IBG 1024
`CBM of U.S. Patent No. 7,693,768
`(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3)
`
`0001
`
`

`
`PUBLISHED BY
`Microsoft Press
`
`A Division of Microsoft Corporation
`One Microsoft Way
`Redmond, Washington 98052-6399
`
`Copyright © 2002 by Microsoft Corporation
`
`All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
`or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.
`
`Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
`Microsoft Computer Dictionary.--5th ed.
`p. cm.
`ISBN 0-7356-1495-4
`
`1. Computers--Dictionaries.
`
`2. Microcomputers--Dictionaries.
`
`AQ76.5. M52267
`004'.O3--dC2l
`
`2002
`
`200219714
`
`Printed and bound in the United States of America.
`
`23456789 QWT 765432
`
`Distributed in Canada by H.B. Fenn and Company Ltd.
`
`A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
`
`Microsoft Press books are available through booksellers and distributors worldwide. For further informa-
`tion about international editions, contact your local Microsoft Corporation office or contact Microsoft
`Press International directly at fax (425) 936-7329. Visit our Web site at www.microsoft.com1'mspress.
`Send comments to mspinpuI@microsofr.com.
`
`Active Desktop, Active Directory, ActiveMovie, ActiveStore, ActiveSync, ActiveX, Authenticode,
`BackOffice, BizTalk, ClearType, Direct3D, DirectAnimation, DirectDraw, Directlnput, DirectMusic,
`DirectPlay, DirectShow, DirectSound, DirectX, Entourage, FoxPro, FrontPage, Hotrnail, lntelliEye,
`IntelliMouse, lntelliSense, JScript, MapPoint, Microsoft, Microsoft Press, Mobile Explorer, MS-DOS,
`MSN, Music Central, NetMeeting, Outlook, PhotoDraw, PowerPoint, SharePoint, UltimateTV, Visio,
`Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual FoxPro, Visual InterDev, Visual J++, Visual SourceSafe, Visual Studio,
`Win32, Win32s, Windows, Windows Media, Windows NT, Xbox are either registered trademarks or
`trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States andfor other countries. Other product and
`company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
`
`The example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places,
`and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product,
`domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred.
`
`Acquisitions Editor: Alex Blanton
`Project Editor: Sandra Haynes
`
`Body Part No. X08-41929
`
`0002
`
`

`
`Contributors
`
`Peter Aiken
`
`Bart Arenson
`
`Janice Borzendowski
`
`Jerome Colburn
`
`Duane Hanson
`
`Andrew Himes
`
`Robert Howecton
`
`Annette B. Jackson
`
`Larry S. Jackson
`
`Thomas A. Jackson
`
`Chris Kinata
`
`llana Kingsley
`
`Robin Lombard
`
`Thomas A. Long
`
`William G. Madison
`
`Illustrators
`
`Travis Beaven
`
`David Holter
`
`Alton Lawson
`
`Thomas P. Magliery
`
`David Mason
`
`Terrence M. McLaren
`
`Wallace Parker
`
`Charles Petzold
`
`Phil Rose
`
`John Ross
`
`David Rygmyr
`
`Aimee Truchard
`
`Michael Vose
`
`Bruce Webster
`
`Judson D. Weeks
`
`Tom Winn
`
`JoAnne Woodcock
`
`Rob Nance
`
`Joel Panchot
`
`0003
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`Introduction .
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`Changes in the Ffith Edition .
`Order ofPresentdtion .
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`Future Printings and Editions .
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`Dictionary of Computer Terms. . . . .
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`Appendix A:
`Common Character Sets .
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`ANSI Character Set .
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`Apple Macintosh Extended Character Set
`IBM Extended Character Set
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`EBCDIC Character Set .
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`Appendix B:
`Common File Extensions .
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`Appendix G:
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`Instant Messaging Emoticons and Acronyms .
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`Appendix D:
`Internet Domains .
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`Appendix E:
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`Numeric Equivalents .
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`. 631
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`0004
`
`

