Explore the World of Software 2: Kids, Adults, Educational

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████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ A GLOSSARY FOR BEGINNERS THE CHEAT SHEET ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ Address. Location of a specific piece of computer information in computer RAM memory. Also a specific cell location in a spreadsheet (e.g., address A22 in a spreadsheet: meaning the cell at intersection of column A, row 22.) [Alt] key. The key labeled Alt at the left of your keyboard. This key is often used by holding down Alt and hitting another key. Autoexec.bat. The batch file runs automatically when you start your computer it is a text file containing a list of DOS commands. Batch file (bat file). A text file containing a list of DOS commands to be carried out or executed. Bit. A single binary digit. Represented electronically as a digit one or zero inside a computer. In reality a bit is held by a transistor switch inside an integrated circuit chip. If the transistor switch is "on" the bit represented is one. If the transistor switch is "off" the bit represented is zero. Bits make up larger bytes. Something like alphabet letters which make up words in the English language. Byte. For the IBM PC family of computers, a byte is an 8-bit unit of memory that can in turn represent up to 256 different values. Cell. A single box in a spreadsheet used for data entry. Clock/calendar. An optional circuit which keeps the correct time and date. Many computers contain this circuit as standard equipment. Clock speed. The timing frequency that a computer uses to regulate and synchronize the timing of its operations. Usually this timing speed is measured in megahertz or millions of cycles per second. Command line. The DOS command line where you type in a DOS command to cause work to be done. Example: c>Diskcopy a: b: is a command line. [Ctrl] key. The key labeled Ctrl at the left of your keyboard. This key is often used by holding down Ctrl and hitting another key. Also called control key. Cursor. The flashing bright square your screen which shows where information will appear when you press a key. Cylinder. A set of disk tracks at a specific location of a hard drive platter or set of platters which can be read or written simultaneously by the read/write heads. Conceptually, a cylinder looks something like an empty tin can with the top and bottom removed. Database. An organized collection of records or information. Data Bus. An electronic pathway which carries pulses of electricity to and from the various integrated circuits and components inside a computer. Usually a data bus consists of between 8 and 32 conductive wires or lines, each capable of delivering the bits and bytes which make up computer data. Generally the more lines which make up the bus, the faster the data can travel. Default. A standard computer setting when nothing otherwise is specified. Can be changed in many programs temporarily or permanently. If you are not sure of a setting in a program, it may supply a default value automatically. Directory. An imaginary storage space on your disk which contains files. DOS. Disk Operating System. DOS allows you to input information from the keyboard to the computer,run programs, prepare files for disks and other necessary tasks. E-Mail. Electronic Mail. Sending and receiving messages via computers which link two or more users together. Messages are stored and retrieved as needed by individuals in the network and can be transmitting vast distances using ordinary telephone lines. Not necessarily FAX messages, although these can be incorporated in into an E-Mail network in addition to voice, photos, illustrations and text! [Enter] key. The large key to the right of your keyboard. On many computers, this is labeled [Return]. [Esc] key. The key on your computer labeled Esc, meaning Escape. This key allows you to abort many computer entries and operations. Expanded Memory. Computer RAM memory which can be accessed only through a "window" or "page frame" set up inside the first 1 Megabyte of RAM. The usual limit of expanded memory is 32MB. Segments of this memory are quickly "paged in and out" of the memory window to create an illusion to the central processing chip of a large amount of memory. Something like flipping the pages of a cartoon book to animate a story. Many applications such as spreadsheets and databases can use this memory to handle large tasks. Extended Memory. RAM memory which extends from the normal 1MB DOS limit to the top address limit of the CPU. Using special software it is possible to convert extended memory to expanded memory. Extended memory is useful for simple software tasks like RAM disks, print buffers and other applications, but is not as useful as expanded memory for applications such as spreadsheets and many databases. Extension. The last part of a filename, preceded by a dot which frequently shows the file type. External commands. DOS commands such as FORMAT (and others) which are retained only on disk and are temporarily loaded into ram for use then disappear from ram after a task is complete. FAX board. An internal expansion board which can be plugged into the PC to allow sending and receiving of FAX documents. These documents can be stored on disk and later printed on a printer or discarded. FAX boards also allow sending and receiving of FAX documents to several clients in a row and even calling at times of reduced telephone rates such as the early morning hours - all completely unattended. Field. An area of the screen (frequently a database program) where data or text is entered. A field is essentially a category of information. File. A collection of data on a disk or in memory which has been grouped together. This can be the text of a document, numbers and formulas in a spreadsheet, or codes to run a program or application. Floppy or floppy drive. A permanent magnetic storage medium for retaining data when the computer is off. Similar to a tape cassette. It stores data, can be erased and re-used and modified. Function keys. The keys labeled F1 - F10 on your keyboard. Some computers have 12 function keys. Heads. A reference to the read/write heads of a floppy or hard drive. They are small electromagnetic coils attached to an arm which moves freely over the surface of the spinning platter or disk. Electric pulses to these coils creative small fields of magnetism on the spinning surface below the heads. High level formatting. Is a process performed to a hard disk after low level formatting (see below). This high level format creates the directory structure of the disk (or file allocation table area) which DOS will later use. Ink Jet. This is a reference to a type of printer which forms characters and images by spraying tiny jets of ink on either plain paper or specially