TERMS TO KNOW

Programming Language A vocabulary and set of grammatical rules for instructing a computer to perform specific tasks. Each language has a unique set of keywords (words that it understands) and a special syntax for organizing program instructions.

Programming Command A line of code written as part of a computer program.

Input Any type of information that is fed into a computer. Input can come from digital cameras, scanners, keyboards or a number of other devices.

Text Format The way text looks as defined by its type specifications.

Output Information that has been manipulated by the central processing unit (CPU) of the computer, and displayed either on the video monitor or rendered on paper or film as hard copy, or saved on disk in a digital format.

Output Device Hardware that receives and displays information coming from your computer (monitor, printer, speaker).

Debug The process of detecting, locating, and removing mistakes or malfunctions from newly developed software or hardware components of a computer. Locate and correct errors in a computer program code.

Initialize Assign an initial value to a computer program. The value assigned to a variable when it is first defined.

Operating System The master control program (e.g., Windows) that manages a computer's internal functions and provides a means of control to the computer's operations and file system. Software that controls the execution of computer programs and may provide various services.

System Failure A hardware or operating system malfunction.

Bit A unit of measurement of information. There are 8 bits in a byte.

Byte A byte is a basic unit of measurement of information storage in computer science. A sequence of 8 bits (enough to represent one character of alphanumeric data) processed as a single unit of information.

Pixel Tiny dots that make up a computer image. The more pixels a computer monitor can display, the better the image resolution and quality. On a color monitor, every pixel is composed of a red, a green, and a blue dot that are small enough to appear as a single entity.

Import a File Bring data from outside.

HTML The computer language used to create pages and content on the Web. Hypertext Markup Language: a set of tags and rules for using them in developing hypertext documents.

Frame An application that divides the user's display into two or more windows that can be scrolled independently

Recursive Process A function or a subroutine that calls itself. Recursion in computer science is a way of thinking about and solving problems. In fact, recursion is one of the central ideas of computer science. Solving a problem using recursion means the solution depends on solutions to smaller instances of the same problem.

Repetitive Process A process, in which the same auditing question or command is given many times to the pc. The pc is finding new answers every time.

CD-ROM A compact disk that is used with a computer; a large amount of digital information can be stored and accessed but it cannot be altered by the user.

Boolean Search A search using Boolean operators. A Boolean search involves searching with words like AND, OR, NOT. Using these words and other similar words can help you get more specific results. For example, if you're looking for info on pop music, enter pop AND music and you'll get a list of sites that include both those words, not just one of them.