Computing jargon

About this list

Programmers’ and system administrators’ jargon, which has spread into ordinary speech faster than most. The list keeps terms common enough for a character to say aloud.

200 terms, A to Z

a-machine

Synonym of Turing machine.

About box

A window displaying information about an application, such as its version number and copyright or other licence.

accept

Something that is accepted.

access

To have access to (data).

access control

Permitting or denying the use of a particular resource.

access point

A device, such as an Internet modem, that permits wireless devices to connect to a network.

access time

The time interval between the issuing of a request to read data from or write data to a storage device and the completion of this action.

add-in

A plug-in.

as-if rule

A rule by which compilers are allowed to apply any optimizing transformation to a program provided that it makes no change to the observable behavior of the program.

at sign

The symbol @, used in e-mail addresses to separate the user name from the domain name.

back-end

Relating to the back end part of a hardware or software system.

bar

A metasyntactic variable representing an unspecified entity, often the second in a series, following foo.

bit

A binary digit, generally represented as a 1 or 0.

bit time

The amount of time it takes for one bit to be ejected from a network interface card operating at a predefined standard speed.

black room

A governmental facility for intercepting and decrypting communications.

book type

A field of four bits at the beginning of a DVD indicating the physical format of the disc.

break movie

A crude form of text-based animation created in ATASCII, using special control characters to move the cursor and overwrite previous animation frames.

built-in

A function that is built into a system.

built-in type

A data type provided by a programming language as a basic building block, such as integer, character or Boolean, but in some languages also list, hash table or first class function.

business key

Synonym of natural key.

C family

Any one of the several programming languages which share significant features of the C programming language.

call site

The section of code from which another section is called.

call-by-future

An evaluation strategy in which the arguments to a function are evaluated concurrently with the function body.

call-by-name

An evaluation strategy whereby an argument to a function is evaluated each time its value is used in the function, and is not evaluated at all if its value is never used.

call-by-need

An evaluation strategy in which the arguments to a function are evaluated the first time they are used in that function.

call-by-value

An evaluation strategy in which the arguments to a function are evaluated first, and the result is passed into the function.

car

The first part of a cons in Lisp. The first element of a list.

carry-out

A command that exports a carry (bit or digit that is carried in an addition operation) from the current column of an addition operation.

change management

the controlled implementation of required changes to some system; includes version control and planned fallback

character set

The set of characters encoded by a given character encoding.

character-based

capable of displaying only text characters or having a text-based user interface

class break

A security breach that is the first of its kind, and leads to others of the same class

code face

The place where programmers develop source code (as opposed to conceptually distant areas such as design and marketing).

code point

A numerical offset in a character set, etc., as opposed to a displayed grapheme or character, which can be composed of several code points.

code up

To create by coding or programming.

code-behind

A technique in object-oriented programming in which the visual and back-end source code are stored in separate files, allowing designers and programmers to work independently. Code-behind is a technique used in…

code-first

Of a software development approach, where the database schema is created based on code written by developers rather than designing the database first.

comment out

To disable a section of source code by converting it into a comment.

computer system

A system for computing that includes the physical computing unit itself and its peripherals.

control character

A character which does not have a direct visual appearance as a glyph, but rather causes some other action to occur, such as a transition to a new line.

control code

A numeric value or string of such values that triggers a specific command or action to occur, rather than displaying a text character.

control key

A key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard used in combination to modify the function of other keys.

cost-free

Of software, content, or materials, without any monetary payment or licensing fees.

data

A representation of information in a computer (as symbols, quantities, sound, images or videos) which is stored, processed or transmitted in the form of electrical signals, records on magnetic tape or punched cards, etc.

data model

A result of applying a data modeling to some particular application, using a database model such as relational.

data record

A section of the database consisting of several uniquely named components known as data fields.

data room

A space used for housing data, usually of a secure or privileged nature in the context of mergers and acquisitions.

data store

A data repository of a set of integrated objects.

data table

Any display of information in tabular form, with rows and/or columns named

data type

A classification or category of various types of data, that states the possible values that can be taken, how they are stored, and what range of operations are allowed on them.

date-time

Of or pertaining to the datetime variable or data type.

decision problem

A question in some formal system with a yes-or-no answer, depending on the values of input parameters.

design system

A collection of reusable components and clear standards that can be assembled together to build any number of applications; a unified design language.

double free

The situation where a program attempts to free a previously allocated resource more than once, potentially resulting in undefined behaviour that may be exploited by an attacker.

early return

The act of returning from a function before reaching the end of that function.

fact table

A database table consisting of the measurements, metrics or facts of a business process.

fall-through

In certain programming constructs, the situation where execution passes to the next condition in a list unless explicitly redirected.

FAT

FAT16 or FAT16B.

fire and forget

The practice of transmitting or raising something, such as an event, and then proceeding without checking for any result or response.

first-class value

Synonym of first-class object.

first-fit

Of or relating to a fast but non-optimal algorithm for the Bin packing problem, placing each item into the first bin in which it will fit.

free list

A data structure, used in dynamic memory allocation, that connects free (unallocated) regions of memory together in a linked list.

free store

A region of memory used for dynamic memory allocation, often synonymous with the heap.

friend-to-friend

Describing a restricted type of peer-to-peer network in which only persons who know each other participate.

front end

That part of a hardware or software system that is conceptually closest to the user; the user interface.

front-end

Relating to the front end or user interface of a hardware or software system.

global

A globally scoped identifier.

go gold

To be released to manufacturing in its final form, so that copies can be made and shipped.

