Basic Programming Glossary

Term	Class Definition	Alternative Definition
Application Software	A program which allows us to apply ourselves to a particular task, such as editing an image, accessing Internet resources, or playing a game.	Application software is a subclass of computer software that employs the capabilities of a computer directly and thoroughly to a task that the user wishes to perform (ScienceDaily LLC,2010).
ASCII	American Standard Code for Information Interchange; an international standard for encoding characters into 7-bit codes. ASCII is the basis of the more modern Unicode standard.	ASCII stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. Computers can only understand numbers, so an ASCII code is the numerical representation of a character such as 'a' or '@' or an action of some sort(asciitable.com,2010).
Binary code	A scheme for encoding data which uses only the digits 0 and 1. Binary code can be used to encode text, images, sounds, and programs, amongst other data.	A binary code is a way of representing text or computer processor instructions by the use of the binary number system's two-binary digits 0 and 1 (Wikimedia Foundation Inc.,2011).
Bit	Contraction of the term “binary dit”; hence, either 0 or 1.	A bit (a contraction of binary digit) is the basic unit of information in computing and telecommunications; it is the amount of information stored by a digital device or other physical system that exists in one of two possible distinct states (Wikimedia Foundation Inc.,2011).
Booting	The process by which a computer loads its operating system into primary storage, from secondary storage, using the instructions found in ROM.	In computing, booting (also known as booting up) is a process that begins when a user turns on a computer system and prepares the computer to perform its normal operations (Wikimedia Foundation Inc.,2011).
Bus	An electrical connection through which data are transmitted.	In computer architecture, a bus is a subsystem that transfers data between components inside a computer, or between computers (Wikimedia Foundation Inc.,2011).
Byte	Contraction of the term “binary term”; the smallest unit of information which can be accessed directly by a computer. Most modern microcomputers use 8-bit, 16-bit, or 32-bit bytes.	In most computer systems, a byte is a unit of data that is eight binary digits long (Techtarget,2000).
Character	A single letter or digit, or a special symbol like punctuation marks, the dollar sign, and a blank space.	In computer and machine-based telecommunications terminology, a character is a unit of information that roughly corresponds to a grapheme, grapheme-like unit, or symbol, such as in an alphabet or syllabary in the written form of a natural language (Wikimedia Foundation Inc.,2011).
Computer	A programmable electronic device for the processing of information.	A programmable machine. The two principal characteristics of a computer are: It responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner. It can execute a prerecorded list of instructions (a program) (QuinStreet Inc.,2011).
CPU	Central Processing Unit; a miniaturized electronic component which controls the execution of a computer and which performs basic arithmetic and logical operations. Colloquially called the computer's “brain.”	The CPU is the brains of the computer (QuinStreet Inc.,2011).
Directory	A logical collection of files, stored under a single name.	A listing of the files contained in a storage device, such as a magnetic disk (Houghton Mifflin Company,2011).
File	A logical collection of information, stored under a single name.	A collection of related data or program records stored as a unit with a single name (Houghton Mifflin Company,2009).
Firewire	Apple's name for the IEEE 1394 High Speed Serial Bus; also called i.LINK by Sony and Lynx by Texas Instruments.	FireWire is Apple Computer's version of a standard, IEEE 1394, High Performance Serial Bus, for connecting devices to your personal computer (Sabetti,2000).
Gigabyte	2³⁰ bytes; approximately 1 billion bytes.	A gigabyte (GB) is a measure of computer data storage capacity and is "roughly" a billion bytes ( TechTarget,2000).
Hardware	The physical parts of the computer; any part of the computer which can be seen and touched.	Refers to objects that you can actually touch, like disks, disk drives, display screens, keyboards, printers, boards, and chips. In contrast, software is untouchable (QuinStreet Inc,2011).
Information	Words, pictures, and sounds which have meaning to us.	Data that has been verified to be accurate and timely,is specific and organized for a purpose,is presented within a context that gives it meaning and relevance, and that can lead to an increase in understanding and decrease in uncertainty (WebFinance Inc,2011).
Input Devices	Devices used to put information into a computer. Common examples of input devices are keyboards, mouses, disc drives, and modems.	Any machine that feeds data into a computer. For example, a keyboard is an input device(QuinStreet Inc,2011).
Kilobyte	2¹⁰ bytes; approximately 1 thousand bytes.	A kilobyte is 2 to the 10th power, or 1,024 bytes(Techterms,2011).
