Ae
`eee K0)016m
`
`EN DRIES
`
`Microsoft
`
`mune: Fy
`
`US Patent 9,892,287
`
`Computer
`Dictionary
`
`e..
`Fully updated with the latest
`technologies, terms, and acronyms:
`atcicyace esto] 0PM =).491=)ealmeeete=10|
`Definitive coverage of hardware,
`software, the Internet, and more!
`
`Page 1 of 22
`
`EX-1022
`
`EX-1022
`US Patent 9,892,287
`
`Page 1 of 22
`
`

`

`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'.03--dc21
`
`2002
`
`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-
`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@microsoft.com.
`
`Active Desktop, Active Directory, ActiveMovie, ActiveStore, ActiveSync, ActiveX, Authenticode,
`BackOffice, BizTalk, ClearType, Direct3D, DirectAnimation, DirectDraw, DirectInput, 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
`
`Page 2 of 22
`
`

`

`B
`
`Boolean operator
`
`Bootstrap Protocol
`
`Boolean operator n. An operator designed to work with
`Boolean values. The four most common Boolean opera-
`tors in programming use are AND (logical conjunction),
`OR (logical inclusion), XOR (exclusive OR), and NOT
`(logical negation). Boolean operators are often used as
`qualifiers in database searches—for example, find all
`records where DEPARTMENT = “marketing” OR
`DEPARTMENT = “sales” AND SKILL = “word process-
`ing”. Also called: logical operator. See also AND, exclu-
`sive OR, NOT, OR.
`Boolean search n. A database search that uses Boolean
`operators. See also Boolean operator.
`boost vb. To strengthen a network signal before it is
`transmitted further.
`boot1 n. The process of starting or resetting a computer.
`When first turned on (cold boot) or reset (warm boot), the
`computer executes the software that loads and starts the
`computer’s more complicated operating system and pre-
`pares it for use. Thus, the computer can be said to pull
`itself up by its own bootstraps. Also called: bootstrap. See
`also BIOS, bootstrap loader, cold boot, warm boot.
`boot2 vb. 1. To start or reset a computer by turning the
`power on, by pressing a reset button on the computer case,
`or by issuing a software command to restart. Also called:
`bootstrap, boot up. See also reboot. 2. To execute the
`bootstrap loader program. Also called: bootstrap. See also
`bootstrap loader.
`bootable adj. Containing the system files necessary for
`booting a PC and running it. See also boot2.
`bootable disk n. See boot disk.
`boot block n. A portion of a disk that contains the operat-
`ing-system loader and other basic information that enables
`a computer to start up. See also block1 (definition 5).
`boot disk n. A floppy disk that contains key system
`files from a PC-compatible operating system and that
`can boot, or start, the PC. A boot disk must be inserted
`in the primary floppy disk drive (usually drive A:) and
`is used when there is some problem with starting the PC
`from the hard disk, from which the computer generally
`boots. Also called: bootable disk. See also A:, boot2,
`boot drive, hard disk.
`
`boot drive n. In a PC-compatible computer, the disk drive
`that the BIOS uses to automatically load the operating sys-
`tem when the computer is turned on. Generally, the default
`boot drive is the primary floppy disk drive A: in PC-com-
`patible computers with MS-DOS, Windows 3x, or Win-
`dows 9x operating systems. If a floppy disk is not found in
`that drive, the BIOS will check the primary hard disk next,
`which is drive C:. The BIOS for these operating sys-
`tems can be reconfigured to search drive C: first by
`using the BIOS setup program. See also A:, BIOS, disk
`drive, hard disk.
`boot failure n. The inability of a computer to locate or
`activate the operating system and thus boot, or start, the
`computer. See also boot2.
`boot files n. The system files needed to start Microsoft
`Windows. The boot files include Ntldr and Ntdetect.com.
`See also partition boot sector.
`boot loader n. See bootstrap loader.
`BOOTP n. See Bootstrap Protocol.
`boot partition n. The partition on a hard disk that con-
`tains the operating system and support files that the sys-
`tem loads into memory when the computer is turned on or
`restarted.
`boot record n. The section of a disk that contains the
`operating system.
`boot sector n. The portion of a disk reserved for the
`bootstrap loader (the self-starting portion) of an operating
`system. The boot sector typically contains a short machine
`language program that loads the operating system.
`bootstrap1 n. See boot1.
`bootstrap2 vb. See boot2.
`bootstrap loader n. A program that is automatically run
`when a computer is switched on (booted). After first per-
`forming a few basic hardware tests, the bootstrap loader
`loads and passes control to a larger loader program, which
`typically then loads the operating system. The bootstrap
`loader typically resides in the computer’s read-only mem-
`ory (ROM).
`Bootstrap Protocol n. A protocol used primarily on
`TCP/IP networks to configure diskless workstations.
`RFCs 951 and 1542 define this protocol. DHCP is a later
`boot configuration protocol that uses this protocol. The
`
`69
`
`Page 3 of 22
`
`

