The Computer Dictionary

Computer Dictionary

AAbacus- Abacus is a rectangular wooden frame composed of rods, having a partition mid bar. Metallic wires are fixed across the mid bar and each wire has beads. Shifting the beads towards the mid bar, counting is done. This was the first device used for addition and subtraction, invented in China in 450 BC.

ABACUS

Abort - To stop a program or command latter it starts running, is referred to as abort. This is usually done by pressing one or two keys. Sometimes, the computer aborts automatically if there is a problem with the software or hardware.

ABORT

Absolute Reference - It is a single cell fixed in a spread sheet displayed with dollar signs and with signs of number (e.g. NFN9) as in case of marks allotted to different students. Here absolute means value which real and unchanging.

Absolute Reference

Accelerator Card - It is a special card which makes the computer work fast. For example, the time taken by a graphics accelerator card is reduced comparatively to the time taken by the computer to display the image on the screen.

Accelerator Card

                   








Access – The action of reading a file, data or program from any external storage media like – floppy or hard disk, is called access.

Files

Access/Actuator Arm – Access Arm is a mechanical extension in a disk drive that moves the read-write head to and fro on the disk.

Labelled disk drive

Access privileges – Here ‘Access’ means to get information from or put information into a computer file. By having access privileges you have an account and a password that allows you to use a computer network.

Privileges

Access Time – The time taken by the computer to read data from the floppy or hard disk is called access time.

Access Time of various hard disks drives

Accounting package – Software that manages and organizes accounts, is called accounting package.

Tally - an accounting software

Active Cell – Here ‘active’ means ‘in operation’. It is the cell where you can enter your numbers in a spreadsheet. It has a border which is thick. The top of your screen bears its name. It is called something like A1. It is also known as the current cell.

Active cell

Active Matrix Screen – It is a screen which is used in a portable computer. It shows bright and rich colors of the images displayed. It can be easily viewed from different angles also. It is suitable for presentations that have to be watched by several people at a time. It is also called the Thin Film Transistor (TFT) screen.

TFT vs LCD display

Active Window – A window is in the form of rectangle on your screen. The active window means the window that you are currently using. It appears on top of other windows. 

Active Window

ADA – An advanced language, called ADA named after Lady Ada Lovelace. This is a universal language. Lady Ada Lovelace is also known as the first programmer in the world.

ADA

Adaptor – A device that converts the signals of one device so that they can be used in any other device is called adaptor.

Adapter

Address – A unique identifying number for a storage location in the memory is called, address.

Address

Alarm – It is a warning sound or signal from your computer to tell you that some work done has not been appreciated by the computer.

Warning

ALGOL – The full form of ALGOL is Algorithmic Language. This high level language is based on Algorithms.

ALGOL

Algorithm – A set of steps taken to solve a problem, is called Algorithm. An Algorithm is written on paper, so that a programmer can thoroughly check all the steps before writing the program in any high level language. 

Euclid's Algorithm Example

Alignment – The manner, in which your text fits between the right and left margins of a page, is called alignment. You can right align, center align or left align your text. Alignment is also known as justification.

Centered Alignment

Allocation Unit – On the disk, the storage locations are divided into segments, known as Allocation Units.

Allocation Units

Alphanumeric Characters – Letters, punctuation marks and other special characters are called alphanumeric characters.

Alphanumeric Characters

ALU – Arithmetic Logic Unit is a part of the CPU in which all the arithmetical and logical functions are performed.

ALU

America On-line Information Service {AOL}– It is an admired on-line service that helps us to use the internet. America on-line is used by many people for exchanging e-mails, looking up information, chatting in discussion groups, playing games and surfing the world wide web.

AOL Logo

AMI – It is acronym for American Megatrends Incorporation. It is the name of a company which makes BIOS (an important program for the computer) and Advance BIOS for Personal Computers.

AMI

Analogue/Analog – Analogue (Analog) is a Greek word. It means to compare two quantities. The mercury level in a thermometer which is compared to a scale in an example of the analog.

THERMOMETER

Analog Computer – A type of computer which works on analog technique.

ANALOG COMPUTER

Analytic Engine – Sir Charles Babbage invented the first programmable computer which was called or named Analytic Engine. This was the first mechanical computer in the history.

ANALYTIC ENGINE

Android - Android is a mobile operating system initially developed by Android Inc. Android was bought by Google in 2005.

Android

Animated Graphics – These are moving images. Animated graphics can be produced very easily on computers, which is useful in making TV advertisements and computer games. Cartoon films are good examples of animated graphics.

ANIMATED GRAPHICS

Animation – Movement of text or graphics on the screen with sound and other effects.

ANIMATION

Anonymous FTP – It is way by which files are transferred between computers on the internet without requiring a password or match word. Various government organizations, universities and companies operating world wide, make files available to the public by using this technique.

ANONYMOUS FTP

Anti Glare Screen – The monitor glows constantly in front of our eyes. It often puts a strain on our eyes. We can cover the monitor screen by a special type of glass, called Anti Glare Screen.

ANTI-GLARE SCREEN

Anti Virus Software – It is a type of software which acts against viruses and protects the computer from them.

ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARES

APL – APL is the short form for A Programming Language that is a high level language, used to solve scientific problems. It uses a special character set. APL is often used in mathematical and scientific programming.

APL KEYBOARD

APM (Advanced Power Management) – It puts your portable computer’s screen or hard drive into sleep mode when they are idle. This technique helps to give a long life to batteries.

APM

Application Software – The software made by user for his own personal need, is called Application Software.

APPLICATION SOFTWARE

Archie – Various catalogues of files which are found on several FTP locations on the internet. They are managed and maintained by Archie servers. 

ARCHIE

Archive - It means to move rarely used files from the hard drive to tape cartridges or floppy disks. Space is made available on your hard drive by archiving old files.

ARCHIVE

Artificial Intelligence - It is a skill developed by human beings in computers which gives them the ability to take decisions. This artificial intelligence has replaced the old way of making programs for computers before starting any work.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Ascending order - The arrangement of numbers from smallest to biggest and of text alphabetically A to Z, is called ascending order.

ASCENDING ORDER

ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange is used in a computer to convert the information entered by us (in any English like language) into machine codes i.e., 0 and 1.

ASCII TABLE

Assembler - A program that translates assembly language instructions into binary numbers (machine language), is called Assembler.

ASSEMBLER WORKING FLOW CHART

Assembly language - This is a second generation language which is composed of binary codes and mnemonic codes. This is easier than pure machine language, its ancestor. Mnemonic codes are short forms of lengthy words which are used frequently. For example - ADD for addition, LDA for Load, etc.

ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE FLOW CHART

Auto-save  - The function of automatically saving of work done, every few minutes all by itself, is called auto-save. This helps to save your data inspite of any problem like power cut etc.

AUTO SAVE SETTINGS

AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) - It is a popular file format in which both video and audio are combined. AVI files are used by the computer to exhibit video images.

AVI FORMAT

  

(work under progress)
to be continued.....

By:

Vishal Wadhwa