Jacquard's Loom - A device developed by the French inventor, Joseph Marie Jacquard, to automate rug
weaving on a loom in 1804. The device used holes punched in cards to determine the settings for the loom, a
task that normally required constant attention by the loom operator. By using a set of punched cards, the loom
could be "programmed" to weave an entire rug in a complicated pattern. This system of encoding information
by punching a series of holes in paper was to provide the basis for the data-handling methods that would
eventually be used in the early computers.
JCL - (See job-control language.)
job-control language - (JCL) The systems control commands used with mainframe computers. Since each
mainframe computer has its own specialized set of commands, the computer operator must receive special
training to use it.
K-byte - (See kilobyte.)
keyboard - This most common computer input device, originally based on the typewriter, now has a number of
special keys which can be programmed to function in specific ways with different applications.
kilobyte - (K-byte) A thousand bytes.
label - Text used in an electronic spreadsheet program to describe data or data relationships.
LAN - (See local area network.)
laptop computer - A small, very portable computer that can be battery-powered and therefore used while
traveling (possibly used while being held on the traveler's lap). (See also portable computer, PDA, and
handheld computer.)
large-scale integration - (LSI) Refers to miniaturization of the computer's integrated circuits.
laser printer - A type of nonimpact printer that utilizes a technology developed in dry-toner copying machines to
print a complete page at a time. Laser printers are faster and quieter than impact printers and generally
produce a higher-quality output.
LCD - (See liquid crystal display.)
leased line - A type of communication channel used to connect computer devices that is leased from another
organization such as a phone company.
letter-quality printer - A type of impact printer that places ink on paper by striking through an inked ribbon using
strikers embossed with letters (like a typewriter). The characters that are created are generally of a higher
quality than those produced with dot-matrix printers.
light pen - A type of input device which allows the user to interact with options displayed on the screen by
touching a pen to the screen surface.
line graph - A graphic representation of data using lines that connect data points.
line printer - A type of wide-carriage impact printer that prints one line at a time instead of one character.
liquid crystal display - (LCD) A type of flat-screen monitor that uses a clear liquid sealed into tiny pockets in the
glass which darken when an electric current is applied. Red, blue and green filters can be used to produce
images in colors.
local area network - (LAN) Interconnected computers located in the same general area. (Contrast with wide
area network.)
logical field - A type of data-entry field in a database designated by the user to hold data that indicates a
yes/no or true/false option.
low-level language - Machine languages and assembly languages are known as low-level languages because
they interact directly with the computer's hardware using machine-oriented codes rather than English-like
commands.
low-resolution - Display monitors that use a lower number of on-screen picture elements (pixels) to display text
and graphics. (Contrast with high-resolution.)
LSI - (See large-scale integration.)
Luddites - A group in England that smashed some of the early automated looms as a protest against
mechanical innovation and the related threat to their jobs.
machine cycle - Consists of an instruction cycle plus one or more execution cycles.
machine dependent - Refers to programming languages that are used to create programs for a specific type of
computer.
machine independent - Refers to programming languages that can be used to create programs that will work on
more than one type of computer with little modification.
machine language - A programming language which uses binary code (1s and 0s) that gives the programmer
precise control over all of the computer's activities. All programs, no matter what computer language was used
to create them, must be converted into machine language before their instructions can be understood by the
computer. Developed in the early days of computing, these first-generation languages are designed for a
specific type of computer processor and are referred to as low-level languages because instructions are written
in a binary form of 1s and 0s that can interact directly with the computer's hardware.
macro - A software capability that provides a way to carry out a series of steps to replicate functions that are
repeated often.
mail-merge - A set of special word processing features that make it easier to prepare form letters. Using these
features, you can leave blank areas in a letter (for example, the inside address and the salutation). To
personalize the letter, these blanks can be filled automatically just before each letter is printed by instructing
the program to insert names from a list of names in another computer file.
magnetic resonance imaging - (MRI) A computerized medical technology used to display the internal images of
humans in three dimensions. (See also computer tomography or CAT scan.)
magnetic tape drive - A type of computer storage device that uses reel-to-reel tape (sometimes held inside a
special cartridge) that is coated with magnetic material. One of the first storage devices that used magnetic
media. Although they are slower than disks, because they use long tapes with far more magnetic surface area
than disks, they can hold far more data. For that reason, they are often used for backing up data; that is, for
making a second copy of data for safekeeping. They are an especially good medium for backing up the type of
data that does not have to be constantly updated or altered.
magneto-optical storage - A type of rotating storage based on a technology that combines an optical medium
and a magnetic medium.
mainframe - A large, expensive computer that is often referred to as a host computer because it is host to many
remote users that communicate with the mainframe using terminals. The first computers were mainframes.
main memory - (See memory.)
management database - (Also known as a informational database.) Computer-stored information that is a
special compilation of strategic information from the organization's operational database (or from outside
databases) that is used to support management decision making. These databases focus on trends, seasonal
patterns, and profitability patterns by product, by geographical area, and by market share. This type of
database may be part of a computerized decision support system that provides management with facts and the
analysis of those facts. (See also distributed database and operational database.)