`

`H
`
`HTML attribute
`
`HTTPS
`
`indicate how Web browsers should display these elements
`to the user and should respond to user actions such as acti-
`vation of a link by means of a key press or mouse click.
`HTML 2, defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force
`(IETF), included features of HTML common to all Web
`browsers as of 1994 and was the first version of HTML
`widely used on the World Wide Web. HTML+ was pro-
`posed for extending HTML 2 in 1994, but it was never
`implemented. HTML 3, which also was never standard-
`ized or fully implemented by a major browser developer,
`introduced tables. HTML 3.2 incorporated features widely
`implemented as of early 1996, including tables, applets,
`and the ability to flow text around images. HTML 4, the
`latest specification, supports style sheets and scripting lan-
`guages and includes internationalization and accessibility
`features. Future HTML development will be carried out by
`the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Most Web
`browsers, notably Netscape Navigator and Internet
`Explorer, recognize HTML tags beyond those included in
`the present standard. See also .htm, .html, SGML, tag
`(definition 3), Web browser.
`HTML attribute n. A value within an HTML tag that
`assigns additional properties to the object being defined.
`Some HTML editing software assigns some attributes
`automatically when you create an object such as a para-
`graph or table.
`HTML code fragment n. HTML code that you add to a
`Web page to create features such as a script, a counter, or a
`scrolling marquee. Often used in the context of webrings
`to add a link and standard graphics or automation to an
`individual page to indicate membership.
`HTML document n. A hypertext document that has been
`coded with HTML. See Web page.
`HTML editor n. A software program used to create and
`modify HTML documents (Web pages). Most HTML edi-
`tors include a method for inserting HTML tags without
`actually having to type out each tag. A number of HTML
`editors will also automatically reformat a document with
`HTML tags, based on formatting codes used by the word
`processing program in which the document was created.
`See also tag (definition 3), Web page.
`HTML extensions n. A feature or setting that is an exten-
`sion to the formal HTML specification. Extensions may
`not be supported by all Web browsers, but they may be
`used widely by Web authors. An example of an extension
`is marquee scrolling text.
`HTML page n. See Web page.
`
`HTML server control n. An ASP.NET server control that
`belongs to the System.Web.UI.HtmlControls namespace. An
`HTML server control maps directly to an HTML element
`and is declared on an ASP.NET page as an HTML element
`marked by a runat=server attribute. In contrast to Web server
`controls, HTML server controls do not have an <asp:Con-
`trolName> tag prefix. See also Web server control.
`HTML source n. See source (definition 2).
`HTML source file n. See source (definition 2).
`HTML tag n. See tag (definition 3).
`HTML validation service n. A service used to confirm
`that a Web page uses valid HTML according to the latest
`standard and/or that its hyperlinks are valid. An HTML
`validation service can catch small syntactical errors in
`HTML coding as well as deviations from the HTML stan-
`dards. See also HTML.
`HTTP n. Acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The
`protocol used to carry requests from a browser to a Web
`server and to transport pages from Web servers back to the
`requesting browser. Although HTTP is almost universally
`used on the Web, it is not an especially secure protocol.
`HTTPd n. Acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Dae-
`mon. A small, fast HTTP server that was available free
`from NCSA. HTTPd was the predecessor for Apache.
`Also called: HTTP Daemon. See also Apache, HTTP
`server, NCSA (definition 1).
`HTTP Daemon n. See HTTPd.
`HTTP Next Generation n. See HTTP-NG.
`HTTP-NG n. Acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol
`Next Generation. A standard under development by the
`World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) for improving per-
`formance and enabling the addition of features such as
`security. Whereas the current version of HTTP establishes
`a connection each time a request is made, HTTP-NG will
`set up one connection (which consists of separate channels
`for control information and data) for an entire session
`between a particular client and a particular server.
`HTTPS n. 1. Acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol
`Secure. A variation of HTTP that provides for encryption
`and transmission through a secure port. HTTPS was
`devised by Netscape and allows HTTP to run over a secu-
`rity mechanism known as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). See
`also HTTP, SSL. 2. Web server software for Windows NT.
`Developed by the European Microsoft Windows NT Aca-
`demic Centre (EMWAC) at the University of Edinburgh,
`
`259
`
`Page 4 of 22
`
`

