copy program-through-cycle time
A/B Switch box ~ America On-line AMI BIOS ~ Arithmetic Operation ARP ~ AVI Backbone ~ Bit Image Bit Map ~ Boot Disk Boot Drive ~ Bytes Per Inch C++ ~ Carrier Frequency carrier system ~ certification CGI ~ Chooser extension cipher ~ Clipper Chip clock ~ color color bits ~ communications satellite communications server ~ computer security CON ~ copy copy program ~ cycle time daemon ~ defragmentation demand paging ~ digitize DikuMUD ~ disk disk buffer ~ Document Style Semantics and Specification Language document window ~ dynamic Web page Easter egg ~ erase erase head ~ ezine F2F ~ finger2 firewall ~ font suitcase footer ~ FYI Game Control Adapter ~ GUI HAL ~ hot key1 hot key2 ~ Hz i486DX ~ internal modem internet ~ ISO 9660 ISO/OSI model ~ just-in-time K1 ~ knowledge base L1 cache ~ LU luggable computer ~ LZW compression MAC ~ MILNET mime ~ msec MTBF ~ MYOB named anchor ~ network drive Network File System ~ number crunching object ~ overwrite mode P5 ~ PC/XT keyboard PDA ~ pipeline processing piracy ~ preventive maintenance preview ~ pwd quasi-language ~ QWERTY keyboard R&D ~ registration marks Registry ~ RFI RF shielding ~ run-time library SAA ~ server error server push-pull ~ soft return software ~ style sheet stylus ~ System T1 ~ ToggleKeys token ~ typography UART ~ uupc V.120 ~ view2 viewer ~ VxD w3 ~ WinG WINS ~ WWW X.25 ~ X Windows Yahoo! ~ yotta- Z39.50 standard ~ Zulu time
copy program
n. 1. A program designed to duplicate one or more files to another disk or directory. 2. A program that disables or circumvents the copy-protection device on a computer program so that the software can be copied, often illegally, to another disk. See also copy protection.
copyright
n. A method of protecting the rights of an originator of a creative work, such as a text, a piece of music, a painting, or a computer program, through law. In many countries the originator of a work has copyright in the work as soon as it is fixed in a tangible medium (such as a piece of paper or a disk file); that rule applies in the United States for works created after 1977. Registration of a copyright, or the use of a copyright symbol, is not needed to create the copyright but does strengthen the originator's legal powers. Unauthorized copying and distribution of copyrighted material can lead to severe penalties, whether done for profit or not. Copyrights affect the computer community in three ways: the copyright protection of software, the copyright status of material (such as song lyrics) distributed over a network such as the Internet, and the copyright status of original material distributed over a network (such as a newsgroup post). The latter two involve electronic media that are arguably not tangible, and legislation protecting the information disseminated through electronic media is still evolving. See also fair use, General Public License.
CORBA
n. Acronym for Common Object Request Broker Architecture. A specification developed by the Object Management Group in 1992 in which pieces of programs (objects) communicate with other objects in other programs, even if the two programs are written in different programming languages and are running on different platforms. A program makes its request for objects through an object request broker, or ORB, and thus does not need to know the structure of the program from where the object comes. CORBA is designed to work in object-oriented environments. See also object (definition 2), Object Management Group, object-oriented.
core
n. One of the types of memory built into computers before random access memory (RAM) was available or affordable. Some people still use the term to refer to the main memory of any computer system, as in the phrase core dump--a listing of the raw contents of main memory at the moment of a system crash. Compare RAM.
core program
n. A program or program segment that is resident in random access memory (RAM).
corruption
n. A process wherein data in memory or on disk is unintentionally changed, with its meaning thereby altered or obliterated.
cost-benefit analysis
n. The comparison of benefits to costs for a particular item or action. Cost-benefit analysis is often used in MIS or IS departments to determine such things as whether purchasing a new computer system is a good investment or whether hiring more staff is necessary. See also IS, MIS.
country-specific
adj. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of hardware or software that uses characters or conventions unique to a particular country or group of countries. Country-specific does not necessarily refer to spoken languages, although it does allow for special characters (such as accent marks) that are language-specific. Generally, the features considered country-specific include keyboard layout (including special-character keys), time and date conventions, financial and monetary symbols, decimal notation (decimal point or comma), and alphabetic sorting order. Such features are handled either by a computer's operating system (for example, by the Keyboard and Country commands in MS- DOS) or by application programs that offer options for tailoring documents to a particular set of national or international conventions. courseware
n. Software dedicated to education or training.