Management Information System - (MIS) Today, computerized information management in business is so
important and so extensive that special departments have been formed in most large corporations to deal
specifically with the management of information. These management information systems (MIS) departments
are responsible for providing computing services to all other business departments.
many-to-many data relationship - (See Network Data Model.)
Mark 1 - An early computing machine developed by Howard Aiken of Harvard University, working with the
support of the IBM company in 1944. Also known as the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator, it is now
seen as the first full-sized digital computer (smaller-scale electric calculating devices had been created earlier).
The Mark 1 filled an entire room and weighed 5 tons, included 500 miles of wiring, and was controlled by
punched paper cards and tapes.
M-byte - (See megabyte.)
media - (plural of medium) Storage media refers to the materials used to store computer data (for example,
diskettes coated with a magnetic substance). Communications media refers to the wires and cables used to
carry data during communications between computers.
medium - (See media).
megabyte - (M-byte) A million bytes.
memory - (Also known as main memory or temporary storage.) A computer storage area for data. Computers
act on instructions provided by computer programs. These instructions are temporarily stored in a special data
storage area referred to as main memory. Computer memory can be volatile (erased when the computer is
turned off or nonvolatile (data remains in storage even after the computer is turned off). The most common
type of memory in use today is a chip-based volatile type known as random-access memory (RAM).
memory dump - A printout of all the data stored in a computer's memory.
menu - Lists of program options provided by modern computer applications. The option lists are often grouped
and hidden away, accessed through the selection of key words or phrases displayed across the top of the
screen. Usually, selecting the menu title "opens" the related menu list directly beneath the title.
menuing systems - A type of program interface that uses keywords to represent pull-down menus of options.
(Also see menu.)
microcomputer - (personal computer or PC) A desktop-sized or smaller personal computer based on a
microprocessor.
microprocessor - A single chip with numerous miniaturized circuits used in microcomputers and generally
manufactured by a third party (someone besides the maker or the user of the computer).
microwave channel - Unlike transmissions that use the various types of wire media, microwave is sent through
the air in the form of electromagnetic waves.
minicomputer - A medium-sized host computer that is smaller and less expensive than mainframe computer.
MIS - (See Management Information System.)
modem - While computers manage data using digital methods that are expressed in binary form (either on or
off), most communications devices use analog methods that deal with continuous patterns of sound
frequencies. When computers transmit data using standard communications systems (such as the phone
system), binary data must be converted to the analog signals used by that system. This is known as
modulation. When such data is received by computers, it must be converted back again to its digital form. This
is known as demodulation. A communications device that carries out both tasks is referred to as a modem (a
contraction of the terms modulation and demodulation). (See also modulation and demodulation.)
modulation - When computers transmit data using standard communications systems (such as the phone
system), binary data must be converted to the analog signals used by that system. This is known as modulation.
module - A programming term which refers to a group of related instructions which represent just one aspect of
a more complex program.
monochrome monitor - A type of display monitor which produces individual characters in one color on a black
background.
mouse - An input device which is used to move the cursor around the screen and to point to and select the
various options that are available.
MRI - (See magnetic resonance imaging.)
multidrop - (See multipoint.)
multimedia - Programs that bring a variety of media sources (graphics, sound, and video) under computer
control.
multimedia authoring systems - Programs that provide software tools to design interactive multimedia-based
presentations.
multimedia database - Databases that include computer-stored graphics, sounds, or video.
multiplexer - A communications device that allows a number of computing devices to share the same
communications line. Such devices are often used to take signals from several computing devices and combine
them for transmission via a modem over high-speed channels. Another multiplexing device at the other end of
the connection is used to split the signals back into their original components.
multipoint - Systems designed to establish communications between a number of devices and involve the use of
some type of controller to manage the traffic of transmitted data on the shared line. (See also point-to-point.)
multiuser system - (Also known as a multiple-user computer or as a host computer.) A computer system that is
used by a number of users. In contrast with personal computer systems, these larger-scale systems are host to
many users who may be all in contact with the computer at the same time using dumb terminals that consist of a
keyboard and a monitor.
multiprocessing - A computer process in which more than one type of data processing task can be carried out
at the same time.
multitasking - Computers that can start one task and then move on to anther while the first continues to operate.