`

`H
`
`HTTP server
`
`hyperlink
`
`Scotland, it offers such features as WAIS search capability.
`See also HTTP server, WAIS.
`HTTP server n. 1. Server software that uses HTTP to
`serve up HTML documents and any associated files and
`scripts when requested by a client, such as a Web browser.
`The connection between client and server is usually bro-
`ken after the requested document or file has been served.
`HTTP servers are used on Web and Intranet sites. Also
`called: Web server. See also HTML, HTTP, server (defi-
`nition 2). Compare application server. 2. Any machine on
`which an HTTP server program is running.
`HTTP status codes n. Three-digit codes sent by an
`HTTP server that indicate the results of a request for data.
`Codes beginning with 1 respond to requests that the client
`may not have finished sending; with 2, successful
`requests; with 3, further action that the client must take;
`with 4, requests that failed because of client error; and
`with 5, requests that failed because of server error. See
`also 400, 401, 402, 403, 404, HTTP.
`HTTP streaming n. The process of downloading stream-
`ing digital media using an HTTP server (a standard Inter-
`net server) rather than a server designed specifically to
`transmit streaming media. HTTP streaming downloads the
`media file onto a computer, which plays the downloaded
`file as it becomes available. See also real-time streaming.
`hub n. In a network, a device joining communication lines
`at a central location, providing a common connection to
`all devices on the network. The term is an analogy to the
`hub of a wheel. See also active hub, switching hub.
`hue n. In the HSB color model, one of the three character-
`istics used to describe a color. Hue is the attribute that
`most readily distinguishes one color from other colors. It
`depends on the frequency of a light wave in the visible
`spectrum. See also color model, HSB. Compare bright-
`ness, saturation (definition 2).
`Huffman coding n. A method of compressing a given set
`of data based on the relative frequency of the individual
`elements. The more often a given element, such as a letter,
`occurs, the shorter, in bits, is its corresponding code. It
`was one of the earliest data compression codes and, with
`modifications, remains one of the most widely used codes
`for a large variety of message types.
`human engineering n. The designing of machines and
`associated products to suit the needs of humans. See also
`ergonomics.
`
`human-machine interface n. The boundary at which
`people make contact with and use machines; when applied
`to programs and operating systems, it is more widely
`known as the user interface.
`hung adj. See hang.
`hybrid circuit n. A circuit in which fundamentally differ-
`ent types of components are used to perform similar func-
`tions, such as a stereo amplifier that uses both tubes and
`transistors.
`hybrid computer n. A computer that contains both digital
`and analog circuits.
`hybrid microcircuit n. A microelectronic circuit that
`combines individual microminiaturized components and
`integrated components.
`hybrid network n. A network constructed of different
`topologies, such as ring and star. See also bus network,
`ring network, star network, Token-Ring network, topology.
`Hybris virus n. A slow-spreading but persistent self-
`updating Internet worm first detected in late 2000. The
`Hybris virus is activated whenever an infected computer is
`connected to the Internet. It attaches itself to all outgoing
`e-mail messages, maintains a list of all e-mail addresses in
`the headers of incoming e-mail messages, and sends cop-
`ies of itself to all e-mail addresses on the list. Hybris is
`difficult to eradicate because it updates itself regularly,
`accessing and downloading updates and plug-ins from
`anonymous postings to the alt.comp.virus newsgroup.
`Hybris incorporates downloaded extensions into its code,
`and it e-mails its modified form to additional potential
`victims. Hybris often includes a spiral plug-in which pro-
`duces a spinning disk on top of any active windows on a
`user’s screen.
`HyperCard n. An information-management software tool,
`designed for the Apple Macintosh, that implements many
`hypertext concepts. A HyperCard document consists of a
`series of cards, collected into a stack. Each card can con-
`tain text, graphical images, sound, buttons that enable
`travel from card to card, and other controls. Programs and
`routines can be coded as scripts in an object-oriented lan-
`guage called HyperTalk or developed as external code
`resources (XCMDs and XFCNs). See also hypertext,
`object-oriented programming, XCMD, XFCN.
`hyperlink n. A connection between an element in a hyper-
`text document, such as a word, a phrase, a symbol, or an
`image, and a different element in the document, another
`
`260
`
`Page 5 of 22
`
`