CP/M
n. Acronym for Control Program/Monitor. A line of operating systems from Digital Research, Inc., for microcomputers based on Intel microprocessors. The first system, CP/M-80, was the most popular operating system for 8080- and Z80-based microcomputers. Digital Research also developed CP/M-86 for 8086/8088-based computers, CP/M-Z8000 for Zilog Z8000-based computers, and CP/M-68K for Motorola 68000-based computers. When the IBM PC and MS-DOS were introduced, common use of CP/M by end users dwindled. DRI continues to enhance the CP/M line, supporting multitasking with the concurrent CP/M and MP/M products. See also MP/M.
CPU cache
n. A section of fast memory linking the central processing unit (CPU) and main memory that temporarily stores data and instructions the CPU needs to execute upcoming commands and programs. Considerably faster than main memory, the CPU cache contains data that is transferred in blocks, thereby speeding execution. The system anticipates the data it will need through algorithms. Also called cache memory, memory cache. See also cache, central processing unit, VCACHE.
CPU cycle
n. 1. The smallest unit of time recognized by the central processing unit (CPU)-- typically a few hundred-millionths of a second. 2. The time required for the CPU to perform the simplest instruction, such as fetching the contents of a register or performing a no-operation instruction (NOP). Also called clock tick.
CPU fan
n. An electric fan usually placed directly on a central processing unit (CPU) or on the CPU's heat sink to help dissipate heat from the chip by circulating air around it. See also central processing unit, heat sink.
CPU speed
n. A relative measure of the data-processing capacity of a particular central processing unit (CPU), usually measured in megahertz. See also central processing unit.
CPU time
n. In multiprocessing, the amount of time during which a particular process has active control of the central processing unit (CPU). See also central processing unit, multiprocessing.
cracker
n. A person who overcomes the security measures of a computer system and gains unauthorized access. The goal of some crackers is to obtain information illegally from a computer system or use computer resources. However, the goal of the majority is to merely break into the system. See also hacker.
crash1
n. The failure of either a program or a disk drive. A program crash results in the loss of all unsaved data and can leave the operating system unstable enough to require restarting the computer. A disk drive crash, sometimes called a disk crash, leaves the drive inoperable and can cause loss of data. See also abend, head crash.
crash2
vb. 1. For a system or program, to fail to function correctly, resulting in the suspension of operation. See also abend. 2. For a magnetic head, to hit a recording medium, with possible damage to one or both.
crash recovery
n. The ability of a computer to resume operation after a disastrous failure, such as the failure of a hard drive. Ideally, recovery can occur without any loss of data, although usually some, if not all, data is lost. See also crash1.
Cray-1
n. An early supercomputer developed in 1976 by Seymour Cray. Extremely powerful in its day, the 64-bit Cray-1 ran at 75 MHz and was capable of executing 160 million floating-point operations per second. See also supercomputer.
CRC
n. Acronym for cyclical (or cyclic) redundancy check. A procedure used in checking for errors in data transmission. CRC error checking uses a complex calculation to generate a number based on the data transmitted. The sending device performs the calculation before transmission and sends its result to the receiving device. The receiving device repeats the same calculation after transmission. If both devices obtain the same result, it is assumed that the transmission was error-free. The procedure is known as a redundancy check because each transmission includes not only data but extra (redundant) error- checking values. Communications protocols such as XMODEM and Kermit use cyclical redundancy checking.
creator
n. On the Apple Macintosh, the program that creates a file. Files are linked to their creators by creator codes; this link enables the operating system to open the creator application when a document file is opened.
crop
vb. In computer graphics, to cut off part of an image, such as unneeded sections of a graphic or extra white space around the borders. As in preparing photographs or illustrations for traditional printing, cropping is used to refine or clean up a graphic for placement in a document.
crop marks
n. 1. Lines drawn at the edges of pages to mark where the paper will be cut to form pages in the final document. See also registration marks. 2. Lines drawn on photographs or illustrations to indicate where they will be cropped, or cut. See also crop.
cross-hatching
n. Shading made up of regularly spaced, intersecting lines. Cross-hatching is one of several methods for filling in areas of a graphic.
cross-linked files
n. In Windows 95, Windows 3.x, and MS-DOS, a file-storage error occurring when one or more sections, or clusters, of the hard drive or a floppy disk have been erroneously allocated to more than one file in the file allocation table. Like lost clusters, cross- linked files can result from the ungraceful exit (messy or abrupt termination) of an application program. See also file allocation table, lost cluster.
cross-platform
adj. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a software application or hardware device that can be run or operated on more than one system platform.
cross-post
vb. To copy a message or news article from one newsgroup, conference topic, e- mail system, or other communications channel to another--for example, from a Usenet newsgroup to a CompuServe forum or from e-mail to a newsgroup.
crosstalk
n. Interference caused by a signal transferring from one circuit to another, as on a telephone line.
