Registry ~ RFI
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
Registry
or registry n. A central hierarchical database in Windows 95 and Windows NT used to store information necessary to configure the system for one or more users, applications, and hardware devices. The Registry contains information that Windows 95 and Windows NT continually reference during operation, such as profiles for each user, the applications installed on the computer and the types of documents each can create, property sheet settings for folders and application icons, what hardware exists on the system, and which ports are being used. The Registry replaces most of the text-based .ini files used in Windows 3.x and MS-DOS configuration files, such as AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS. Although the Windows 95 Registry is similar to the one in Windows NT, there are some differences, such as how they are stored on disk. Also called System Registry. See also hierarchical database, .ini, input/output port, property sheet, registry editor.
registry editor
n. An application under Windows 95 that allows the user to edit the entries in the Registry. Acronym: REGEDIT. See REGEDIT.
regression analysis
n. In statistics, an analysis of the degree to which variations in an independent variable affect a dependent variable (a variable whose value depends on the value of another variable). See also multiple regression.
regression testing
n. Complete retesting of a modified program, rather than a test of only the modified routines, to ensure that no errors have been introduced with the modifications.
relational database
n. A database or database management system that stores information in tables--rows and columns of data--and conducts searches by using data in specified columns of one table to find additional data in another table. In a relational database, the rows of a table represent records (collections of information about separate items) and the columns represent fields (particular attributes of a record). In conducting searches, a relational database matches information from a field in one table with information in a corresponding field of another table to produce a third table that combines requested data from both tables. For example, if one table contains the fields EMPLOYEE-ID, LAST-NAME, FIRST-NAME, and HIRE-DATE, and another contains the fields DEPT, EMPLOYEE-ID, and SALARY, a relational database can match the EMPLOYEE-ID fields in the two tables to find such information as the names of all employees earning a certain salary or the departments of all employees hired after a certain date. In other words, a relational database uses matching values in two tables to relate information in one to information in the other. Microcomputer database products typically are relational databases. Compare flat-file database, inverted-list database.
relative address
n. A location, as in a computer's memory, that is specified in terms of its distance (displacement or offset) from a starting point (base address). A relative address is typically computed by adding an offset to the base--in everyday terms, this is similar to creating the address 2001 Main Street, in which the base is the 2000 block of Main Street and the offset is 1, which specifies the first house from the beginning of the block. Also called indirect address.
relative coordinates
n. Coordinates that are defined in terms of their distance from a given starting point, rather than from the origin (intersection of two axes). For example, from a starting point on the screen, a square defined by relative coordinates can be drawn as a series of lines, each representing a displacement in distance and direction from the end of the preceding point. The entire square can be redrawn at another location simply by changing the coordinates of the starting point rather than by recalculating the coordinates of each corner with reference to the origin. Compare absolute coordinates.
relative movement
n. 1. Motion whose distance and direction are relative to a starting point. For example, when a mouse pointer is moved on the screen, the coordinates of its new position are relative to the previous location of the pointer. See also relative coordinates, relative pointing device. 2. In computer graphics and cinematography, the movement of one object in relation to another, such as the movement of horse A from the perspective of horse B on a racetrack.
relative URL
n. Short for relative Uniform Resource Locator. A form of URL in which the domain and some or all directory names are omitted, leaving only the document name and extension (and perhaps a partial list of directory names). The indicated file is found in a location relative to the pathname of the current document. See also file extension, URL. Acronym: RELURL.
relay
n. A switch activated by an electrical signal. A relay allows another signal to be controlled without the need for human action to route the other signal to the control point, and it also allows a relatively low-power signal to control a high-power signal.
release1
n. 1. A particular version of a piece of software, most commonly associated with the most recent version (as in "the latest release"). Some companies use the term release as an integral part of the product name (as in Lotus 1-2-3 Release 2.2). 2. A version of a product that is available in general distribution. Compare beta2.
release2
vb. 1. To relinquish control of a block of memory, a device, or another system resource to the operating system. 2. To formally make a product available to the marketplace.
reload
vb. 1. To load a program into memory from a storage device again in order to run it, because the system has crashed or the program's operation was otherwise interrupted. 2. To retrieve a new copy of the Web page currently visible in a Web browser.
remote
adj. Not in the immediate vicinity, as a computer or other device located in another place (room, building, or city) and accessible through some type of cable or communications link.
remote access
n. The use of a remote computer.
remote access server
n. A host on a local area network that is equipped with modems to enable users to connect to the network over telephone lines. Acronym: RAS.