`

`H
`
`hypermedia
`
`Hz
`
`document, a file, or a script. The user activates the link by
`clicking on the linked element, which is usually under-
`lined or in a color different from the rest of the document
`to indicate that the element is linked. Hyperlinks are indi-
`cated in a hypertext document through tags in markup lan-
`guages such as SGML and HTML. These tags are
`generally not visible to the user. Also called: hot link,
`hypertext link, link. See also anchor (definition 2), HTML,
`hypermedia, hypertext, URL.
`hypermedia n. The combination of text, video, graphic
`images, sound, hyperlinks, and other elements in the form
`typical of Web documents. Essentially, hypermedia is the
`modern extension of hypertext, the hyperlinked, text-
`based documents of the original Internet. Hypermedia
`attempts to offer a working and learning environment that
`parallels human thinking—that is, one in which the user
`can make associations between topics, rather than move
`sequentially from one to the next, as in an alphabetic list.
`For example, a hypermedia presentation on navigation
`might include links to astronomy, bird migration, geogra-
`phy, satellites, and radar. See also hypertext.
`hyperspace n. The set of all documents that can be
`accessed by following hyperlinks in the World Wide Web.
`Compare cyberspace (definition 2), Gopherspace.
`HyperTalk n. A programming language used to manipu-
`late HyperCard stacks developed by Apple Computer, Inc.
`See also HyperCard.
`hypertext n. Text linked together in a complex, nonse-
`quential web of associations in which the user can browse
`through related topics. For example, in an article with the
`word iron, traveling among the links to iron might lead the
`user to the periodic table of the elements or a map of the
`migration of metallurgy in Iron Age Europe. The term
`hypertext was coined in 1965 to describe documents pre-
`sented by a computer that express the nonlinear structure
`of ideas as opposed to the linear format of books, film, and
`speech. The term hypermedia, more recently introduced,
`is nearly synonymous but emphasizes the nontextual ele-
`ment, such as animation, recorded sound, and video. See
`also HyperCard, hypermedia.
`Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol n. See
`HTCPCP.
`hypertext link n. See hyperlink.
`Hypertext Markup Language n. See HTML.
`Hypertext Transfer Protocol n. See HTTP.
`Hypertext Transfer Protocol Daemon n. See HTTPd.
`
`Hypertext Transfer Protocol Next Generation n. See
`HTTP-NG.
`HyperWave n. A World Wide Web server that specializes
`in database manipulation and multimedia.
`hyphen n. A punctuation mark (-) used to break a word
`between syllables at the end of a line or to separate the
`parts of a compound word. Word processing programs
`with sophisticated hyphenation capabilities recognize
`three types of hyphens: normal, optional, and nonbreak-
`ing. Normal hyphens, also called required or hard
`hyphens, are part of a word’s spelling and are always
`visible, as in long-term. Optional hyphens, also called
`discretionary or soft hyphens, appear only when a word
`is broken between syllables at the end of a line; they are
`usually supplied by the word processing program itself.
`Nonbreaking hyphens are always visible, like normal
`hyphens, but they do not allow a line break. See also
`hyphenation program.
`hyphenation program n. A program (often included as
`part of a word processing application) that introduces
`optional hyphens at line breaks. A good hyphenation pro-
`gram will avoid ending more than three lines in a row with
`hyphens and will prompt the user for confirmation or tag
`ambiguous breaks, as in the word desert (did the army
`de-sert in the des-ert?). See also hyphen.
`hysteresis n. The tendency of a system, a device, or a cir-
`cuit to behave differently depending on the direction of
`change of an input parameter. For example, a household
`thermostat might turn on at 68 degrees when the house is
`cooling down, but turn off at 72 degrees when the house is
`warming up. Hysteresis is important in many devices,
`especially those employing magnetic fields, such as trans-
`formers and read/write heads.
`HYTELNET n. A menu-driven index of Internet resources
`that are accessible via telnet, including library catalogs,
`databases and bibliographies, bulletin boards, and network
`information services. HYTELNET can operate through a
`client program on a computer connected to the Internet, or
`through the World Wide Web.
`HyTime n. Acronym for Hypermedia/Time-based Struc-
`turing Language. A markup language standard that
`describes links within and between documents and hyper-
`media objects. The standard defines structures and some
`semantic features, enabling description of traversal and
`presentation information of objects.
`Hz n. See hertz.
`
`261
`
`Page 6 of 22
`
`