CRT
n. Acronym for cathode-ray tube. The basis of the television screen and the standard microcomputer display screen. A CRT display is built around a vacuum tube containing one or more electron guns whose electron beams rapidly sweep horizontally across the inside of the front surface of the tube, which is coated with a material that glows when irradiated. Each electron beam moves from left to right, top to bottom, one horizontal scan line at a time. To keep the screen image from flickering, the electron beam refreshes the screen 30 times or more per second. The clarity of the image is determined by the number of pixels on the screen. See also pixel, raster, resolution (definition 1).
CRT controller
n. The part of a video adapter board that generates the video signal, including the horizontal and vertical synchronization signals. See also video adapter.
cryptoanalysis
n. The decoding of electronically encrypted information for the purpose of understanding encryption techniques. See also cryptography, encryption.
cryptography
n. The use of codes to convert data so that only a specific recipient will be able to read it, using a key. The persistent problem of cryptography is that the key must be transmitted to the intended recipient and may be intercepted. Public key cryptography is a recent significant advance. See also code1 (definition 2), encryption, PGP, private key, public key.
C shell
n. One of the command line interfaces available under UNIX. The C shell is very usable but is not on every system. Compare Bourne shell, Korn shell.
CSMA/CD
n. Acronym for Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection. A network protocol for handling situations in which two or more nodes (stations) transmit at the same time, thus causing a collision. With CSMA/CD, each node on the network monitors the line and transmits when it senses that the line is not busy. If a collision occurs because another node is using the same opportunity to transmit, both nodes stop transmitting. To avoid another collision, both then wait for differing random amounts of time before attempting to transmit again. Compare token passing.
CTL
n. Short for control. See control character (definition 2), Control key.
CTRL
or Ctrl Short for control. A designation used to label the Control key on computer keyboards. See also control character (definition 2), Control key.
Ctrl-Alt-Del
n. A three-key combination used with IBM and compatible computers to restart (reboot) the machine. Pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del (Control-Alt-Delete) causes a warm boot in MS-DOS--the computer restarts but does not go through all of the internal checks involved when power to the system is switched on (cold boot). In Windows 95 and Windows NT, Ctrl-Alt-Del provides a dialog box from which the user may choose to shut down the computer or end any current tasks.
Ctrl-C
n. 1. In UNIX, the key combination used to break out of a running process. 2. The keyboard shortcut recognized by many programs (as in Windows) as an instruction to copy the currently selected item.
Ctrl-S
n. 1. On systems in which a software handshake is used between terminals and a central computer, the key combination used to suspend output. Ctrl-Q will resume output after a Ctrl-S suspension. See also software handshake, XON/XOFF. 2. A keyboard shortcut recognized by many programs as an instruction to save the current document or file.
current
n. The flow of electric charge through a conductor, or the amount of such flow. Current is measured in amperes. See also ampere, coulomb. Compare volt.
current directory
n. The disk directory at the end of the active directory path--the directory that is searched first for a requested file, and the one in which a new file is stored unless another directory is specified. See also path (definition 2).
cursor
n. 1. A special on-screen indicator, such as a blinking underline or rectangle, that marks the place at which a keystroke will appear when typed. 2. In reference to digitizing tablets, the stylus (pointer or "pen"). 3. In applications and operating systems that use a mouse, the arrow or other on-screen icon that moves with movements of the mouse. cursor blink speed
n. The rate at which a cursor on screen flashes on and off. See also cursor (definition 1).