Megabyte	2 ²⁰ bytes; approximately 1 million bytes.	A megabyte is 2 to the 20th power, or 1,048,576 bytes(Techterms,2011).
Monitor	A visual-display device, on which a computer displays information about its internal state, allowing people to monitor the activities of the computer.	In computers, a monitor is a computer display and related parts packaged in a physical unit that is separate from other parts of the computer(TechTarget,1998).
Operating System	A set of programs which tells a computer how to perform its most basic tasks, such as “reading” information from input devices, “writing” information to output devices, launching application software, and executing the instructions of launched software.	Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers(QuinStreet Inc,2011).
Output Devices	Devices used by a computer to put out information. Common examples of output devices are monitors, printers, disc drives, and modems.	Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers(WebFinance Inc,2011).
Peripheral	Any hardware element which is peripheral to a computer's system unit. Common examples are input devices and output devices. Even output devices which are often found within the system unit, like disc drives and modems, are considered peripherals, because they are peripheral to the core elements of the computer: the CPU, RAM, and ROM	Electronic equipment connected by cable to the CPU of a computer; "disk drives and printers are important peripherals"(Farlex Inc,2011).
Primary Storage	A miniaturized electronic component which provides temporary storage of information. Primary storage is volatile and relatively expensive, but it's used because it is fast, and (with few exceptions) the only storage which the CPU can access directly. The single example of primary storage is RAM.	The computer's internal memory, which is typically made up of dynamic RAM chips. Until non-volatile RAM, such as magnetic RAM (MRAM), becomes commonplace, the computer's primary storage is temporary. When the power is turned off, the data in primary storage are lost(The Computer Language Company Inc,2011).
Programmable	Capable of performing varied and different tasks, limited only by the sophistication of the programs provided.	An electronic device, as a calculator or telephone, that can be programmed to perform specific tasks(Random House Inc,2007).
Program	A set of instructions which tells a computer what to do and when to do it. The instructions must be written in a language which the computer understands.	A computer program is a set of instructions for a computer to perform a specific task(The New York Times Company,2011).
RAM	Random-Access Memory.	RAM (random access memory) is the place in a computer where the operating system, application programs, and data in current use are kept so that they can be quickly reached by the computer's processor(Scott,2000).
ROM	Read-Only Memory. A miniaturized electronic component which provides permanent storage of information. In most cases, the information in ROM is “written” only once, at the factory. Thereafter, ROM can be used only to read from, and not to write to.	ROM is memory containing hardwired instructions that the computer uses when it boots up, before the system software loads(Techterms,2011).
Root	Short for “root directory” the main directory, in a hierarchical directory structure, which (logically) contains all other directories. In DOS- and Windows-based systems, the root directory is represented by a backslash (\). In Mac OS, Unix, and Linux systems, the root directory is represented by a forward slash (/).	In the computer world, "root" refers to the top-level directory of a file system(Techterms,2009).
Secondary Storage	Any storage medium which provides (relatively) permanent storage of information. Secondary storage is non-volatile and relatively inexpensive, but it's slow. With few exceptions, secondary storage cannot be accessed directly by the CPU. The most common examples of secondary storage are magnetic and optical discs and magnetic tape.	Secondary storage is a storage medium that holds information until it is deleted or overwritten regardless if the computer has power(Feedburner,2011).
Software	Synonym of program.	Software is a generic term for organized collections of computer data and instructions, often broken into two major categories: system software that provides the basic non-task-specific functions of the computer, and application software which is used by users to accomplish specific tasks(Computerhope,2011).
String	A collection of like units, treated as a whole. For example, a string of characters, a string of bits.	A set of consecutive characters(Houghton Mifflin Company,2009).
System Unit	A plastic or metal box which contains the principal parts of a computer: the CPU, RAM, ROM, various connecting cables, and an AC/DC converter. In modern microcomputers, it's common to find peripheral devices installed inside the system unit; examples include disc drives and modems.	The system unit, also known as a "tower" or "chassis," is the main part of a desktop computer. It includes the motherboard, CPU, RAM, and other components. The system unit also includes the case that houses the internal components of the computer(Techterms,2011).
USB	Universal Serial Bus; a standard for connecting peripherals to a computer over inexpensive cables.	USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a plug-and-play interface between a computer and add-on devices, such as media players, keyboards, telephones, digital cameras, scanners, flash drives, joysticks and printers(TechTarget,2000).

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