home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- ^
- A
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- ABI Application Binary Interface
- ACIA asynchronous communications
- interface adapter
- ACM Association for Computing
- Machinery
- AEC Architecture, Engineering,
- Construction
- AFP AppleTalk Filing Protocol
- AFS Andrew File System
- AGA Advanced Graphics Architecture
- (Amiga chip set found in the
- A1200 and A4000)
- Al artificial intelligence
- AIX Advanced Interactive eXecutive
- (IBM's version of Unix)
- ANSI American National Standards
- Institute
- AOCE Apple Open Collaborative
- Environment
- API application programming
- interface
- APL A Programming Language
- APPC Advanced Program-to-Program
- Communications (IBM)
- APPN Advanced Peer-to-Peer
- Networking (IBM)
- APSE Ada Programming Support
- Environment
- ARA AppleTalk Remote Access
- ARM Advanced RISC machine;
- asynchronous response mode
- ASCII American Standard Code for
- Information Interchange
- ASIC application-specific integrated
- circuit
- ASMP asymmetric multiprocessing
- ASPI advanced SCSI programming
- interface
- ATM asynchronous transfer mode;
- Adobe
- Type Manager
- ATP AppleTalk Transaction Protocol
- AUI attachment unit interface
- A/UX Apple's version of Unix
- AVI Audio Video Interleave
- (Microsoft)
-
- B
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- BASIC Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic
- Instruction Code
- BBLT bus block transfer
- BBS bulletin board system
- BCD binary-coded decimal
- BDOS basic disk operating system
- BIOS basic input/output system
- BISDN Broadband ISDN
- BITBLT bit block transfer
- BLMC buried logic macrocell
- BLOb binary large object
- BNC A connector for coaxial cables.
- Bps bytes per second
- bps bits per second
- BSD Berkeley Software Distribution:
- A version of Unix that was
- developed at the University
- of California at Berkeley.
-
- C
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- CACP Central Arbitration Control
- Point
- CAD computer-aided design
- CADD computer-aided design and
- drafting
- CAE computer-aided engineering
- CAI computer-aided instruction
- CAM computer-aided manufacturing;
- common access method
- CAMMU cache/memory management unit
- CAS column-address strobe;
- Communications Applications
- Specification
- CASE computer-aided software
- engineering
- CATV community antenna television
- (cable TV)
- CBIOS compatibility BIOS
- CBLT character block transfer
- CCITT Comité Consultatif
- Internationale de
- Telegraphique et Telephonique,
- or Consultative Committee on
- International Telegraphy and
- Telephony.
- CCD charge-coupled device
- CDE Common Desktop Environment
- (COSE)
- CD-I compact disc-interactive
- CDMA code division multiple access
- CDPD cellular digital packet data
- CD-R compact disc-recordable
- CD-ROM compact-disc read-only memory
- CEMM Compaq Expanded Memory
- Manager
- CGA Color Graphics Adapter
- CISC complex instruction-set computer
- CLI call level interface; command-
- line
- interpreter
- CMC Common Messaging Calls (XAPIA)
- CMOS complementary metal-oxide
- semiconductor
- COM Common Object Model (Microsoft)
- CORBA Common Object Request Broker
- Architecture (OMG)
- COSE Common Open Software
- Environment
- CRC cyclic redundancy check
- CSMA/ carrier sense multiple
- CD access/collision detection
- CUA Common User Access
-
- D
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- DA Desk Accessory (Apple);
- destination
- address
- DAC digital-to-analog converter
- DAT digital audiotape
- DBMS database management system
- DDBMS distributed DBMS
- DCE data communications equipment;
- data circuit-terminating
- equipment;
- Distributed Computing
- Environment
- (OSF)
- DCL Digital Command Language (DEC)
- DDE Dynamic Data Exchange
- DDL document description language;
- data description language
- DES Data Encryption Standard
- DFS Distributed File System
- DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration
- Protocol
- DIF Data Interchange Format
- DIME Dual Independent Map Encoding
- DLL dynamic link library
- DMA direct memory access
- DMI Desktop Management Interface
- (DMTF)
- DMTF Desktop Management Task Force
- DNS Domain Name System
- DOE Distributed Objects Everywhere
- (Sun)
- dpi dots per inch : A measure of
- screen and printer resolution.
