t r's
`rl
`
`I
`
`Prentice Hall
`New York· London .. Toronto .. Sydney• Tokyo• Singapore
`
`1
`
`SAMSUNG 1010
`
`

`
`Third Edition
`
`Copyright© 1988 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.
`All rights reserved
`including the right of reproduction
`in whole or in part in any form
`
`Prentice Hall General Reference
`15 Columbus Circle
`New York. NY 10023
`
`A Webster's New World Book
`
`Webster's New World, Prentice Hall
`and colophons are registered trademarks
`of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
`
`Manufactured in the United States of America
`
`8 9 10 11 12
`
`Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
`
`Webster's New World dictlonru:y of computer termso
`
`Rev. ed. of: Webster's New World dictlonm:y of
`computer terms / compiled by Laura Darcy and Louise
`Boston. c 1983
`1. Computers-Dictionaries. 2. Electronic data pro(cid:173)
`I. Darcy. Laura. Webster's New
`cessing-Dictionaries.
`World dictionary of computer terms.
`QA76.15.W36
`1988
`004'.03
`ISBN 0-13-949231-2 (pbk.)
`
`8888-14279
`
`IN
`Today the us
`computers, is o:
`important deve
`chines are bein
`to do everythin
`problems to co
`with any revolu1
`clature. In a fm
`technology, ma
`velop with the
`these terms an
`stantly updated
`Webster's Nt
`Terms, Third Ee
`4,500 computer
`-''of interest to c<
`been selected a:
`beginning com~
`terms a laypers<
`sible, technical ·
`the definitions
`stood. Where a
`depends upon
`term, the reader
`ence.
`All terms are 1
`ing, so that spa~
`in looking up a
`that begins with
`tion it would CJ
`spelled out; for
`position for "RS
`
`2
`
`

`
`40
`
`41
`
`card reader
`
`frequent human intervention.
`
`1de on some interactive com(cid:173)
`: terminal (or keyboard/display
`rstems) to be used as a desk
`3Xpression; the computer then
`1nswer immediately.
`
`·mining by measurement or by
`:he correct value of each scale
`1rrect value of each setting of
`
`specific closed subroutine. (2)
`on performed by the calling
`ssary in making a call, or the
`1ection between two stations.
`
`: forming an image from scan(cid:173)
`ections and drawn in an arbi(cid:173)
`>nics are required, but spatial
`: this style of graphics are the
`rere considered synonymous
`a early days.
`
`t of instructions and data nec(cid:173)
`tine.
`
`:hat, after diverting execution
`~tions (subroutine), permits a
`ial sequence.
`
`:R-AIDED MANUFACTURING
`1KE-UP.
`
`g Society (CIPS) An organi(cid:173)
`er Canadians with a common
`1ation processing. CIPS has a
`and persons, including scien(cid:173)
`ers who make their careers in
`rocessing.
`
`iat deletes the line currently
`
`canned software Programs prepared by computer manufac(cid:173)
`turers or another supplier and provided to a user in ready(cid:173)
`to-use form. This packaged software is general enough to
`be used by many businesses and individuals. Contrast with
`CUSTOM SOFlWARE.
`
`Canon engine r"" The internal mechanism of a Canon office
`photocopier, used in most laser printers.
`
`capacitance A measure of the ability to store electric charge;
`the basic unit of measurement being a farad.
`
`capacitor An electronic component that stores a charge of
`static electricity and when properly stimulated, releases this
`charge. This is the way bits are written to, and read from,
`computer storage.
`
`capacitor stornge A storage device that utilizes the capaci(cid:173)
`tance properties of materials to store data.
`
`capacity The number of items of data that a storage device
`is capable of containing. Frequently defined in terms of
`computer words, bytes, or characters.
`
`caps Capitals, or uppercase letters. ALL CAPS WOULD LOOK
`LIKE THIS.
`
`capstan The rotating shaft within a magnetic tape drive that
`pulls the tape across the recording heads at a constant
`speed.
`
`capture (of data) The recording of data on a form or its entry
`into a computer.
`
`carbon ribbon Ribbon used with printers to produce ex(cid:173)
`tremely sharp characters with excellent definition.
`
`(1) Another term for printed circuit board. (2) A storage
`card
`medium in which data is represented by means of holes
`punched in vertical columns in an 18.7 cm by 8.3 cm (7 3/8
`inches by 3 1/4 inches) paper card.
`
`card cage Chassis inside the computer housing on which
`printed circuit boards are mounted.
`
`card reader A machine that translates symbols coded on
`punched cards into electrical signals to send to a computer.
`
`3