Glossary of Computer Terms—F
F
FAQs: (Frequently
Asked Questions) Files that are maintained at Internet sites to answer frequently
asked questions. INA has a FAQ section for its members.
FAT: Stands for File
Allocation Table. Basically this is a table of contents in a directory that
tells the computer what al is in there. Look at your Netscape cache, you’ll see
a FAT. It’ll be the first file.
FAN-IN: The maximum
number of output terminals from other logic gates that can be connected to an
input terminal of a specified logic gate.
FAN-OUT: The maximum
number of input terminals that can be connected to the output terminal of a specified
logic gate.
FETCH: The command to
obtain an instruction from a stored program.
FIBER-OPTIC: This is a new
style of cable being used for very high speed data transmission. It works by
pushing (modulating) a light wave across cable. The data is carried along with
the light.
FILE: A collection of
related data treated as a single unit. In a computer, a file can exist on a
disk, magnetic tape, or as an accumulation of information in memory.
FILE
COMPRESSION: Many computer files can be reduced in size for
downloading. Files with .ZIP extension have been “zipped” using PKZip software.
Files with .SIT extension have been “stuffed” using Stuffit software. Files
with .PDF have also been compressed using Adobe Acrobat. The Acrobat files have
the added feature of viewing, printing and placing, using Adobe’s Reader
program. For example, the Bulletin starts as a 3.5 megabyte file and is
compressed to less than 150 kilobytes. That’s a compression ratio of almost
24:1
FILE SHARING: This is the
most important feature of the Internet. This is a method of allowing one server
to give the same file to many different end users.
FIREWALL: A combination
of hardware and software that protects a local area network (LAN) from Internet
hackers. It separates the network into two or more parts and restricts
outsiders to the area “outside” the firewall. Private or sensitive information
is kept “inside” the firewall.
FIREWIRE: Apple?Computer’s
high-speed data transfer. Frequently used to import video to a computer.
FIRMWARE: A combination
of a software program in hardware, such as a READ-ONLY MEMORY (ROM), or a disk
that has files or software programs written on its surface.
FIRST IN, FIRST
OUT (FIFO): The term refers to the sequence of entering and
then retrieving data from a data storage section of a computer. The first data
entered is the first data retrieved.
FLAMES: Insulting,
enraged Internet messages.
FLAG: An indicator of
a specific condition that informs a section of a program that this condition
has already occurred and is identified by the presence or absence of the flag.
A flag can be implemented in software and/or hardware.
FLASH MEMORY
(FLEXIBLE ARCHITECTURE for SHARED MEMORY): This type of non-volatile
memory has the ability to retain its information even when there is no power
source. Flash Memory is best known for its use in hand help devices where it is
used to store the operating system and core applications. Other devices that
use Flash Memory are:
Digital Cameras ,Audio Players ,Cell Phones, Pagers, USB Drives
and Printers
FLIP-FLOP
CIRCUIT: A logic circuit having two stable output states. It has the ability to
change from one state to the other when an input pulse is applied in a
specified manner. It is also called a BISTABLE MULTIVIBRATOR.
FLOATING-POINT
ARITHMETIC: A method in which the decimal point location of a
number in an arithmetic operation is determined by the number’s exponent value
in base 10. All exponents are equalized prior to the operation to set a decimal
point in its proper location in the final computation. Floatingpoint arithmetic
extends a computer’s mathematical capability beyond the limit imposed by a
fixed word length and contributes to easier programming.
FLOW CHART: A symbolic
representation of the processing steps performed by a software program or a
graphic sequence of logic operations implemented in hardware. A flow chart
helps to visualize the procedure(s) necessary to design a software program or a
final hardware system.
FOLDER: A structure for
containing electronic files. In some operating systems, it is called a
“directory.”
FONTS: Sets of
typefaces (or characters) that come in different styles and sizes.
FORMAT: An orderly,
structured arrangement of data elements (bits, bytes, and/or fields) that is
necessary to produce a larger entity, such as: a list, record,
table, file, or dictionary. Also, it is the term that describes the preparation
of a magnetic disk to allow it to accept digital data.
FQDN: (Fully
Qualified Domain Name) The “official” name assigned to a computer.
Organizations register names, such as “INAnews.com” or “CNAads.com.”
FORTRAN: A
science-oriented high-level software language, derived from the contraction of
the terms FORmula TRANslator.
FREEWARE Software
created by people who are willing to give it away for the satisfaction of
sharing or knowing they helped to simplify other people’s lives. It may be
freestanding software, or it may add functionality to existing software.
FREQUENCY SHIFT
KEYING (FSK): A technique of digitally keying (modulating) an
audio tone (carrier wave) so that a commercial telephone line can carry digital
data.
See MODEM.
FTP: (File Transfer
Protocol) The basic Internet function that enables files to be transferred
between computers. You can use it to download files from a remote, host
computer, as well as to upload files from your computer to a remote, host
computer. (See Anonymous FTP).
FULL DUPLEX: A data transmission mode that provides simultaneous and independent transmission and reception. A conventional telephone communication is an example of this technique.
FULL DUPLEX: A data transmission mode that provides simultaneous and independent transmission and reception. A conventional telephone communication is an example of this technique.
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