ALGORITHM - a set of rules that unambiguously specifies a sequence of operations for solving a problem.

ALPHA TESTING - When a new product is released for testing to a company's own employees before exposing it outside the company, the product is said to be under alpha testing.

ALU - Arithmetic and Logic Unit. The part of the CPU in which the actual numeric operations occur.

ANALOG - There are two main ways of doing things electronically, analog or digital. In the analog method, signals are continuously variable and the slightest change may be significant. Analog circuits are subject to drift, distortion, and noise, but they are capable of handling complex signals with relatively simple circuitry. Analog data transmissions require amplifiers, due to attenuation of the signal with distance, to boost or magnify the signal.

ANSI - An abbreviation for American National Standards Institute. It is a non-governmental organization founded in 1918 that proposes, modifies, approves, and publishes data processing standards for voluntary use in the United States.

ANSI is also the U.S. representative to the International Standards Organization (ISO) in Paris, and the International Electrotechnical commission (IEC). Any programming language that claims to conform to ANSI standards must pass all the tests for the standard syntax rules as set forth by ANSI.

API - Application Program Interface. APIs are the tools that program developers use to access the functionality of a computer's operating system and the services of its peripheral devices. Generally, APIs are system calls, routines, that allow programmers access to the services provided by the operating system. APIs can be used to manipulate files and directories, provide record locking and transaction tracking, semaphore control, interface to graphics adapters, and a wide variety of other services. On a Local Area Network, an API such as IBM's NetBIOS, provides applications with a uniform means of requesting services from the lower levels of the network operating system.

APPLICATION SOFTWARE - The general term for software programs that perform specific tasks such as accounting, word processing, and database management.

ARCHIE - a program for locating files available by anonymous ftp. Named for the comic strip character.

ARCHIVE FILES (*.ARC *.ZIP) - In the true definition, an archive file is one that has been copied onto an auxiliary storage medium such as disk or magnetic tape for the purpose of long-term retention. In the microcomputer world, an archive file is one that has been compressed, squashed, squeezed, crunched, and/or packed with a file archiving program in order to use less disk space and to reduce the transfer time when sending files between computers. File Libraries also store program and data files in compressed format. The most common PC archiving program is PKZIP, which labels its compressed files with the extension .zip. In the UNIX world, similar archiving is achieved with pack (.z), compress (.Z), or gzip (.gz).

ASCII - The American Standard Code for Information Interchange is a standard seven-bit code that was created in 1965 by Robert W. Bemer and established to achieve compatibility between various types of data processing equipment.

ASCII, pronounced "ask-key", is the common code for microcomputer equipment. The Standard ASCII Character Set consists of 128 decimal numbers ranging from zero through 127 assigned to letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and the most common special characters. The Extended ASCII Character Set also consists of 128 decimal numbers and ranges from 128 through 255 representing additional special, mathematical, graphic, and foreign characters.

ASP - The Association of Shareware Professionals is an organization of programmers founded in 1987. The primary goal of the association is to strengthen the future of shareware marketing as an alternative to traditional marketing. The ASP is also striving to help diskette vendors, the news media, and the general public to understand the nature and benefits of shareware.

ASYNCHRONOUS - When signals are sent to a computer at irregular intervals, they are described as asynchronous. When data are transmitted asynchronously, they are sent at irregular intervals by preceding each character with a start bit and following it with a stop bit. Asynchronous transmission allows a character to be sent at random after the preceding character has been sent, without regard to any timing device. Contrast with synchronous transmission.

AT Command Set - The set of commands that is used to control the operation of a modem is called the standard Hayes AT Command Set. Most of the commands are prefaced with an AT which stands for ATtention. For example, to dial the phone, the communications program would send the command "ATD" (ATtention, Dial) to the modem.

ATTRIBUTE - An attribute is a characteristic that describes data, or a data structure, or an element of a data model. An attribute is a word that describes the manner in which a variable is handled by the computer. For example, typical file attributes would be the file's size and the length of a record in a file. The DOS file attributes are stored in byte 11 of a directory entry and determine whether or not a file is declared read-only, hidden, a system file, or if the archive bit is on or off.

AUTOEXEC.BAT - A special batch file used by DOS and OS/2; they search for it when booting up the computer. If DOS finds the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, it automatically carries out the commands contained in the file.

