TAPE

A strip of magnetic material in reel form that is used to magnetically store data.

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol - standard language that Internet computers use to exchange information.

TELECOMMUNICATION

Transmission of data between computers or other devices in different locations, by means of telephone lines, satellites, radio, optical techniques, etc.

TELNET

Utilities and commands used to login to other computer systems to obtain information and run programs.

TERABYTE (TB)

Is 2 to the 40th power or 1,099,511,627,776 bytes. A terabyte is 1,024 gigabytes and precedes the petabyte unit of measurement. While most hard drives are typically measured in gigabytes, web servers and file servers may have several terabytes of space.

TERMINAL

An input/output device consisting of a video display screen and a keyboard.

TERMINAL SERVER

Allows users to dial up and connect through it to the Internet.

TEXT EDITOR

A special program allowing for the input of data without format. The Text Editor program then formats the information.

TIMEOUT

When a connection to the Internet has remained idle for a certain amount of time, the connection to the Internet is dropped so other users can connect to the Terminal Server.

TIME-SHARING

Simultaneous access to a computer by many users (Example: "TSO")

TRACK

A section of a disk or tape.

TRACTOR FEED

Paper-feeding method used on some printers involving sprockets that engage the perforations on the edge of special printer paper.

TURNKEY SYSTEM

A computer system containing all needed hardware and software for a particular application(s).

UNIX

An operating system.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

An address to access web pages.

USB

Universal Serial Bus is a specification to establish communication between devices and a host controller usually found in a personal computer (desktop or laptop). USB has effectively replaced a variety of interfaces such as the serial and parallel ports. USB can connect computer peripherals such as mice, keyboards, digital cameras, printers, personal media players, flash drives, Network Adapters, and external hard drives. For many of those devices, USB has become the standard connection method.

USB FLASH DRIVE

See Flash Drive.

USER FRIENDLY

Hardware and/or software which are designed to assist the user by being self-instructing, error-forgiving, etc.

VIRUS

A program designed to replicate and spread without the victim knowing of its existence. The virus may destroy data, send out e-mails, or place website picture on the screen.

VOLATILE MEMORY

Hardware that requires continuous electrical power to keep from losing information (most RAM is volatile; most ROM is not.)

WEB DIRECTORIES

Tool to locate information on the Internet.

WINZIP

Compression/decompression utility software.

WORD

The basic size of a piece of information in a computer system. Most current microprocessors have a word size of 8 bits (one BYTE); newer processors and minicomputers may have word sizes of 16, 24 or 32 bits.

WORD PROCESSING

A system for efficiently converting spoken or written information into printed or magnetically stored form.

WORD PROCESSOR

A computer system used for word processing (software consisting of a screen editor, text formatter, and file handler.) The most common word processors in use today are Microsoft Word and Word Perfect.

WORKSTATION

A configuration of input/output equipment at which an operator works.

WORM

A self-replicating program similar to a virus.

WYSIWYG

Acronym for What You See Is What You Get. WYSIWG is a system in which content during editing appears very similar to the final product.

ZIP

A file format now also used as a verb meaning compress. Zip is also the file extension for a file created by WinZip.