Napier's Bones - A mathematical calculation device designed by John Napier in the early 1600s that used a set
of ivory rods that looked like bones. It was similar in principle to the modern slide rule.
narrowband - Each type of data communications channel has a maximum rate at which data can be transmitted,
based on the type of media used in the channel and its design. Generally, channels with data rates less than
300 bps are referred to as narrowband. (See also broadband (wideband).)
natural language - Refers to a type of intuitive, more natural use of the English language when communicating
with the computer without the complex sequencing and syntax requirements of earlier programming and
database query languages.
network - A communications system that links computers and computing devices so they can share information
but continue to operate independently. Such networks can link microcomputers, terminals, minicomputers,
mainframe computers, and computing devices such as printers and storage devices.
network data model - A descriptive model of data organization which is similar in organization to the hierarchical
model in that each parent data element can have many subordinate "child" data elements. However, in this
model, each data element can have more than one parent. This provides the potential for more complex
relationships between data elements. (See also hierarchical data model, relational data model, and
object-oriented data model.)
network interface port - The physical interface to which cabling is connected to enable interconnections
between computers on the network. These interface hardware components may be built into a computer or they
may be provided by a specialty manufacturer and added to the computer.
network node - The position or location of a device on a network. A network may include a variety of computers
(micros, minis and mainframes) and computing devices such as printers, storage devices, and digitizers. Either
a computer or a computing device can occupy a node on the network.
nonimpact printer - A printers that creates an image on paper without using a striking device. Laser printers
and ink-jet printers are common examples of nonimpact printers.
nonprocedural language - A type of programming language which requires less specificity in terms of the order
in which computer instructions are listed and carried out than procedural languages.
nonvolatile - A type computer memory in which stored data is not lost when the computer is turned off.
notebook computer - A small, portable, battery-powered computer roughly the size of a notebook.
numeric field - (Also known as a integer field.) A type of data-entry field in a database designated by the user to
hold data in the form of numbers.
object-oriented authoring (OOA) - An authoring system that provides a way for non-professionals to create
custom applications. Today's OOA systems provide a set of objects and drawing tools which can be used to
design screen displays. On-screen objects can be programmed to respond to user input.
object-oriented data model - A descriptive model of data organization more commonly used for managing
databases composed of computer-stored graphic images and sounds. In this model, each element is treated as
an object which is described in terms of its attributes and relationships, plus the methods and processes that
can be performed upon it. (See also hierarchical data model, relational data model, and network data model.)
object-oriented programming (OOP) - A programming method that gives the programmer new tools to work with
that are based on a concept of "objects" that combine data and programming instructions.
object program - The new program that is created when a source program is compiled.
OCR - (See optical character recognition.)
off-the-shelf software packages - (Also known as off-the-shelf applications.) Software designed to meet the
needs of a large number and variety of users and which can be purchased from retail outlets.
OOA - (See object-oriented authoring.)
OOP - (See object-oriented programming.)
one-to-many data relationship - Refers to an organization of stored data in which there is one parent data
element to many child elements. (Contrast with one-to-one data relationship below.)
one-to-one data relationship - Refers to an organization of stored data in which there is one parent data
element to one child element. (Contrast with one-to-many data relationship above.)
operational database - (Also known as a subject-area or transactional database.) Computer-stored information
required for the overall operation of an organization. Databases that include information on customers or
personnel are of this type. (See also management database and distributed database.)
operating system - A set of programs used to automate the operational tasks of the computer and its devices.
These programs are designed to specifically address the capabilities of the computer's processor to monitor
and control the computer's processing activities. Operating systems first appeared in the third generation of
computers.
optical character recognition - (OCR) A technology which uses special software with an image scanner to allow
users to capture text from printed material and store it in a form that can be edited using a computer program
such as a word processing program.
optical disk - A storage device based on laser technology that uses a durable non-magnetic technology to store
large quantities of information.