coated paper stock. Integrated Software. A type of software package which frequently combines several standard software applications into one entity. Frequently an integrated package will contain a spreadsheet, database, word processor and perhaps and modem or telephone dialing program. Interleave factor. The spacing of non-consecutive sectors around the track of a hard disk. Usually this is given as a ratio. Optimal interleave spaces these non-consecutive sectors for optimum speedy data retrieval from the hard disk. LAN. Local area network. Circuits to allow several or many computers to talk to each other and share data. Of interest to business and office computer users, but of only passing interest to home and home/office users having only one machine. Low level format. A preliminary process which is usually done to a hard drive to prepare it for accepting data. Low level formatting establishes tracks and sectors on the disk so the drive can accept data and locate it for later retrieval. Normally this will destroy all previous data! Macro. A sequence of keystrokes or commands that can be recorded and played back to execute a program or task of data entry thus saving you keystrokes. Mass storage. All disk-oriented forms of data storage such as hard and floppy disks, optical disks and even backup tape drives. Memory Addressability. The number of separate individual memory locations in RAM which the CPU is capable of communicating with. Memory Cache. An area in RAM memory - usually about 8K to 128K in size of extremely fast RAM which the CPU can use to store frequently accessed data rather than going to a hard drive or floppy disk. This speed up operations. On Line Service/BBS/Bulletin Board. Computers connected to telephone lines which users can access by modem. Messages to other users can be left and retrieved. Software can be sent (uploaded) or retrieved (downloaded), databases can be searched for information. Operating system. Another name for DOS. The essential "core" software which itself runs other programs and talks to the keyboard and printer. Paging. The ability of software and hardware to store a program segment of code instructions on the hard disk and then retrieve it a later time. This allows conservation of limited RAM memory. Parameter. Information sent to a program. Example: /p is the parameter of the DOS command dir/p. Parking the heads. Refers to the process of running a software program to cause the read/write heads of a hard disk mechanism to move to a track area of the disk which is of low use or is a designated safe zone. Somewhat like lifting the needle from a phonograph record and placing it on the "needle rest." This prevents the possibility that the heads will drop or otherwise gouge into the soft magnetic surface of the platters below. The heads are usually parked while the disk is spinning and once parked the machine is turned off. A few expensive hard drives automatically park the heads, but this is not common for most hard drive units. Partition. A subdivision which is created by the FDISK utility of DOS. A partition can be used to subdivide a hard disk into more than one logical drive (e.g., C: and D:) or run various operating systems from the same disk such as DOS and Unix. It is usually established after a preliminary high-level format process. Path. A list of subdirectories where DOS searches for information. You can set this with the DOS PATH command. The path command is usually set within the AUTOEXEC.BAT file mentioned above. Password. A word or phrase which must input at the keyboard before a program or operation can begin. Platter. The physical disk medium of a hard drive or floppy system onto which data is recorded and read back. Usually a platter refers to a hard drive disk which is aluminum and coated with a metallic iron oxide. Pointing device. Mice, trackballs, light pens and so on allow input to the computer in addition to the more conventional keyboard. Presentation Graphics Software. Programs which produce charts, text or images for businesses presentations. The illustration or chart is designed on the computer screen and then finally output to a lecture slide, overhead transparency, printed sheet or even computer screen image which will later be viewed. Protected Mode. A unique feature of the 80286 (and later) Intel CPU chip to access RAM memory beyond the 1MB limit as well as manage and protect multiple software programs in memory. RAM. Temporary memory in your computer (random access memory). When you turn the computer off, all RAM contents are lost until replaced from data stored on a disk. Real Mode. A unique feature of the 80286 (and later) Intel CPU chip which allows simulation of the 1MB memory limit and instructions of the older 8086 CPU which allows operation of older software programs. This is an example of "downward" or "backwards" compatibility. Record. A set of information elements in a database. For example the data Mr. Smith including his address, income, telephone number and occupation would together constitute a single record. Relational Database. A database software package which can interrelate multiple databases (e.g., parking ticket database AND policemen on the force AND parking meters which are out of order - each of these databases is a separate file, but a relational database can interrelate them and produce very complex reports and find unique relationships.) Relational databases often contain complex command languages, application generators, query systems, specialized report writers, SQL support and more. Resident commands. DOS commands such as COPY, TYPE, DIR, DEL which are retained in RAM instead of disk. Also called internal commands. Resident program. Program(s) which are loaded into your computer temporarily and remain available until the computer is turned off. Resident programs are also known as TSR programs (terminate and stay resident.) Scanner. A device which can convert a printed image such as a photo or illustration to a digital image within the computer memory. Some scanners use OCR (optical character recognition) to scan text documents containing printed words and convert them to text characters in the computer as if a person had typed the document. These scanned documents or illustrations can then be edited, transmitted or stored as desired. Sector. The smallest unit of storage on a hard or floppy disk consisting of 512 bytes - typically there are either 17 or 26 sectors per track on a hard drive. Track. Concentric rings or circles of data sectors on a disk platter which contain data and mark position points for the read/write heads. Virtual 8086 mode. A unique operating feature of the Intel 80386 CPU chip that can provide several DOS software programs with a 1MB section of RAM memory which acts like a "separate small 8086 computer" which is running in real mode.