- DPMI DOS Protected Mode Interface
- DRAM dynamic RAM
- DS/DD double-sided, double-density
- DSOM Distributed System Object Model
- (IBM)
- DSP digital signal processor
- DSS decision support;
- Digital Signature Standard
- DTE data terminal equipment
- DTMF dual-tone multi-frequency
- DVI Digital Video Interactive
-
- E
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- ECC error-correction code
- ECL emitter-coupled logic
- ECM error-correction mode
- ECMA European Computer
- Manufacturers'
- Association
- ECS Enhanced Chip Set (Amiga)
- EDI Electronic Data Interchange
- EEMS Enhanced Expanded Memory
- Specification
- EEPROM electrically erasable
- programmable ROM
- EGA Enhanced Graphics Adapter
- EIS executive information system
- EISA Extended Industry Standard
- Architecture
- EMS Expanded Memory Specification
- ENS Enterprise Memory Services
- (Banyan Vines)
- EPLD electrically programmable logic
- device
- EPROM erasable programmable ROM
- EPS Encapsulated PostScript
- ER entity relationship
- ERLL enhanced run length limited
- ESDI enhanced small device interface
-
- F
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- FAT file allocation table
- FDDI Fiber Distributed Data Interface
- FDHD floppy disk high-density
- FDM frequency-division multiplexing
- FDx full-duplex
- FFS Fast File-System (Amiga)
- FIFO first in, first out
- FLOPS floating-point operations per
- second
- 4GL fourth-generation language
- FPD full-page display
- FPGA field programmable gate array
- FPI floating-point interface
- FPU floating-point unit
- FTP file transfer protocol
-
- G
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- GAL generic array logic
- GB gigabyte; approximately one
- billion bytes
- GDDM Graphical Data Display Manager
- GDI Graphical Device Interface
- GEM Graphics Environment Manager
- GFLOPS gigaFLOPS; billion floating-point
- operations per second
- GIF Graphics Interchange Format
- GIS geographic information system
- GPF general protection fault
- GPI Graphics Programming Interface
- GPIB general-purpose interface bus
- GPSS General Purpose Simulation
- System
- GPU graphics processing unit
- GUI graphical user interface
-
- H
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- HAL hardware abstraction layer
- HDLC high-level data-link control
- HDTV high-definition television
- HDx half duplex
- HFS Hierarchical File System (Apple)
- HIPPI High Performance Parallel
- Interface
- HLLAPI High-Level Language Application
- Programming Interface
- HMMU hardware memory management
- unit
- HOB high-order byte
- HPFS High Performance File System:
- (OS/2)
- HPGL Hewlett-Packard Graphics
- Language
- HP-IB Hewlett-Packard Interface Bus
- HPPI High Performance Peripheral
- Interface
- HP/UX Hewlett-Packard's version of
- Unix
- HSM hierarchical storage management
- HSYNC horizontal synchronization
- HTML Hypertext Markup Language
- HTTP Hypertext Transport Protocol;
- also Hypertext Transfer Protocol
-
- I
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- IAC Interapplication Communication
- (Apple)
- ICE in-circuit emulator
- IDA Intelligent Drive Array
- IDAPI Independent Database API
- (Borland)
- IDE Integrated Drive Electronics
- IEEE Institute of Electrical and
- Electronics Engineers
- IETF Internet Engineering Task Force
- IFF Interchange File Format
- IGES Initial Graphics Exchange
- Specification
- IMAP Interactive Mail Access Protocol
- INT interrupt
- IP Internet Protocol; also
- Internetwork Protocol
- IPC interprocess communications
- IPX/SPX Internet Packet
- Exchange/Sequenced
- Packet Exchange
- IR instruction register
- IRC interrupt request controller
- IRQ interrupt request
- ISA Industry Standard Architecture
- ISAM indexed sequential-access
- method
- ISDN Integrated Services Digital
- Network
- ISO International Standards
- Organisation
- ISR interrupt service routine
- ISV independent software vendor
- IT information technology
- ITSEC Information Technology Security
- Evaluation Criteria (European)
- IXC interexchange carrier; also
- called IEC
-
- J
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- JIS Japan Industrial Standard
- JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group
-
- K
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- KB kilobyte; 1024 bytes.