OS/2 - A graphics operating environment produced by the IBM Corporation.
output - The term used to describe information that has been printed by a printing device that is attached to a
computer.
output device - A device used to get information out of the computer in a form usable by humans. The display
monitor and the printer have long been the computer's primary output devices.
weaving on a loom in 1804. The device used holes punched in cards to determine the settings for the loom, a
task that normally required constant attention by the loom operator. By using a set of punched cards, the loom
could be "programmed" to weave an entire rug in a complicated pattern. This system of encoding information
by punching a series of holes in paper was to provide the basis for the data-handling methods that would
eventually be used in the early computers.
JCL - (See job-control language.)
job-control language - (JCL) The systems control commands used with mainframe computers. Since each
mainframe computer has its own specialized set of commands, the computer operator must receive special
training to use it.
K-byte - (See kilobyte.)
keyboard - This most common computer input device, originally based on the typewriter, now has a number of
special keys which can be programmed to function in specific ways with different applications.
kilobyte - (K-byte) A thousand bytes.
label - Text used in an electronic spreadsheet program to describe data or data relationships.
LAN - (See local area network.)
laptop computer - A small, very portable computer that can be battery-powered and therefore used while
traveling (possibly used while being held on the traveler's lap). (See also portable computer, PDA, and
handheld computer.)
large-scale integration - (LSI) Refers to miniaturization of the computer's integrated circuits.
laser printer - A type of nonimpact printer that utilizes a technology developed in dry-toner copying machines to
print a complete page at a time. Laser printers are faster and quieter than impact printers and generally
produce a higher-quality output.
LCD - (See liquid crystal display.)
leased line - A type of communication channel used to connect computer devices that is leased from another
organization such as a phone company.
letter-quality printer - A type of impact printer that places ink on paper by striking through an inked ribbon using
strikers embossed with letters (like a typewriter). The characters that are created are generally of a higher
quality than those produced with dot-matrix printers.
light pen - A type of input device which allows the user to interact with options displayed on the screen by
touching a pen to the screen surface.
line graph - A graphic representation of data using lines that connect data points.
line printer - A type of wide-carriage impact printer that prints one line at a time instead of one character.
liquid crystal display - (LCD) A type of flat-screen monitor that uses a clear liquid sealed into tiny pockets in the
glass which darken when an electric current is applied. Red, blue and green filters can be used to produce
images in colors.
local area network - (LAN) Interconnected computers located in the same general area. (Contrast with wide
area network.)
logical field - A type of data-entry field in a database designated by the user to hold data that indicates a
yes/no or true/false option.
low-level language - Machine languages and assembly languages are known as low-level languages because
they interact directly with the computer's hardware using machine-oriented codes rather than English-like
commands.
low-resolution - Display monitors that use a lower number of on-screen picture elements (pixels) to display text
and graphics. (Contrast with high-resolution.)
LSI - (See large-scale integration.)
Luddites - A group in England that smashed some of the early automated looms as a protest against
mechanical innovation and the related threat to their jobs.
machine cycle - Consists of an instruction cycle plus one or more execution cycles.
machine dependent - Refers to programming languages that are used to create programs for a specific type of
computer.
machine independent - Refers to programming languages that can be used to create programs that will work on
more than one type of computer with little modification.
machine language - A programming language which uses binary code (1s and 0s) that gives the programmer
precise control over all of the computer's activities. All programs, no matter what computer language was used
to create them, must be converted into machine language before their instructions can be understood by the
computer. Developed in the early days of computing, these first-generation languages are designed for a
specific type of computer processor and are referred to as low-level languages because instructions are written
in a binary form of 1s and 0s that can interact directly with the computer's hardware.
macro - A software capability that provides a way to carry out a series of steps to replicate functions that are
repeated often.
mail-merge - A set of special word processing features that make it easier to prepare form letters. Using these
features, you can leave blank areas in a letter (for example, the inside address and the salutation). To
personalize the letter, these blanks can be filled automatically just before each letter is printed by instructing
the program to insert names from a list of names in another computer file.
magnetic resonance imaging - (MRI) A computerized medical technology used to display the internal images of
humans in three dimensions. (See also computer tomography or CAT scan.)
magnetic tape drive - A type of computer storage device that uses reel-to-reel tape (sometimes held inside a
special cartridge) that is coated with magnetic material. One of the first storage devices that used magnetic
media. Although they are slower than disks, because they use long tapes with far more magnetic surface area
than disks, they can hold far more data. For that reason, they are often used for backing up data; that is, for
making a second copy of data for safekeeping. They are an especially good medium for backing up the type of
data that does not have to be constantly updated or altered.
magneto-optical storage - A type of rotating storage based on a technology that combines an optical medium
and a magnetic medium.
mainframe - A large, expensive computer that is often referred to as a host computer because it is host to many
remote users that communicate with the mainframe using terminals. The first computers were mainframes.
main memory - (See memory.)
management database - (Also known as a informational database.) Computer-stored information that is a
special compilation of strategic information from the organization's operational database (or from outside
databases) that is used to support management decision making. These databases focus on trends, seasonal
patterns, and profitability patterns by product, by geographical area, and by market share. This type of
database may be part of a computerized decision support system that provides management with facts and the
analysis of those facts. (See also distributed database and operational database.)
