Computer
Terms
Adapted from:
If you don't see the term you are looking for, use your
browser's Find command to search for it. Perhaps your term is used
in a definition.
8.3 name - a file or
folder name in MS-DOS style with 8 characters then a dot and then 3 more
characters.
access slot - opening in the back of the computer to allow devices to
connect to peripheral cards
active window - The window
which will receive keystrokes.
animation 
- a sequence of images that are shown one after the other very quickly. The
human eye and brain blend the images to produce the effect of motion.
application
- A software program
apply button
- In a dialog box, a command button that applies the changes you made but
leaves the dialog box open
arrangement -the way the
icons are placed on the desktop
ASCII - (American Standard
Code for Information Interchange) -- This is the de facto world-wide standard
for the code numbers used by computers to represent all the upper and lower-case
Latin letters, numbers, punctuation, etc. There are 128 standard ASCII codes
each of which can be represented by a 7 digit binary number: 0000000 through
1111111.
Auto Arrange - icons are
automatically lined up in neat rows and columns. This is not the same as
sorting, which arranges the icons based on a particular property, like file size
or date
Backspace - using the
BACKSPACE key on the keyboard erases the character to the left of the cursor
backup - making a copy of
files is "backing up" the files. The copy is a "backup".
bandwidth
- How much "stuff" you
can send through a connection. Usually measured in bits-per-second (bps). A full
page of English text is about 16,000 bits. A fast modem can move about 15,000 bits
in one second. Full-motion full-screen video would require roughly 10,000,000 bits-per-second,
depending on compression.
bit - (Binary DigIT) -- A single digit number in base-2,
in other words, either a 1 or a zero. The smallest unit of computerized data. Bandwidth
is usually measured in bits-per-second.
boot
- to turn on the computer and start the operating system
bootable disk - a floppy
disk which has on it the system files needed to start the computer. You can use
such a disk to boot the computer when the hard disk has failed or some other
problem prevents the operating system from working.
Bps - (Bits-Per-Second) -- A measurement of how fast data
is moved from one place to another. A "28.8 modem"
can move 28,800 bits per second.
branch - a portion of the
folder tree which contains other folders and files
browse - to expand and
collapse the folder tree to find a particular file or folder
browser - A client program (software)
that is used to looking at various kinds of Internet resources.
See
Also: URL
, WWW
cancel button - In a
dialog box, a command button that closes the dialog without applying any changes
check box - In a dialog
box, an input box
that
is either checked or unchecked
click - The action of
pressing down a mouse button (usually the left one) and releasing it
close button - The small
button
on
a window's title bar which, when clicked, closes the window.
color depth - The number
of colors that a monitor can display. Depends also on the video card being used.
Values include 256, 64,000+ colors (called High Color or 16 bit color), 16
million+ colors (24 bit color), 4 billion colors (True Color or 32 bit color)
collapse - to hide the
nested folders in a branch of the folder tree.
command button - in a
dialog box, a button like
which
when clicked executes a command
contents tab - in the Help
dialog, the tab with the list of topics
context-sensitive - varies
depending on the context. Used for right-click menus which show different
commands depending on where the right click occurred
copy - to copy the
selected material to the Windows clipboard to use it somewhere else without
removing it from the original location
Copy Disk - a command
which copies an entire disk to another disk.
crash - a crashed computer
has lost its mind. It can no longer function. Crashes can be caused by hardware
failure and by software.
cursor - a symbol (usually
a vertical line) which shows where your typing will appear on the screen
customize - to change
settings from the original (default) ones.
cut - to remove the
selected material from the document. It is copied to the Windows clipboard and
can be pasted somewhere else.
delete - to remove
something; erase
desktop - the area above
the taskbar on your screen
details view - shows the
file properties across the window: Name, Size, Type, Date modified
diagonal resize - The
shape of the pointer,
or
,
when dragging will resize the window in both directions at the same time
dialog box - A window with
command buttons and input areas like textboxes and radio buttons
dialog help button - The
button
on
the title bar of a dialog box which allow you to ask what a part of the dialog
box is for
double-click - Clicking
twice quickly
drag - Moving the mouse
while holding down a mouse button
drop list - A dialog input
which hides a list of options until you click on the arrow. Then the list
appears.
edit - to make a change in
an existing document. You might add to it, delete part, or move parts within the
- document.
eject - to make a
removable disk or other storage medium come out of the drive
Ethernet -
A
very common method of networking computers in a LAN. Ethernet will handle about
10,000,000 bits-per-second and can be used with
almost any kind of computer. See Also: Bandwidth , LAN
expand - to show the
previously hidden folders and files that are nested inside a branch of the
folder tree
extension - the part of a
file's name that follows the dot. filename.extension Most extensions are
3 characters long.