- KBps kilobytes per second
- Kbps kilobits per second
-
- L
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- LAN local-area network
- LATA Local Access and Transport Area
- LDT local descriptor table
- LIFO last in, first out
- LIPS logical instructions per second
- Lisp list processing
- LLC logical link control
- LOB low-order byte
- LSB least-significant bit (or byte)
- LSD least-significant digit
- LSI large-scale integration
- LZW Lempel-Ziv-Welch
-
- M
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- MAC media access control
- MAN metropolitan-area network
- MAP Manufacturing Automation
- Protocol
- MAPI Messaging API (Microsoft)
- MASM Macro Assembler (Microsoft)
- MB megabyte; approximately one
- million bytes
- Mb megabit; approximately one
- million bits
- MCA Micro Channel architecture (IBM)
- MCGA Multicolor Graphics Array
- MCI media control interface
- MDA Monochrome Display Adapter
- MDI Multiple Document Interface
- MDS Macintosh Development System;
- Microprocessor Development System
- MFC Microsoft Foundation Classes
- MFLOPS megaFLOPS; million floating-
- point operations per second
- MFM modified frequency modulation
- MFS Macintosh File System
- MHS Message Handling Service
- MIDI musical instrument digital
- interface
- MIMD multiple instruction, multiple
- data
- MIME Multipurpose Internet Mail
- Extensions
- MIPS million instructions per second
- MIS management information system
- MMU memory management unit
- MNP Microcom Networking Protocol
- MPC Multimedia PC
- MPEG Moving Pictures Experts Group
- MPU microprocessor unit
- MPW Macintosh Programmer's
- Workshop
- MRCI Microsoft Real-Time Compression
- Interface
- ms millisecond; one thousandth of a
- second
- MSB most significant bit (or byte)
- MSI medium-scale integration
- MTBF mean time between failures
- MVS Multiple Virtual Storage (IBM)
-
- N
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- NAPLPS Northern American
- Presentation-Level
- Protocol Syntax
- NAU network access unit;
- network addressable unit
- NCSC National Computer Security
- Center
- NDIS Network Driver Interface
- Specification
- NDP numeric data processor
- NDS NetWare Directory Service
- (Novell)
- NetBIOS Network Basic Input/Output
- System
- NetBEUI NetBios Extended User Interface
- NFS Network File System (Sun)
- NIC network interface card
- NIS Network Information Service;
- formerly Yellow Pages (Sun)
- NIST National Institute of Standards
- and Technology
- NIU network interface unit
- NLM NetWare loadable module
- NMI nonmaskable interrupt
- NNTP Network News Transport Protocol
- NOS network operating system
- ns nanosecond; one-billionth of a
- second
- NTSC National Television Standards
- Committee
-
- O
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- OCR optical character recognition
- OCS Old Chip Set (Amiga)
- OCX OLE Control
- ODAPI Open Database API
- ODBC Open Database Connectivity
- (Microsoft)
- ODBMS Object DBMS; Object-oriented
- DBMS;
- also called OODBMS
- ODI Open Data-Link Interface
- ODMA Open Document Management API
- ODMG Object Database Management
- Group
- OEM original-equipment manufacturer
- OFS Old File-System (Amiga)
- OLE Object Linking and Embedding
- OLTP on-line transaction processing
- OMG Object Management Group
- ONC Open Network Computing (Sun)
- OOFS object-oriented file system
- OOP object-oriented programming
- OOPL object-oriented programming
- language
- OPROM optical programmable ROM
- ORB Object Request Broker
- OS operating system
- OSF Open Software Foundation
- OSI Open Systems Interconnection
- OSPF Open Shortest Path First
- OS/2 Operating System /2 (IBM)
- OWL Object Windows Library (Borland)
-
- P
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- PABX private automatic branch
- exchange (now synonymous
- with PBX)
- PAL phase alternate line;
- programmable array logic;
- Paradox Application Language
- (Borland)
- PBX private branch exchange
- PCI Peripheral Component
- Interconnect
- PCL printer control language
- (Hewlett-Packard)
- PCM pulse code modulation
- PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card
- International Association
- PDA personal digital assistant
- PDES Product Data Exchange
- Specification
- PDL page-description language;
- Program Design Language (Ada)
- PDN public data network
- PDO Portable Distributed Objects
- (Next)
- PEEL programmable electronically
- erasable logic
- PEM Privacy Enhanced Mail
- PERT Program Evaluation and Review
- Technique
- PGA pin grid array;
- programmable gate array
- PGL Professional Graphics Language
- PHIGS Programmer's Hierarchical
- Interactive Graphics Standard
- PIA peripheral interface adapter
- PIF program information file
- PIM personal information manager
- PIN positive intrinsic negative;
- personal identification number
- PLA programmable logic array
- PLC programmable logic controller
- PLD programmable logic device
- PLE programmable logic element
- PL/1 Programming Language/1
- PMMU paged memory management unit
