Microsoft
`
`Fifth Editiog
`
`
`Computer
`Dictionar,
`
` « Definitive coverage of hardware,
`
`PLL eecelcleMUULiC maleate ]tete|
`technologies, terms, and acronyms
`* Easy to read, expertly illustrated
`
`software, the Internet, and more!
`
`

`

`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--Dic tionaries. 2. Microcomputers--Dic tionaries.
`
`AQ76.5 . M52267 2002
`004'.03--dc21
`
`200219714
`
`Printed and bound in the United States of America.
`
`2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 QWT
`
`7 6 5 4 3 2
`
`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(cid:173)
`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.com/mspress.
`Send comments to mspinput@microsojt.com.
`
`Active Desktop, Active Directory, ActiveMovie, ActiveStore, Acti veSync, ActiveX, Authenticode,
`BackOffice, BizTalk, ClearType, Direct3D, DirectAnimation, DirectDraw, Directlnput, DirectMusic,
`DirectPlay, DirectShow, DirectSound, DirectX, Entourage, FoxPro, FrontPage, Hotmail, IntelliEye,
`IntelliMouse, IntelliSense, 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 and/or 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
`
`

`

`IE
`
`game tree
`
`gatored
`
`game tree n. A tree strncture representing contingencies
`in a game and used by game developers for design pur(cid:173)
`poses. Each node in a game tree represents a possible posi(cid:173)
`tion (for example, the con.figuratioII! of pieces on a
`chessboard) in the game, and each branching represents a
`possible move. See also computer game.
`
`gamut n. The complete range of colors a display or
`printer is capable o f producing. If a color falls outside the
`gamut of a device, it cannot be accurately displayed or
`printed from that device.
`gamut alarm n. A feature in graphics programs that
`alerts the user if a chosen color will fall outside the cur(cid:173)
`rently selected gamut. See also gamut.
`Gantt chart n. A bar chart that shows individual parts of
`a project as bars against a horizontal time scale. Gantt
`chmts are used as a project-planning tool for developing
`schedules. Most project-planning software can produce
`Gantt charts.
`
`gap n. See inter-record gap.
`
`garbage n. 1. Incorrect or corrupted data. 2. Gibberish
`displayed on screen, either due to faulty hardware or soft(cid:173)
`ware or because a program is unable to display a file's
`content. For example, an executable file is not meant to be
`displayed by a text editor and so is indecipherable on
`screen.
`garbage collectlon n. A process for automatic recovery
`of heap memory. Blocks of memory that had been allo(cid:173)
`cated but are no longer in use are freed, and blocks of
`mem01y still in use may be moved to consolidate the free
`memory into larger blocks. Some programming languages
`require the programmer to handle garbage collection. Oth(cid:173)
`ers, such as Java, perform this task for the programmer.
`See also heap (definition 1).
`
`garbage In, garbage out n. A computing axiom mean(cid:173)
`ing that if the data put into a process is incorrect, the data
`output by the process will also be incorrect. A cronym:
`GIGO.
`
`gas-discharge dlsplay n. A type of flat-panel display,
`used on some portable computers, containing neon
`between a horizontal and a vertical set of electrodes.
`When one electrode in each set is charged, the neon glows
`( as in a neon lamp) where the two electrodes intersect,
`representing a pixel. A lso called: gas-plasma display. See
`also flat-panel display, pixel.
`
`gas-plasma dlsplay n. See gas-discharge display.
`
`gate n . 1. An electronic switch that is the elementary
`component of a digital circuit. It produces an electrical
`output signal that represents a binary 1 or O and is related
`to the states of one or more input signals by an operation
`of Boolean logic, such as AND, OR, or NOT. Also
`called· logic gate. See also gate array . 2. The input te1mi(cid:173)
`nal of a field-effect transistor (FET). Also called: gate
`electrode. See also drain (definition 1), FET, MOSFET,
`source (definition 2). 3. A data structure used by 80386
`and higher microprocessors to control access to privileged
`functions, to change data seg ments, or to switch tasks.
`
`gate array n. A special type of chip that starts out as a
`nonspecific collection oflogic gates. Late in the manufac(cid:173)
`turing process, a layer is added to connect the gates for a
`specific function. By changing the pattern of connections,
`the manufacturer can make the chip suitable for many
`needs. This process is very populm· because it saves both
`design and manufacturing time. The drawback is that much
`of the chip goes unu sed.Also called: application-specific
`integrated circuit, logic array.
`
`gated a4f. 1. Transmitted through a gate to a subsequent
`electronic logic elem ent. 2. Transmitted through a gate(cid:173)
`way to a subsequent network or service. For example, a
`mailing list on BITNET may be gated to a newsgroup on
`the Internet.
`
`gate electrode n. See gate (definition 2).
`gateway n. A device that connects networks using differ(cid:173)
`ent communications protocols so that information can be
`passed from one to the other. A gateway both transfers
`information and converts it to a form compatible with the
`protocols used by the receiving network. Compare bridge.
`
`gateway page n. See dooiway page.
`
`gating circuit n. An electronic switch whose output is
`either on or off, depending on the state of two or more
`inputs. For example, a gating circuit may be used to pass
`or not pass an input sig nal, depending on the states of one
`or more control signals. A gating circuit can be con(cid:173)
`structed from one or more logic gates. See also gate (defi(cid:173)
`nition 1).
`gatored vb. To have been the victim of a hijackware pro(cid:173)
`gram that seized control of an Internet shopping or surfing
`experience and caused the victim's browser to display ads
`and Web sites chosen by the program. Users may be
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