Management Information System - (MIS) Today, computerized information management in business is so
important and so extensive that special departments have been formed in most large corporations to deal
specifically with the management of information. These management information systems (MIS) departments
are responsible for providing computing services to all other business departments.
many-to-many data relationship - (See Network Data Model.)
Mark 1 - An early computing machine developed by Howard Aiken of Harvard University, working with the
support of the IBM company in 1944. Also known as the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator, it is now
seen as the first full-sized digital computer (smaller-scale electric calculating devices had been created earlier).
The Mark 1 filled an entire room and weighed 5 tons, included 500 miles of wiring, and was controlled by
punched paper cards and tapes.
M-byte - (See megabyte.)
media - (plural of medium) Storage media refers to the materials used to store computer data (for example,
diskettes coated with a magnetic substance). Communications media refers to the wires and cables used to
carry data during communications between computers.
medium - (See media).
megabyte - (M-byte) A million bytes.
memory - (Also known as main memory or temporary storage.) A computer storage area for data. Computers
act on instructions provided by computer programs. These instructions are temporarily stored in a special data
storage area referred to as main memory. Computer memory can be volatile (erased when the computer is
turned off or nonvolatile (data remains in storage even after the computer is turned off). The most common
type of memory in use today is a chip-based volatile type known as random-access memory (RAM).
memory dump - A printout of all the data stored in a computer's memory.
menu - Lists of program options provided by modern computer applications. The option lists are often grouped
and hidden away, accessed through the selection of key words or phrases displayed across the top of the
screen. Usually, selecting the menu title "opens" the related menu list directly beneath the title.
menuing systems - A type of program interface that uses keywords to represent pull-down menus of options.
(Also see menu.)
microcomputer - (personal computer or PC) A desktop-sized or smaller personal computer based on a
microprocessor.
microprocessor - A single chip with numerous miniaturized circuits used in microcomputers and generally
manufactured by a third party (someone besides the maker or the user of the computer).
microwave channel - Unlike transmissions that use the various types of wire media, microwave is sent through
the air in the form of electromagnetic waves.
minicomputer - A medium-sized host computer that is smaller and less expensive than mainframe computer.
MIS - (See Management Information System.)
modem - While computers manage data using digital methods that are expressed in binary form (either on or
off), most communications devices use analog methods that deal with continuous patterns of sound
frequencies. When computers transmit data using standard communications systems (such as the phone
system), binary data must be converted to the analog signals used by that system. This is known as
modulation. When such data is received by computers, it must be converted back again to its digital form. This
is known as demodulation. A communications device that carries out both tasks is referred to as a modem (a
contraction of the terms modulation and demodulation). (See also modulation and demodulation.)
modulation - When computers transmit data using standard communications systems (such as the phone
system), binary data must be converted to the analog signals used by that system. This is known as modulation.
module - A programming term which refers to a group of related instructions which represent just one aspect of
a more complex program.
monochrome monitor - A type of display monitor which produces individual characters in one color on a black
background.
mouse - An input device which is used to move the cursor around the screen and to point to and select the
various options that are available.
MRI - (See magnetic resonance imaging.)
multidrop - (See multipoint.)
multimedia - Programs that bring a variety of media sources (graphics, sound, and video) under computer
control.
multimedia authoring systems - Programs that provide software tools to design interactive multimedia-based
presentations.
multimedia database - Databases that include computer-stored graphics, sounds, or video.
multiplexer - A communications device that allows a number of computing devices to share the same
communications line. Such devices are often used to take signals from several computing devices and combine
them for transmission via a modem over high-speed channels. Another multiplexing device at the other end of
the connection is used to split the signals back into their original components.
multipoint - Systems designed to establish communications between a number of devices and involve the use of
some type of controller to manage the traffic of transmitted data on the shared line. (See also point-to-point.)
multiuser system - (Also known as a multiple-user computer or as a host computer.) A computer system that is
used by a number of users. In contrast with personal computer systems, these larger-scale systems are host to
many users who may be all in contact with the computer at the same time using dumb terminals that consist of a
keyboard and a monitor.
multiprocessing - A computer process in which more than one type of data processing task can be carried out
at the same time.
multitasking - Computers that can start one task and then move on to anther while the first continues to operate.