BACKUP - Copies of data and program files, intended to safeguard against the loss of those files, are called backups. It is always advisable to make backups of your data and programs. Microcomputers, like all things manufactured, are prey to human error and mechanical failure. No matter what type of backup hardware you choose, you still need a backup system, a strict routine for making backups. Most backup systems fit into one of two categories; tape or disk.

BASIC - BASIC is a computer programming language, an acronym for Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. Although it is a simple language to learn and use, it contains many advanced features for handling mathematical formulas and character strings. In its early form, as devised by Andrew Kemeny at Dartmouth, BASIC was an interpreted language, which means that each statement is translated and executed as it is encountered rather than having all the program statements compiled before execution. Bill Gates made his first $50 writing a basic interpreter for the PC. There are now compilers for BASIC so that final versions of programs can be translated to executable code for faster run-time performance.

BATCH FILE - Executable text files that save you from having to retype often-used commands. To use a batch file, you just type in the batch file's name, and the PC carries out the commands contained in the batch file as if you had typed them from the keyboard. In UNIX, such files are called scripts, or shell scripts. These are much less widely used under Windows than under DOS or UNIX.

BAUD - Baud is a unit of measurement that denotes the number of discrete signal elements, such as bits, that can be transmitted per second. Bits per second (bps) means the number of binary digits transmitted in one second. There is a difference between bps and baud rate, and the two are often confused. For example, a device such as a modem said to transmit at 2400 baud is not correct, it actually transmits 2400 bits per second. It is important to note that both baud rate and bps refer to the rate at which the bits within a single frame are transmitted. The gaps between the frames can be of variable length. Accordingly, neither baud rate nor bps refers to the rate at which information is actually being transferred.

BBS - A bulletin board system is a computer that operates with a program and a modem to allow other computers with modems to communicate with it, often on a round the clock basis. There are thousands of MS-DOS, Windows, and UNIX -related bulletin board systems in the United States offering a wealth of information including libraries of freeware and shareware programs that can be downloaded.

BENCHMARK - A benchmark is a process or program that can be executed to measure and compare the performance of one system against another.

BETA TESTING - The pre-testing of hardware or software products with selected typical customers to discover inadequate features or possible product enhancements before it is released to the general public.

BINARY - A number system based on 2. In binary, only two numbers, 0 and 1, represent all possible mathematical values. Computers use the binary number system because it best represents what a computer understands - on and off.

BIOS - The Basic Input/Output System, resident on a chip which plugs into the motherboard of a microcomputer, is a system program. The BIOS is responsible for handling the details of the input and output operations, including the task of relating a program's logical records to a peripheral device's physical records. The BIOS contains routines tailored to the specific requirements of each peripheral device. These routines are called drivers, or device handlers.

BIT - The smallest unit of data recognizable by a computer. Eight bits equals one BYTE (or 1 character).

BOOT UP - The term describing the series of steps that takes place when you turn on the computer. In the BOOT process, the operating system (DOS for example), is loaded into the computer's internal memory (RAM). It derives from the ancient advice, "Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps!"

BROWSER - a program allowing viewing of information transmitted by a site on the World Wide Web; the information may combine text, still graphics, sound, and video. The leading browsers at this time are produced by Netscape (Mozilla) and Microsoft (Internet Explorer).

BTW - by the way. An abbreviation widely used in e-mail and newsgroups.

BUFFER - A buffer is often a block of memory that the operating system uses to store data temporarily. Several buffers can be defined at system configuration time based on your applications. A buffer can also be part of a peripheral device containing its own memory to receive the output of a task quicker than the device can perform the task's instructions, thus freeing the processor for other operations.

BUG - an error in a program or hardware setup that causes it to work other than as intended. See DEBUG.

BUNDLED SOFTWARE - Software sold with the computer hardware as part of the system's total price; also known as pre-loaded or packaged software.

BUS - A bus is a set of wires or lines used for data transfer among the various components of a computer system. Actually, the bus is made up of traces on the printed circuit boards. All the major components such as the microprocessor, the disk drive controller, random access memory, and the input/output ports are electrically connected by the bus so that information can be passed. The first IBM microcomputers and compatibles such as the PC and the PC-XT (8086 and the 8088) utilized an 8-bit data bus. The IBM-AT (80286) systems provided both the 8-bit and the 16-bit bus. Systems with the 80386 and 80486 microprocessors can transfer data along a 32-bit bus.