- POP point-of-presence;
- Post Office Protocol (POP 1,2,
- and 3)
- POS Programmable Option Select
- POSE Picture-Oriented Software
- Engineering
- POST power-on self test
- POTS plain old telephone service
- PPP Point-to-Point Protocol
- PRML partial-response maximum
- likelihood
- PROM programmable read-only memory
-
- Q
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- QEMM Quarterdeck Expanded Memory
- Manager
- QIC Quarter Inch Cartridge
-
- R
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- RAID redundant arrays of inexpensive disks
- RAM random-access memory
- RAMDAC
- random-access memory digital
- -to-analog converter
- RAS row-address strobe
- RDBMS relational database management
- system
- RFS Remote File System (AT&T)
- RGB red-green-blue
- RIP raster-image processor;
- Routing Information Protocol;
- Remote Imaging Protocol
- RISC reduced-instruction-set
- computer
- RLE run length encoding
- RLL run length limited
- RMW read, modify, write
- ROM read-only memory
- RPC remote procedure call
- RSA Rivest-Shamir-Adleman
- RTF Rich Text Format
- RTN recursive transition network
- RTV real-time video
-
- S
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- SAA Systems Application Architecture
- (IBM)
- SANE Standard Apple Numeric
- Environment
- SASI Shugart Associates system
- interface
- SCSI small computer system interface
- SDK Software Development Kit
- SDLC synchronous data-link control
- SGML Standard Generalised Markup
- Language
- SHTTP Secure HTTP
- SIMD single instruction, multiple data
- SIMM single in-line memory module
- SIP single in-line package
- SIPP single in-line pin package
- SLIP Serial Line Internet Protocol
- SMB Server Message Block
- SMP symmetric multiprocessing
- SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
- SMPTE Society of Motion Picture &
- Television Engineers
- SNA Systems Network Architecture
- (IBM)
- SNMP Simple Network Management
- Protocol
- SOM System Object Model (IBM)
- SPI Service Provider Interface
- SQL Structured Query Language
- SRAM static RAM
- SSA Serial Storage Architecture
- SSI small-scale integration
- SS/SD single-sided, single density
- SVGA SuperVGA
-
- T
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- TalAE Taligent Application Environment
- TASM Turbo Assembler (Borland)
- Tcl Tool control language
- TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/
- Internet Protocol
- TCSEC Trusted Computer Systems
- Evaluation Criteria
- (Orange Book)
- TB terabyte; approximately one
- trillion bytes.
- TFTP Trivial File Transfer Protocol
- TIFF Tagged Image File Format
- TIGA Texas Instruments Graphics
- Architecture
- TOP Technical Office Protocol
- TRAM transputer module
- TSR terminate-and-stay resident
- TTL transistor-transistor logic
- TWAIN interface standard for imaging
- peripherals; also toolkit without
- an important name
-
- U
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- UART universal asynchronous receiver/
- transmitter
- UAE unrecoverable applications error
- UDP User Datagram Protocol
- UPS uninterruptible power supply
- URL Uniform Resource Locator
- USART universal synchronous/
- asynchronous receiver/
- transmitter
- UUCP Unix-to-Unix copy
-
- V
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- VAN value-added network
- VAP value-added process
- VAR value-added reseller
- VBL vertical blanking interrupt
- VBX Visual Basic Control
- VCPI Virtual Control Program
- Interface
- VERONICA
- Very Easy Rodent-Oriented
- Netwide Index to
- Computerized Archives
- VESA Video Electronics Standards
- Association
- VFS Virtual File System
- VGA Video Graphics Array
- VIDC video controller
- VIM Vendor-Independent Messaging
- VIS Video Information System
- VLIW very long instruction word
- VLSI very large-scale integration
- VME Virtual Machine Environment
- VMS Virtual Memory System (DEC)
- VRAM Video RAM
- VSAM Virtual Storage Access Method
- (IBM)
- VSYNC vertical synchronisation
-
- W
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- WAIS Wide Area Information Server;
- also Wide Area Information
- Service
- WAN wide-area network
- WIMP windows, icons, menus and
- pointing device
- WISC writable instruction set computer
- WORM write once, read many times
- WOSA Windows Open Services
- Architecture
- WWW World Wide Web
- WYSIWYG
- what-you-see-is-what-
- you-get
-
- X
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- XA Extended Architecture
- XAPIA X.400 API Association
- XCMD external command: A user-
- defined command that uses
- built-in Macintosh code
- to extend the features of
- HyperCard.
- XGA Extended Graphics Array
- XMS Extended Memory Specification:
- A set of rules defining a
- software interface that
- provides DOS applications with
- access to extended memory.
- XON/XOFF
- telecommunications control
- protocol
- XOR exclusive-OR
- XPG X/Open Portability Guide
-
- Z
-
- TERM MEANING
-
- ZBR zone-bit recording
- ZCAV zone constant angular velocity
- ZIF zero insertion force
- ZIP zig-zag in-line package/pin