Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

algorithm - a finite series of well-defined steps for converting the inputs of a specific problem into meaningful, desired outputs.

B

binary operator - an arithmetic, relational or logical operator which works with two operands. Most operators are binary operators.

command line interface (CLI) - an interface to the Operating System where the user typically enters commands using the keyboard at the Windows command line prompt. See Start Programs Accessories Command Prompt

concatenation - the joining of two strings or String type objects. The concatenation operator is the ampersand (&). For example, "foo" & "bar" yields the string "foobar".

D

data type - a selection (i.e. type setting) for a variable which defines a set of values that variable can store and the allowable operations on those values.

E

F

file - in a general sense, a collection of (typically) related data.

G

graphical user interface (GUI) - a program or programs that allow the user to interact with the Operating System via graphical tools and devices such as a mouse.

H

I

integrated development environment (IDE) - a software application which encompasses several software development tools within a single application or window. The tools usually include a code editor, file management tools, compiler and/or interpreter, build automation tools and a debugger.

J

job - a name for a running program, typically a running program of some duration.

K

keyword(s) - predefined reserved identifiers (i.e. commands) that have special meaning to the compiler.

L

M N

metacharacter - a special character used to describe or represent one or more other characters. Metacharacters are often used to describe regular expressions. The most familiar metacharacter is most likely the wildcard character (*).

method -

Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) - an information resource provided by Microsoft to provide software development information for Microsoft products.

namespace - in general, an organized collection of classes.

O P

operator overloading - an operator having more than one meaning or function based upon context.

operator precedence - the order of which arithmetic expressions are evaluated.

process - a program that has been loaded into memory and is in a state of execution. A process is an instance of a running program.

primary memory - another name for RAM (see random access memory).

program - a set of instructions that has been created to perform a task. A program is a passive, non-executing entity which resides on disk.

Q R

random access memory (RAM) - the name given to the primary memory of a computer. It is called RAM since the information stored within can be accessed in any order in a constant period of time. RAM is referred to as volatile memory since the information or instructions stored in it will be lost if the power is turned off.