FAQ - (Frequently Asked
Questions) -- FAQs are documents that list and answer the most common questions
on a particular subject. There are hundreds of FAQs on subjects as diverse as
Pet Grooming and Cryptography. FAQs are usually written by people who have tired
of answering the same question over and over.
filename - the first part
of a file's name, which comes before the dot. filename.extension Under
Windows95/98 this first part can be very long and can contain spaces.
file - (getting down to
the most basic ideas here!) A file is a single item that can be stored or
executed or opened with a program.
file type - the file
extension indicates what the file's type is - Word document, Paint picture,
executable that runs a program
Find tab - In the Help
window, the tab which allows you to look for the places a word or phrase is used
in the Help file
Firewall - A combination
of hardware and software that separates a LAN into two or more parts for
security purposes.
Flame - Originally, flame meant to carry forth in a passionate manner
in the spirit of honorable descent. Flames most often involved the use of
flowery language, clever insults, and witty repartee. Flaming well was an art
form. More recently flame has come to refer to any kind of derogatory comment no
matter how witless or crude. See Also: Flame War
Flame War -
When an online discussion degenerates into a series of personal attacks against
the debaters, rather than discussion of their positions. A heated exchange. See
Also: Flame
folder - a grouping of
files in the folder tree
folder tree - a graphical
display of the relationship of the folders and drives on a computer
format - to prepare a
storage disk for use. Formatting erases all previous data, sets up an area to
list what is stored where, and checks for physical and magnetic damage.
FTP - (File Transfer Protocol) -- A very common method of moving files
between two Internet sites. FTP is a special way to login to another Internet
site for the purposes of retrieving and/or sending files. There are many
Internet sites that have established publicly accessible repositories of
material that can be obtained using FTP, by logging in using the account name
"anonymous", thus these sites are called anonymous ftp servers".
full format - a full
format does all three tasks in the "format" definition
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GUI - Graphics User
Interface
handle - a small shape
(usually square) at a corner or in the middle of an edge which resizes the
object when you drag the square.
Help - A file which has
explanations and tips about your operating system or application
horizontal resize - The
shape
that
the pointer takes when dragging will change the size of the window horizontally.
hover - when you let the
mouse pointer stay over a particular object or location
icon - A small image that
represents a program or action or document
inactive window - A window
which is open but which will not receive any of your keystrokes
index tab - The tab in a
Help window which has an alphabetical list of keywords and phrases
large icon view - an
arrangement of icons in a My Computer or Explorer window that uses a larger
icon. Alphabetical across the window.
LAN - (Local
Area Network) -- A computer network limited to the immediate area, usually the
same building or floor of a building. See Also: Ethernet
left click - Pressing the
left mouse button and then releasing it
list box - In a dialog
box, an input which lists all of the options for you to choose
List view - an arrangement
of icons in a My Computer or Explorer window that uses small icons and
alphabetizes down the window
long file name - a name
for a file which has more characters than 8.3.
marquee - a dashed or
dotted box outline surrounding an object or objects. In some programs a marquee
blinks.
marquee select - dragging
the pointer across several items selects them and surrounds them with a dashed
box, the marquee
maximize - to make a
window take up the whole desktop
menu - a list of available
commands
minimize - to reduce a
window to an icon on the taskbar or at the bottom of an application window
Modem
- (MOdulator, DEModulator) -- A device that you connect to your computer
and to a phone line, that allows the computer to talk to other computers through
the phone system. Basically, modems do for computers what a telephone does for
humans.
mouse - a pointing device
which controls the action of the pointer on the screen
move - change locations in
the folder tree or on the screen
MS-DOS format name -
another name for 8.3 format
nested - one inside the
other
OK button - In a dialog
box, a command button which when clicked accepts all of your changes and closes
the dialog
open - to start a program
like Paint; to make visible a window like the Control Panel; to display a
document in an appropriate program
Options - choices;
settings that you can change
Page Setup - a dialog in
which you can set such things as margins, page orientation, headers, footers
pane - a portion of a
divided window
paste - to take material
previously copied to the Windows Clipboard and put in in a document or similarly
to place a whole file in a new location after copying it
path - the list from drive
to file of the nested levels to a file, like C:\Program Files\Office\winword.exe
pattern - A design that
can be repeated across the desktop as a decoration
pointer - the symbol for
the location which will receive your clicks
pointing device - a device
which controls the pointer, such as a mouse, glidepad, or graphics tablet
popup menu - a menu which
appears when you right click on something
Print - to put the file
contents onto paper with a printer; a dialog which contains choices for how much
to print, how many copies, color or not, which printer to use.