`

`magnetic oxide
`
`main body
`
`magnetic oxide n. See ferric oxide.
`magnetic storage n. A generic term for non-internal-
`memory computer data storage involving a magnetic
`medium, such as disk or tape.
`magnetic tape n. See tape (definition 1).
`magneto-optical recording n. A type of recording tech-
`nology used with optical discs in which a laser beam heats
`a small portion of the magnetic material covering the disc.
`The heating enables a weak magnetic field to change the
`orientation of the portion, thus recording onto the disc.
`This technique can also be used to erase the disc, making
`the disc rewritable.
`magneto-optic disc n. An erasable or semi-erasable
`storage disc, similar to a CD-ROM disc and of very high
`capacity, in which a laser beam is used to heat the record-
`ing surface to a point at which tiny regions on the surface
`can be magnetically aligned to store bits of data. See also
`CD-ROM, magneto-optical recording.
`magnitude n. The size of a number, regardless of its sign
`(+ or –). For example, 16 and –16 have the same magni-
`tude. See also absolute value.
`mailbomb1 n. An excessively large amount of e-mail data
`(a very large number of messages or one very large mes-
`sage) sent to a user’s e-mail address in an attempt to make
`the user’s mailer program crash or to prevent the user from
`receiving further legitimate messages. See also e-mail1
`(definition 1). Compare letterbomb.
`mailbomb2 vb. To send a mailbomb to a user. One person
`might mailbomb a user with a single enormous message; a
`large number of users might mailbomb an unpopular per-
`son by simultaneously sending messages of normal size.
`mailbot n. A program that automatically responds to e-mail
`messages or performs actions based on commands within
`the messages. A mailing list manager is one example. See
`also mailing list manager.
`mailbox n. A disk storage area assigned to a network
`user for receipt of e-mail messages. See also e-mail1
`(definition 1).
`mail digest n. See digest (definition 2).
`mailer-daemon n. A program used to transport e-mail
`between hosts on a network. See also daemon.
`mail filter n. See e-mail filter.
`
`mail header n. A block of text at the top of an e-mail
`message containing such information as the addresses of
`the sender and recipients, the date and time sent, the
`address to which a reply is to be sent, and the subject. The
`mail header is used by an e-mail client or program. See
`also e-mail1 (definition 1).
`mailing list n. A list of names and e-mail addresses that
`are grouped under a single name. When a user places the
`name of the mailing list in a mail client’s To: field, the cli-
`ent sends the message to the machine where the mailing
`list resides, and that machine automatically sends the mes-
`sage to all the addresses on the list (possibly allowing a
`moderator to edit it first). See also LISTSERV, mailing list
`manager, Majordomo, moderator.
`mailing list manager n. Software that maintains an
`Internet or intranet mailing list. The mailing list manager
`accepts messages posted by subscribers; sends copies of
`the messages (which may be edited by a moderator) to all
`the subscribers; and accepts and processes user requests,
`such as to subscribe or to unsubscribe to the mailing list.
`The most commonly used mailing list managers are LIST-
`SERV and Majordomo. See also LISTSERV, mailing list,
`Majordomo, moderator.
`mail merge n. A mass-mail facility that takes names,
`addresses, and sometimes pertinent facts about recipients
`and merges the information into a form letter or another
`such basic document.
`mail reflector n. A newsgroup that consists simply of the
`messages posted to a mailing list translated into news-
`group format.
`mailto n. A protocol designator used in the HREF of a
`hyperlink that enables a user to send e-mail to someone.
`For instance, Anne E. Oldhacker has the e-mail address
`aeo@baz.foo.com and an HTML document contains the
`code <A HREF=“mailto:aeo@baz.foo.com”>E-mail
`Anne!</A>. If a user clicks on the hyperlink “E-mail
`Anne!”, the user’s e-mail application is launched and
`the user can send e-mail to her without knowing her
`actual e-mail address. See also e-mail1 (definition 1),
`HTML, hyperlink.
`mainboard n. See motherboard.
`main body n. The set of statements in a computer pro-
`gram at which execution of the program begins and that
`invokes the subroutines of the program.
`
`M
`
`325
`
`Page 7 of 22
`
`