BYTE - Consisting of eight BITS, a BYTE is the amount of storage space required to hold one alphanumeric character such as the letter A, the number 5, a comma, question mark, and so on. [It is also the name of an excellent monthly magazine devoted to small computers; if you subscribe to only once such publication, it should be BYTE.]

CACHE MEMORY - A cache is a memory medium that provides faster access than the medium where the data is customarily stored. A cache memory architecture combines SRAM's speed with DRAM's cost effectiveness. It provides a small amount (usually 64KB or less) of fast SRAM (the cache) that is logically located between the processor and main memory (which is usually simple DRAM.)

CD-ROM - Compact Disk, Read-Only Memory. A form of data storage that uses laser optics rather than magnetic means for reading data. CD-ROM drives read compact discs similar to the audio CDs available in music stores, and indeed, most of them can play audio CDs.

CLIP ART - Graphic images or files that can be imported to word processing and desktop publishing documents are called electronic clip art. Clip art for computers, just as in the printing and art industry, is available in various graphics file formats and is typically available as specialized libraries for different purposes such as medical, business, holiday seasons, sports, and so on.

CLOCK SPEED - Computers contain internal clocks. Like a wristwatch, the microprocessor uses regulated vibrations to measure speed. The faster the clock speed, the faster the computer will execute (carry out) commands.

CLONE - The term clone most often refers to a computer system that resembles one of IBM's personal computers. Shortly after IBM introduced the PC, the XT, and the AT, clones appeared on the market claiming to be IBM-compatible. Some clones were more compatible than others.

CODE - slang for a program. "She writes tight code," means that the individual writes efficient programs.

COLD BOOT - Personal computers can be either cold booted or warm booted. A cold boot process begins with turning on the computer's power. Typically, the cold boot process consists of basic hardware checking followed by loading of the operating system from disk into memory.

COMPILED LANGUAGE - A high-level programming language in which the instructions are translated into the machine language of the computer before execution begins. Compiled languages usually are LINKED after compilation, meaning that specific storage requirements and locations are assigned, libraries (dlls) are incorporated, and so on. The principal advantage of a compiled, over an interpreted, language is speed of execution.

COMPILER - an executable program that accepts text-format programs written in a high-level language and translates them into a machine-language equivalent called an OBJECT file. Linking object files produces an executable program.

COM PORT - A COM port is a communications channel or pathway over which data is transferred between remote computing devices. Microcomputers operating under DOS or Windows can have as many as four COM ports, COM1, COM2, COM3, and COM4. These COM ports are actually serial ports most often used with a modem to establish a communications channel over the telephone lines. The COM ports are also used to send data to a serial printer or to connect a serial mouse.

CONFIG.SYS - A text file which is used by DOS and OS/2 during system startup. This file contains commands that tell DOS how to communicate with hardware, how to customize communication, or how to adjust the computer's memory usage.

CONVENTIONAL MEMORY - RAM (random-access memory) used by DOS to run software programs. Conventional memory is limited to 640 kilobytes.

CPU - Central Processing Unit. Every computer has a Central Processing Unit. The CPU is the portion of a computer where instructions are fetched, decoded, and executed. The overall activity of the computer is controlled by the CPU. It consists essentially of an arithmetic unit, a control unit, and an internal memory. A minimum requirement is three registers, a decode and control section, an adder, and two memory buffers. The control of other functions is exercised through the interpretation and execution of instructions. Today's CPUs for microcomputers are contained in chips small enough to fit easily in the palm of one's hand.

CRASH - the sudden, unexpected cessation of operation of a program or of the computer.

CRT - literally, Cathode Ray Tube; an older term for the video display unit, or monitor.

CURRENT DRIVE - The disk drive currently accessed by your computer. It is displayed in the prompt, such as C> or A>. C stands for the first hard drive and A stands for the floppy drive (in most cases). (If the computer has two floppy drives, A represents the first drive and B represents the second.) UNIX names multiple drives, or can treat additional drives as subdirectories of the first one.

CURSOR - A short blinking line or box that appears on the monitor either underneath or just in front of the space where the next character is to be typed or deleted. The cursor indicates that the computer is waiting for the user to input a command or information.

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