CUSeeMe
n. A videoconferencing program developed at Cornell University. It was the first program to give Windows and Mac OS users the ability to engage in real-time videoconferencing over the Internet, but it requires a lot of bandwidth (at least 128 Kbps speed) to function properly.
customize
vb. To modify or assemble hardware or software to suit the needs or preferences of the user. Traditionally, hardware customizing ranges from designing an electronic circuit for a particular customer to putting together a computer facility tailored to a customer's special need. Software customizing usually means modifying or designing software for a specific customer.
custom software
n. Any type of program developed for a particular client or to address a special need. Certain products, such as dBASE and Lotus 1-2-3, are designed to provide the flexibility and tools required for producing tailor-made applications. See also CASE.
cut
vb. To remove part of a document, usually placing it temporarily in memory so that the cut portion can be inserted (pasted) elsewhere. Compare delete.
cut and paste
n. A procedure in which the computer acts as an electronic combination of scissors and glue for reorganizing a document or for compiling a document from different sources. In cut and paste, the portion of a document to be moved is selected, removed to storage in memory or on disk, and then reinserted into the same or a different document.
cybercafe
or cyber café n. 1. A coffee shop or restaurant that offers access to PCs or other terminals that are connected to the Internet, usually for a per-hour or per-minute fee. Users are encouraged to buy beverages or food to drink or eat while accessing the Internet. 2. A virtual café on the Internet, generally used for social purposes. Users interact with each other by means of a chat program or by posting messages to one another through a bulletin board system, such as in a newsgroup or on a Web site.
cybercop
n. A person who investigates criminal acts committed online, especially fraud and harassment.
Cyberdog
n. Apple's Internet suite for HTML browsing and e-mail, based on OpenDoc for easy integration with other applications. See also OpenDoc.
cybernaut
n. One who spends copious time online, exploring the Internet. Also called Internaut. See also cyberspace.
cybernetics
n. The study of control systems, such as the nervous system, in living organisms and the development of equivalent systems in electronic and mechanical devices. Cybernetics compares similarities and differences between living and nonliving systems (whether those systems comprise individuals, groups, or societies) and is based on theories of communication and control that can be applied to either or both. See also bionics.
cyberpunk
n. 1. A genre of near-future science fiction in which conflict and action take place in virtual-reality environments maintained on global computer networks in a worldwide culture of dystopian alienation. The prototypical cyberpunk novel is William Gibson's Neuromancer (1982). 2. A category of popular culture that resembles the ethos of cyberpunk fiction. 3. A person or fictional character who resembles the heroes of cyberpunk fiction.
cybersex
n. Communication via electronic means, such as e-mail, chat, or newsgroups, for the purpose of sexual stimulation or gratification. See also chat1 (definition 1), newsgroup.
cyberspace
n. 1. The advanced shared virtual-reality network imagined by William Gibson in his novel Neuromancer (1982). 2. The universe of environments, such as the Internet, in which persons interact by means of connected computers. A defining characteristic of cyberspace is that communication is independent of physical distance.
cybrarian
n. Software used at some libraries that allows one to query a database through the use of an interactive search engine.
cycle power
vb. To turn the power to a machine off and back on in order to clear something out of memory or to reboot after a hung or crashed state.
cycle time
n. The amount of time between a random access memory (RAM) access and the earliest time a new access can occur. See also access time (definition 1).
A/B Switch box ~ America On-line AMI BIOS ~ Arithmetic Operation ARP ~ AVI Backbone ~ Bit Image Bit Map ~ Boot Disk Boot Drive ~ Bytes Per Inch C++ ~ Carrier Frequency carrier system ~ certification CGI ~ Chooser extension cipher ~ Clipper Chip clock ~ color color bits ~ communications satellite communications server ~ computer security CON ~ copy copy program ~ cycle time daemon ~ defragmentation demand paging ~ digitize DikuMUD ~ disk disk buffer ~ Document Style Semantics and Specification Language document window ~ dynamic Web page Easter egg ~ erase erase head ~ ezine F2F ~ finger2 firewall ~ font suitcase footer ~ FYI Game Control Adapter ~ GUI HAL ~ hot key1 hot key2 ~ Hz i486DX ~ internal modem internet ~ ISO 9660 ISO/OSI model ~ just-in-time K1 ~ knowledge base L1 cache ~ LU luggable computer ~ LZW compression MAC ~ MILNET mime ~ msec MTBF ~ MYOB named anchor ~ network drive Network File System ~ number crunching object ~ overwrite mode P5 ~ PC/XT keyboard PDA ~ pipeline processing piracy ~ preventive maintenance preview ~ pwd quasi-language ~ QWERTY keyboard R&D ~ registration marks Registry ~ RFI RF shielding ~ run-time library SAA ~ server error server push-pull ~ soft return software ~ style sheet stylus ~ System T1 ~ ToggleKeys token ~ typography UART ~ uupc V.120 ~ view2 viewer ~ VxD w3 ~ WinG WINS ~ WWW X.25 ~ X Windows Yahoo! ~ yotta- Z39.50 standard ~ Zulu time