`

`Merced
`
`message switching
`
`situation is “grayed” (dimmed in comparison to the valid
`menu choices).
`Merced n. Former code name for the next-generation 64-
`bit microprocessor designed by Intel and Hewlett-Packard
`and released in 2000. Based on the IA-64 architecture, the
`64-bit microprocessor contains upwards of 10 million
`transistors and is used primarily in servers and high-per-
`formance workstations. See also IA-64.
`Mercury n. A logic/functional programming language
`that combines the clarity and expressiveness of declarative
`programming with advanced static analysis and error-
`detection features.
`merge vb. To combine two or more items, such as lists, in
`an ordered way and without changing the basic structure
`of either. Compare concatenate.
`merged transistor logic n. See integrated injection
`logic.
`merge sort n. A sorting technique that combines several
`sorted (input) lists into a single sorted (output) list. See
`also bubble sort, insertion sort, quicksort, sort algorithm.
`mesa n. An area of a germanium or silicon wafer that was
`protected during the etching process and is therefore
`higher than the surrounding etched areas. See also photoli-
`thography.
`mesh network n. A communications network having two
`or more paths to any node.
`message n. 1. In communications, a unit of information
`transmitted electronically from one device to another. A
`message can contain one or more blocks of text as well as
`beginning and ending characters, control characters, a
`software-generated header (destination address, type of
`message, and other such information), and error-checking
`or synchronizing information. A message can be routed
`directly from sender to receiver through a physical link, or
`it can be passed, either whole or in parts, through a switch-
`ing system that routes it from one intermediate station to
`another. See also asynchronous transmission, block (defi-
`nition 4), control character (definition 1), frame (definition
`1), frame (definition 2), header (definition 2), message
`switching, network, packet (definition 1), packet switch-
`ing, synchronous transmission. 2. In software, a piece of
`information passed from the application or operating sys-
`tem to the user to suggest an action, indicate a condition,
`or inform that an event has occurred. 3. In message-based
`
`operating environments, such as Windows, a unit of infor-
`mation passed among running programs, certain devices
`in the system, and the operating environment itself.
`message header n. A sequence of bits or bytes at the
`beginning of a message that usually provides a timing
`sequence and specifies such aspects of the message struc-
`ture as its length, data format, and block identification
`number. See also header (definition 2).
`message of the day n. A daily bulletin for users of a net-
`work, multiuser computer, or other shared system. In most
`cases, users are shown the message of the day when they
`log into the system. Acronym: MOTD.
`Message Passing Interface n. See MPI.
`message queue n. An ordered list of messages awaiting
`transmission, from which they are taken up on a first in,
`first out (FIFO) basis.
`Message Queuing n. A message queuing and routing
`system for Microsoft Windows that enables distributed
`applications running at different times to communicate
`across heterogeneous networks and with computers that
`may be off line. Message Queuing provides guaranteed
`message delivery, efficient routing, security, and priority-
`based messaging. Message Queuing was formerly known
`as MSMQ.
`message reflection n. In object-oriented programming
`environments, such as Visual C++, OLE, and ActiveX, a
`function that allows a control to handle its own message.
`See also ActiveX controls, control (definition 2), OCX,
`VBX.
`Message Security Protocol n. A protocol for Internet
`messages that is based on the use of encryption and verifi-
`cation to ensure security. It also allows for permissions at
`the server level for delivery or rejection of e-mail. Acro-
`nym: MSP.
`message switching n. A technique used on some com-
`munications networks in which a message, with appropri-
`ate address information, is routed through one or more
`intermediate switching stations before being sent to its
`destination. On a typical message-switching network, a
`central computer receives messages, stores them (usually
`briefly), determines their destination addresses, and then
`delivers them. Message switching enables a network both
`to regulate traffic and to use communications lines effi-
`ciently. Compare circuit switching, packet switching.
`
`M
`
`335
`
`Page 8 of 22
`
`