Napier's Bones - A mathematical calculation device designed by John Napier in the early 1600s that used a set
of ivory rods that looked like bones. It was similar in principle to the modern slide rule.
narrowband - Each type of data communications channel has a maximum rate at which data can be transmitted,
based on the type of media used in the channel and its design. Generally, channels with data rates less than
300 bps are referred to as narrowband. (See also broadband (wideband).)
natural language - Refers to a type of intuitive, more natural use of the English language when communicating
with the computer without the complex sequencing and syntax requirements of earlier programming and
database query languages.
network - A communications system that links computers and computing devices so they can share information
but continue to operate independently. Such networks can link microcomputers, terminals, minicomputers,
mainframe computers, and computing devices such as printers and storage devices.
network data model - A descriptive model of data organization which is similar in organization to the hierarchical
model in that each parent data element can have many subordinate "child" data elements. However, in this
model, each data element can have more than one parent. This provides the potential for more complex
relationships between data elements. (See also hierarchical data model, relational data model, and
object-oriented data model.)
network interface port - The physical interface to which cabling is connected to enable interconnections
between computers on the network. These interface hardware components may be built into a computer or they
may be provided by a specialty manufacturer and added to the computer.
network node - The position or location of a device on a network. A network may include a variety of computers
(micros, minis and mainframes) and computing devices such as printers, storage devices, and digitizers. Either
a computer or a computing device can occupy a node on the network.
nonimpact printer - A printers that creates an image on paper without using a striking device. Laser printers
and ink-jet printers are common examples of nonimpact printers.
nonprocedural language - A type of programming language which requires less specificity in terms of the order
in which computer instructions are listed and carried out than procedural languages.
nonvolatile - A type computer memory in which stored data is not lost when the computer is turned off.
notebook computer - A small, portable, battery-powered computer roughly the size of a notebook.
numeric field - (Also known as a integer field.) A type of data-entry field in a database designated by the user to
hold data in the form of numbers.
object-oriented authoring (OOA) - An authoring system that provides a way for non-professionals to create
custom applications. Today's OOA systems provide a set of objects and drawing tools which can be used to
design screen displays. On-screen objects can be programmed to respond to user input.
object-oriented data model - A descriptive model of data organization more commonly used for managing
databases composed of computer-stored graphic images and sounds. In this model, each element is treated as
an object which is described in terms of its attributes and relationships, plus the methods and processes that
can be performed upon it. (See also hierarchical data model, relational data model, and network data model.)
object-oriented programming (OOP) - A programming method that gives the programmer new tools to work with
that are based on a concept of "objects" that combine data and programming instructions.
object program - The new program that is created when a source program is compiled.
OCR - (See optical character recognition.)
off-the-shelf software packages - (Also known as off-the-shelf applications.) Software designed to meet the
needs of a large number and variety of users and which can be purchased from retail outlets.
OOA - (See object-oriented authoring.)
OOP - (See object-oriented programming.)
one-to-many data relationship - Refers to an organization of stored data in which there is one parent data
element to many child elements. (Contrast with one-to-one data relationship below.)
one-to-one data relationship - Refers to an organization of stored data in which there is one parent data
element to one child element. (Contrast with one-to-many data relationship above.)
operational database - (Also known as a subject-area or transactional database.) Computer-stored information
required for the overall operation of an organization. Databases that include information on customers or
personnel are of this type. (See also management database and distributed database.)
operating system - A set of programs used to automate the operational tasks of the computer and its devices.
These programs are designed to specifically address the capabilities of the computer's processor to monitor
and control the computer's processing activities. Operating systems first appeared in the third generation of
computers.
optical character recognition - (OCR) A technology which uses special software with an image scanner to allow
users to capture text from printed material and store it in a form that can be edited using a computer program
such as a word processing program.
optical disk - A storage device based on laser technology that uses a durable non-magnetic technology to store
large quantities of information.
OS/2 - A graphics operating environment produced by the IBM Corporation.
output - The term used to describe information that has been printed by a printing device that is attached to a
computer.
output device - A device used to get information out of the computer in a form usable by humans. The display
monitor and the printer have long been the computer's primary output devices.
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