`
`decollate
`
`deferral time
`
`decollate vb. To separate copies in a multipart continu-
`ous paper form.
`
`one purpose only, such as to receive or send faxes or to
`serve as a modem line.
`
`decom pller n. A program that attempts to generate high-
`level source code from assembly language code or machine
`code. This can be a difficult task, as some assembly lan-
`guage code has no corresponding high-level source code.
`See also disassembler. Compare compiler (definition 2).
`
`decompress vb. See uncornpress.
`
`decrementi n. The amount by which a number is
`decreased. Compare incrementl.
`
`decrementz vb. To decrease a number by a given amount.
`Compare increment?
`
`decryptlon it. The process of restoring encrypted data to
`its original form. See also data encryption key. Compare
`encryption.
`
`deCSS 21. Decrypt CSS. A utility capable of cracking the
`CSS encryption system used on DVD discs. By decrypting
`the CSS code, DVD movies and other copyrighted mate-
`rial can be used with any DVD playback device without
`regard to license or region coding. The origin of deCSS
`can be traced to a number of individuals interested in cre-
`
`ating a DVD player for the Linux OS. The term deCSS is
`sometimes used generically for any software capable of
`defeating CSS technology. See also CSS, region code.
`
`DECstatlon rt. 1. A small computer system used prima-
`rily for word processing, introduced by Digital Equipment
`Corporation in 1978. 2. A personal computer, part of a
`series, introduced by Digital Equipment Corporation in
`1989. 3. A single-user UNIX workstation introduced by
`Digital Equipment Corporation in 1989 and based on
`RISC processors. See also RISC.
`
`dedlcated aaj. Of, pertaining to, or being a device, pro-
`gram, or procedure devoted to a single task or function.
`dedlcated channel :1. A communications link reserved
`
`for a particular use or a particular user.
`dedlcated clrcult rt. See dedicated line.
`
`dedlcated connectlon 21. See dedicated line.
`
`dedlcated llne I1. 1. A communications channel that per-
`manently connects two or more locations. Dedicated lines
`are private or leased lines, rather than public ones. T1
`lines, which are used by many organizations for Internet
`connectivity, are examples of dedicated lines. Also
`called.‘ dedicated connection, leased line, private line.
`Compare switched line. 2. A telephone line that is used for
`
`dedicated server :1. A computer—usually quite power-
`ful—that is used solely as a network server. See also
`server. Compare nondedicated server.
`
`deep copy 11. A copy of the contents of a data structure,
`including all its substructures.
`
`deep hack :2. A state of total concentration on and preoc-
`cupation with a programming effort. Also called: deep
`hack mode.
`
`de facto standard a. A design, program, or language
`that has become so widely used and imitated that it has lit-
`tle competition, but whose status has not been officially
`recognized as standard by an organization such as the
`American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or the
`lntemational Organization for Standardization (ISO). See
`also standard. Compare de jure standard.
`
`default1 22. A choice made by a program when the user
`does not specify an alternative. Defaults are built into a
`program when a value or option must be assumed for the
`program to function.
`
`defaultz vb. In reference to programs, to make a choice
`when the user does not specify an alternative.
`
`default button :1. The control that is automatically
`selected when a window is introduced by an application
`or operating system, typically activated by pressing the
`Enter key.
`
`default drlve 11. The disk drive that an operating system
`reads to and writes from when no alternative is specified.
`
`default home page 11. On a Web server, the file that is
`returned when a directory is referenced without a specific
`filename. This is specified by the Web server software and
`is typically the file called index.ht1nl or indeX.htm.
`
`default prlnter n. The printer to which a computer sends
`documents for printing unless an alternative is specified.
`
`Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency n. The
`US. government agency that provided the original support
`for the development of the interconnected networks that
`later grew into the Internet. Acronym.‘ DARPA. See also
`ARPAN ET.
`
`deferral tlme 21. The length of time that nodes on a
`CSMAICD network wait before trying to retransmit after a
`collision. See also CSMA/CD.
`
`0005