God class

The class serving as a template for a God object.

gold

In a finished state, ready for manufacturing.

group box

A rectangular control that can contain other controls, intended for grouping similar items visually.

hand-code

To develop (software, web pages, etc.) by writing source code or markup directly, without the use of tools allowing higher-level representations.

hand-held

A personal digital assistant or video game console that is small enough to be held in the hands.

hard code

To build absolute and unchangeable values into a program such that they can only be changed by modifying the source code.

hard drive

An electromechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid, rapidly rotating platters coated with magnetic material.

hard link

A directory entry that associates a name with a file in a file system.

hard real-time

Being or relating to a system in which no latency is tolerated, one that has absolute deadlines, and if those allotted time spans are missed, a system failure will occur.

hard return

The type of newline that represents the semantic concept of a paragraph break (as opposed to the type that represents merely a line break in word wrap); sometimes represented visually with the pilcrow character (¶).

high bit

The most significant bit in the binary representation of a number, sometimes used to record the sign of the number.

high order bit

The most significant bit.

high-level language

A programming language requiring a compiler to translate it into a form that a particular machine understands, focusing on user-friendly code development by automating core tasks such as accessing memory.

hit point

In ray tracing, the point in a scene at which a ray strikes an object.

home computer

A computer intended for use in the home.

if-then-else

A statement that executes different code based on whether a condition is true or false.

in-app

Done or featured in an application.

in-tree

An n-ary tree data structure in which each node has a pointer to its parent node, but no pointers to child nodes.

include

A piece of source code or other content that is dynamically retrieved for inclusion in another item.

information technology

The practice of creating and/or studying computer systems and applications.

internet

To connect (a computer, an electronic device, etc.) into a computer network (in particular, the Internet).

join point

In aspect-oriented programming, a point at which advice (additional code) is triggered (a set of these constituting a pointcut).

key off

To take something as a controlling input datum.

large page

Synonym of superpage.

last in first out

Of or pertaining to any situation where the last to arrive is the first to go, or a data structure where the most recently added item is the first to be retrieved.

last known good

The most recent configuration that works properly, used to roll back changes that might later prove problematic.

line number

The sequential number indicating a particular line of text in a text file.

link state

A class of routing protocol based on sending local status updates to every node in the network.

little language

Synonym of minilanguage.

local-first

Designed to store the user's data on the local computer, connecting to the cloud only when required for tasks such as backup or synchronization.

long long

A kind of integer variable, allowing a greater range of possible values than a long.

look and feel

The combination of the visual design and behaviour of a user interface.

look development

The process of defining the final appearance of three-dimensional assets using shaders, textures, and lighting, especially as a cohesive design across a larger project.

low-code

(of a development environment) Primarily involving a graphical user interface rather than a text-based one.

man page

A helpfile in Unix and Unix-like operating systems.

maybe type

Synonym of option type.

media player

A software application for the playback of audio or video files.

member field

Synonym of member variable.

model-first

Of a software development approach, where a conceptual data model is created first, and then the database schema and corresponding code are generated from that model.

must-link

Of data points: having the property that they must be clustered into the same chunklet.

name-based type system

Synonym of nominative type system.

named

An argument that is passed to a subroutine according to its name in the invocation code, rather than on its position; compare with positional.

near real-time

Referring to a data-processing system that is somewhat slower than real-time.

nice

To run a process with a specified (usually lower) priority.

no-code

(of a development environment) Involving a graphical user interface rather than a text-based one.

one-cold

A set of bits with only a single low (0) bit, with the remaining bits high (1).

one-hot

A set of bits with only a single high (1) bit, with the remaining bits low (0).

online

To bring (a system, etc.) online; to promote to an active or running state.

open source

The practice of providing open-source code for a product.

open system

A system allowing hardware and software from different manufacturers to be used together seamlessly.

open-source

Of or relating to software where the source code is freely available and licensed in a manner that permits modification and redistribution.

out of process

Of a component or a server, operating in a separate process space from the calling application.

page down

To scroll down to the next page of content.

page in

To transfer (memory contents) from auxiliary storage.

page out

To transfer (memory contents) to auxiliary storage.

page up

To scroll up to the previous page of content.

pass

A password (especially one for a restricted-access website).

perfect information

A hypothetical condition in which all players in a game or all participants in a market have knowledge of all relevant information in the system.

point release

A software release that is only slightly different from a previous version and thus having the same major version number, only differing in minor version number (after the decimal point).

point-free

Employing or relating to tacit programming.

pop-in

A performance issue in three-dimensional graphics, causing objects or textures to "pop" suddenly into view as they are loaded, rather than smoothly moving into view.