Remote Access Service
n. Windows software that allows a user to gain remote access to the network server via a modem. See also remote access. Acronym: RAS.
remote administration
n. The performance of system administration-related tasks via access from another machine in a network.
remote login
n. The action of logging in to a computer at a distant location by means of a data communications connection with the computer that one is presently using. After remote login, the user's own computer behaves like a terminal connected to the remote system. On the Internet, remote login is done primarily by rlogin and telnet. See also rlogin1 (definition 1), telnet1.
remote procedure call
n. In programming, a call by one program to a second program on a remote system. The second program generally performs a task and returns the results of that task to the first program. Acronym: RPC.
remote system
n. The computer or network that a remote user is accessing via a modem. See also remote access. Compare remote terminal.
removable disk
n. A disk that can be removed from a disk drive. Floppy disks are removable; hard disks usually are not. Also called exchangeable disk.
REM statement
n. Short for remark statement. A statement in the Basic programming language and the MS-DOS and OS/2 batch file languages that is used to add comments to a program or batch file. Any statement beginning with the word REM is ignored by the interpreter or compiler or the command processor. See also comment.
rename
n. A command in most file transfer protocol (FTP) clients and in many other systems that allows the user to assign a new name to a file or files.
render
vb. To produce a graphic image from a data file on an output device such as a video display or printer.
rendering
n. The creation of an image containing geometric models, using color and shading to give the image a realistic look. Usually part of a geometric modeling package such as a CAD program, rendering uses mathematics to describe the location of a light source in relation to the object and to calculate the way in which the light would create highlights, shading, and variations in color. Realism can range from opaque, shaded polygons to images approximating photographs in their complexity. See also ray tracing.
repaginate
vb. To recalculate the page breaks in a document.
Repeat
n. A command in Microsoft Word that causes all information contained in either the last command dialog box or the last uninterrupted editing session to be repeated.
repeater
n. A device used on communications circuits that decreases distortion by amplifying or regenerating a signal so that it can be transmitted onward in its original strength and form. On a network, a repeater connects two networks or two network segments at the physical layer of the ISO/OSI model and regenerates the signal.
repetitive strain injury
n. An occupational disorder of the tendons, ligaments, and nerves caused by the cumulative effects of prolonged repetitious movements. Repetitive strain injuries are appearing with increasing frequency among office workers who spend long hours typing at computerized workstations that are not equipped with safeguards such as wrist supports. See also carpal tunnel syndrome, wrist support. Acronym: RSI.
replace
vb. To put new data in the place of other data, usually after conducting a search for the data to be replaced. Text-based applications such as word processors typically include search-and-replace commands. In such operations, both old and new data must be specified, and search-and-replace procedures may or may not be sensitive to uppercase and lowercase, depending on the application program. See also search1, search and replace.
Request for Discussion
n. A formal proposal for a discussion concerning the addition of a newsgroup to the Usenet hierarchy, the first step in a process that ends with a call for votes. See also traditional newsgroup hierarchy, Usenet. Acronym: RFD.
reset button
n. A device that restarts a computer without turning off its power. Compare big red switch.
resize
vb. To make an object or space larger or smaller. Also called scale.
resolution
n. 1. The fineness of detail attained by a printer or a monitor in producing an image. For printers that form characters from small, closely spaced dots, resolution is measured in dots per inch, or dpi, and ranges from about 125 dpi for low-quality dot-matrix printers to about 600 dpi for some laser and ink-jet printers (typesetting equipment can print at resolutions of over 1000 dpi). For a video display, the number of pixels is determined by the graphics mode and video adapter, but the size of the display depends on the size and adjustment of the monitor; hence the resolution of a video display is taken as the total number of pixels displayed horizontally and vertically. See the following table. See also high resolution, low resolution. k:\compdict\database\3050.doc 2. The process of translation between a domain name address and an IP address. See also DNS.