Print Preview - a display
of a document as it will appear if you print it
Properties - a command on
a menu which will open a display of the characteristics of the object. You may
be able to change some of the characteristics.
quick format - formatting
without checking the disk for physical or magnetic errors
Quick Launch - An area on
the Taskbar which holds shortcuts to frequently used programs
radio button - in a dialog
box, an input
which
is either selected or not. Only one radio button in a group can be chosen.
refresh - forcing the
computer to look again and display the most recent information
rename
- to change the name of a file or folder
resize - to change the
size of a window
resolution - the number of
pixels that a monitor can display (width x height). Common values are640 x 480,
800 x 600, 1024 x 768. The higher the number, the finer the detail that can be
shown
restore - to return a
window to its previous size
right click - to press and
release the right mouse button
right drag - right click
and then drag while still holding down the right mouse button
Save - to record the
current state of a file so that changes are not lost
Save As - a command which
brings up a dialog so that you can save the document with a new name or in a new
location
screen saver - a sequence
of images that appear when the monitor has been idle for a set amount of time.
It's purpose is to keep old monitor screens from being damaged.
scroll bar - used to
change what part of a document is showing in a window when it is too large to
fit
scroll box - the box on
the scrollbar which you can slide to move the document in the window
scroll list - in a dialog
box, an input which shows some of the options and allows you to scroll to see
others
select - to click on an
object or a choice in a dialog to make it the object of your clicks or
keystrokes
shortcut - an icon which
executes the command to open an application or a document
shut down - to close the
running programs and turn off the computer
slide - in a dialog box,
an input which changes a value based on how you drag a sliding box
Small Icon view - an
arrangement of icons in a My Computer or Explorer window which uses smaller
icons and alphabetizes across the window
sort - to arrange items in
an order based on a property, like Name or Date modified.
spin control box - in an
dialog box, an input which shows only one value at a time. To change values you
use up/down arrows
Start menu - a button on
the Taskbar which displays a list of commands or other menus
subfolder - a folder
contained in another folder
system disk - a bootable
disk, which is one that can be used to start up a computer
tab - a section of a
window which acts like the tabs on file folders. Clicking on a tab label bring
that portion of the dialog to the front so you can see it
Taskbar - At the bottom of
the Windows screen, it contains the Start button, icons for open applications,
the Quick Launch area, and the Tray
Task Manager - a dialog
which lists all the currently running tasks on the computer. You can terminate
each one or reboot the computer from this dialog.
text box - in a dialog
box, an input in which you must type
text editor - a simple
program for writing basic text-only documents
tip - an explanation or
other information which appears when the pointer hovers over an object
tool - a button in a
program like Paint which changes the behavior of the pointer. For example the
text tool in Paint changes the pointer to draw a box for writing text in the
picture.
topic - in a Help window,
a category for Help documents
Tray - on the Taskbar the
area at the right which holds the clock and icons for other background
applications
unavailable command - a
command which cannot be used at this time
undelete - to undo a
deletion, returning everything back to the way it was before you deleted.
undo - to reverse an
action. Undo applied to typing would erase the characters you typed. Undo
applied after deleting a folder would restore the folder.
URL - (Uniform
Resource Locator) -- The standard way to give the address of any resource on the
Internet that is part of the World Wide
Web (WWW). A URL looks like this:
The
most common way to use a URL is to enter it into a WWW browser program,
such as Internet Explorer, Netscape, or Lynx. See
Also: Browser , WWW
user interface - the way
people interact with the software. A graphical interface uses images like
buttons and windows. A text interface uses typed commands.
vertical resize - the
shape
that
the pointer takes to change the size vertically of a window
view - a particular way of
arranging the icons in a My Computer or Explorer window
wallpaper - an image which
is used as a decoration on the desktop
window - a rectangular
area on the desktop, with a border and usually with a title bar. It may also have
a menu bar, toolbar, and status bar.
write protect - to prevent
data from being written to a device.
WWW
(or web)
- (World Wide Web) -- Two meanings
- First, loosely used: the whole constellation of resources that can be accessed
using Gopher, FTP,
HTTP, telnet,
Usenet, WAIS
and some other tools. second, the universe of hypertext servers (HTTP
servers) which are the servers
that allow text, graphics, sound files, etc. to be mixed together.
Zoom In - to make the
display of a document larger. You see less of the document but what you see is
bigger.
Zoom Out - to make the
display of a document smaller, as though you had stepped back further from it.
You can see more of the document, but it is smaller.
http://www.jegsworks.com/Lessons/win/glossary.htm
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