`

`portrait mode
`
`PostScript
`
`when it starts; data for that session goes to that port num-
`ber, and the port number goes out of use when the session
`ends. A total of 65,535 port numbers are available for use
`with TCP, and the same number are available for UDP. See
`also IP, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, socket (definition
`1), TCP, UDP. Compare IP address.
`portrait mode n. A vertical print orientation in which a
`document is printed across the narrower dimension of a
`rectangular sheet of paper. This is the print mode typical
`of most letters, reports, and other such documents. Com-
`pare landscape mode.
`portrait monitor n. A monitor with a screen shape higher
`than it is wide. The proportions (but not necessarily the
`size) of the screen are usually the same as for a sheet of 81/2-
`by-11-inch paper. Compare landscape monitor.
`port replicator n. A device that enables easy connection
`of portable computers to less portable devices, such as
`printers, monitors, and full-sized keyboards. Instead of hav-
`ing to connect each such device individually to a portable
`computer, a user can plug it permanently into a port replica-
`tor and use it simply by plugging the computer into a single
`socket, also on the port replicator. Port replicators are com-
`parable to docking stations, but without the same capability
`for expansion and storage. Also called: convenience
`adapter. See also docking station, port.
`POS n. Acronym for point of sale. The place in a store at
`which goods are paid for. Computerized transaction sys-
`tems, such as those in use at automated supermarkets, use
`scanners for reading tags and bar codes, electronic cash
`registers, and other special devices to record purchases at
`this point.
`POSIT n. Acronym for Profiles for Open Systems Inter-
`networking Technology. A set of nonmandatory standards
`for U.S. government network equipment. POSIT, which
`recognizes the prevalence of TCP/IP, is the successor to
`GOSIP. See also GOSIP, TCP/IP.
`positional notation n. In mathematics, a form of nota-
`tion whose meaning relies in part on the relative location
`of the elements involved. For example, common numeric
`notation is positional notation. In the decimal number 34,
`the position of the numeral 3 signifies three 10s and the
`position of the numeral 4 signifies four 1s.
`
`POSIX n. Acronym for Portable Operating Syste