POST

To successfully perform a power-on self-test.

post-build

After the build step that creates an executable program from source code.

private key

The unpublished key in asymmetric cryptography.

public key

One of the two keys used in asymmetric cryptography, which is published to others.

read-only

Unalterable, capable of being read but not written.

read-only access

A permission to access files or directories where the user is only allowed to read or view, not to make changes.

read-through

A cache that will fetch information from the original source when asked for information that is not yet cached.

read-write

Supporting both read and write operations.

real number

A floating-point number.

real-time

Of a system: that responds to events or signals within a predictable time after their occurrence; specifically in which the response time must be within the maximum allowed, but is typically synchronous.

recent

A recently viewed or accessed item.

return type

A specification of the data type of the value that a function or method returns to its caller.

return value

The output of a program or subroutine, passed back to the context where it was called; a retval.

role-based

based on a special given role to access a content; used usually in cloud computing, databases, or other complex systems.

run book

A set of procedures prepared by an administrator for the day-to-day maintenance and exception handling of an IT system; (loosely) such a set of procedures for a job whether IT-specific or not.

run time

The stage during which a program is executing.

run-time

Of, relating to, or happening during run time.

running time

Of an algorithm, the length of time required for it to run as a function, depending on the number of operations executed.

S-box

A basic component of symmetric-key algorithms, which performs substitution, transforming one set of bits into another.

save as

To enter a dialog box where the user can specify a new filename to save the current document under.

save down

To write a computer file to disk.

save over

Synonym of write over.

second-class value

Synonym of second-class object.

security system

A similar software system that prevents unauthorised access.

self-right

To make oneself upright.

sign bit

The bit in the representation of a number indicating whether it is negative or positive; applicable to both twos complement and signed magnitude representations.

sign in

To take some action to access a secured program or web page on a computer; to log in.

source-available

Whose source code can be viewed, and in some cases modified, but which itself is not necessarily open-source.

special case

To treat something as a special case; to handle in an explicitly different way.

special character

A symbol that is not an alphanumeric character; a nonalphanumeric character.

start page

home page

state space

A (mathematical) space of all possible states of a system or process.

still life

A pattern that does not change from one generation to the next.

stop word

A word, usually one of a series in a stop list, that is ignored when searches are conducted on a database, search engine, etc.

story point

In agile software development, a relative unit of measure denoting the amount of effort required to complete a task or user story.

system call

A function provided by an operating system to allow userspace programs access to privileged features, such as accessing the system's hardware.

system time

The passage of time of a computer system, including the passing of days on the calendar.

T-state

A single clock pulse of a microprocessor.

term

A computer program that emulates a physical terminal.

test case

Any of a set of conditions and variables used to test an application.

third-party

Of products, created or published by an independent publisher or manufacturer or its internal development teams, as opposed to first-party and second-party.

time to live

A mechanism which limits the lifespan or lifetime of data in a computer or network.

time travel

The ability to access previous states of a database.

time-share

To use (a computer or communications band) by time-sharing.

title case

The capitalization of text in which the first letter of each major (important) word is set as a capital.

top-level

read-eval-print loop

touch-first

Designed to prioritize touch as an input method.

type class

A type system construct that supports ad hoc polymorphism (independent of the type hierarchy), first pioneered in Haskell.

type system

A way programming language classifies values and expressions into types (data types), how it can manipulate those types, and how they interact.

type-in

A program listing, printed in a magazine, etc., to be inputted and run by the reader.

type-safe

Not susceptible to the class of programming errors that could lead to items of one data type being incorrectly treated as another type.

use case

A potential scenario in which a system receives an external request (such as user input) and responds to it.

value type

A data type that represents a value directly, rather than a pointer or reference to something else.

version

To keep track of (a file, document, etc.) in a versioning system.

version control

A system responsible for managing modifications and additions to digital works, giving each revision a time-stamp and showing its difference to the previous revision.

version number

A unique number or set of numbers assigned to a specific version of software, firmware, file, etc.

video board

A board that outputs video to a screen; a graphics card.

video card

A piece of hardware installed into a personal computer to allow it to send video signals to an external output device such as a monitor or projector.

view model

A framework that defines a coherent set of views to be used in the construction of an enterprise architecture, software architecture, or system architecture.

wait state

Any of several instances in which a computer's processor cannot execute instructions (either for the entire computer, or just for a specific task) until an I/O operation completes, or until an interrupt is resolved.

wait-free

Involving no busy-wait loops or locks for synchronizing with other threads. Able to act immediately without waiting on others.

waiting time

The total amount of time in which a process spends in a ready queue before it reaches the CPU.

wall time

The actual time of day, as would be seen on a wall clock; contrasted with the (possibly inaccurate) time according to a computer system.

well-known

Generally recognized; reserved for some usual purpose.

word time

The amount of time required to transfer a machine word between different memory units.

working set

The amount of memory required by a process in a given time interval.

write

The operation of storing data, as in memory or onto disk.

write once

Of a type of storage technology in which data, once written, cannot be erased or modified.

write over

To save a piece of data in place of other data; to overwrite.

write-around

Being or relating to a kind of cache where data at the location of a missed write is not loaded to cache, but written directly to the backing store. Data is loaded into the cache on read misses only.

write-only

Capable of being written but not read.