resource
n. 1. Any part of a computer system or a network, such as a disk drive, printer, or memory, that can be allotted to a program or a process while it is running. 2. An item of data or code that can be used by more than one program or in more than one place in a program, such as a dialog box, a sound effect, or a font in a windowing environment. Many features in a program can be altered by adding or replacing resources without the necessity of recompiling the program from source code. Resources can also be copied and pasted from one program into another, typically by a specialized utility program called a resource editor.
resource file
n. A file that consists of resource data and the resource map that indexes it. See also resource (definition 2), resource fork.
resource fork
n. One of the two forks of an Apple Macintosh file (the other being the data fork). The resource fork of a program file contains reusable items of information that the program can use during the course of execution, such as fonts, icons, windows, dialog boxes, menus, and the program code itself. A user-created document typically stores its data in the data fork, but it can also use its resource fork for storing items that might be used more than once in the document. For example, in a HyperCard stack, the data that constitutes each card, or record, in the stack is stored in the data fork; digitized sounds and icons that might be used more than once are stored in the resource fork. The use of such resources makes program development easier because resources can be developed and altered independently of the program code. See also HyperCard, resource (definition 2). Compare data fork.
response time
n. 1. The time, often an average, that elapses between the issuance of a request and the provision of the data requested (or notification of inability to provide it). 2. The time required for a memory circuit or storage device to furnish data requested by the central processing unit (CPU).
restore1
n. The act of restoring a file or files. See also backup, recovery.
restore2
vb. To copy files from a backup storage device to their normal location, especially if the files are being copied to replace files that were accidentally lost or deleted.
Return key
n. A key on a keyboard that is used to terminate input of a field or record or to execute the default action of a dialog box. On IBM Personal Computers and compatibles, this key is called ENTER. The corresponding key on a typewriter causes the carriage holding the paper to return to the starting position to begin a new line; hence the name. See also Enter key.
reverse engineering
n. A method of analyzing a product in which the finished item is studied to determine its makeup or component parts, typically for the purpose of creating a copy or a competitive product--for example, studying a completed ROM chip to determine its programming or studying a new computer system to learn about its design.
reverse path forwarding
n. A technique that makes routing decisions through a TCP/IP network by using the source address of a datagram rather than the destination address. Reverse path forwarding is used in broadcast and multicast applications because it reduces redundant transmissions to multiple recipients. See also datagram, TCP/IP. Acronym: RPF.
reverse video
n. The reversal of light and dark in the display of selected characters on a video screen. For example, if text is normally displayed as white characters on a black background, reverse video presents text as black letters on a white background. Programmers commonly use reverse video as a means of highlighting text or special items (such as menu choices or the cursor) on the screen.
revert
vb. To return to the last saved version of a document. Choosing this command tells the application to abandon all changes made in a document since the last time it was saved.
Revisable-Form-Text DCA
n. A standard within Document Content Architecture (DCA) for storing documents in such a way that the formatting can be changed by the receiver. A related standard is Final-Form-Text DCA. See also DCA. Compare Final-Form-Text DCA. Acronym: RFTDCA.
rewind
vb. To wind a magnetic tape spool or cassette to its beginning. rewritable digital video disc
n. Technology for recording data on disks that have the same storage capacity as digital video discs (DVDs) but can be rewritten like compact disc-rewritable (CD-RW) devices. See also digital video disc, PD-CD drive.
rewrite
vb. To write again, especially in situations where information is not permanently recorded, such as RAM or a video display. Also called refresh, regenerate. See also dynamic RAM.
REXX
n. Acronym for Restructured Extended Executor. A structured programming language used on IBM mainframes and with OS/2 Version 2.0. REXX programs invoke application programs and operating system commands.
RFC
n. Acronym for Request for Comments. A document in which a standard, a protocol, or other information pertaining to the operation of the Internet is published. The RFC is actually issued, under the control of the IAB, after discussion and serves as the standard. RFCs can be obtained from sources such as InterNIC.
RFI
n. Acronym for radio frequency interference. Noise introduced into an electronic circuit, such as a radio or television, by electromagnetic radiation produced by another circuit, such as a computer.
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