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BCS Glossary of Computing

BCS Glossary of Computing

Arnold Burdett | Dan Bowen | Diana Butler | Aline Cumming | Frank Hurvid | Adrian Jackson | John Jaworski | Percy Mett | Thomas Ng | Penny Patterson | Marianne Scheer | Hazel Shaw | Alfred Vella | John Woollard | David Fuller

(2016)

Additional Information

Abstract

The BCS Glossary is the most authoritative and comprehensive work of its kind. This unrivalled study aid and reference tool has newly updated entries and is divided into themed sections making it more than just a list of definitions. Written in an easily accessible style, it is specifically designed to support those taking computer courses or courses where computers are used, including GCSE, A-Level and 14-19 Functional Skills qualifications in schools and further education colleges.
The BCS Glossary is the most authoritative and comprehensive work of its kind on the market today. This unrivalled study aid and reference tool has newly updated entries and is divided into themed sections making it more than just a list of definitions. Written in a style that is easily accessible to anybody with an interest in computing, it is specifically designed to support those taking computer courses or courses where computers are used, including GCSE, A-Level and 14-19 Functional Skills qualifications in schools and further education colleges.
Remains the essential reference and support for those teaching or taking computer and ICT courses in schools, FE and universities from GCSE level onwards and cannot be recommended highly enough.
Ian Carey FCIEA
As a computing teacher who has seen a lot of text books over the years, I would recommend the BCS Glossary as the essential companion for students studying the subject at any level.
Ian Daddo-Langlois
Compiled by members of the BCS Academy Glossary Working Party, many of whom are teachers. In creating the glossary, they have drawn heavily upon their many years of experience in the education sector, as well as their detailed knowledge of computing.
...this is a compact and neat dictionary of terms compiled in a single source. [...] a handy book to have on the shelf.
Dr Siraj A. Shaikh FBCS CITP CSci
The content is up to date, engaging and informative; an important addition to my academic book collection.
Julie-Anne Maisey

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Cover Cover
Copyright iv
CONTENTS vii
FIGURES AND TABLES xi
INTRODUCTION xv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xvi
DISCLAIMER xvii
HOW TO USE THIS GLOSSARY xviii
PART A: OVERVIEW 1
A1 GENERAL COMPUTING TERMS 3
INFORMATION PROCESSING 3
PARTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM 5
A2 USING A COMPUTER 8
SYSTEM SOFTWARE 9
ORGANISING DATA 10
THE SIZE OF THINGS 11
OPERATION 14
A3 COMPUTING IN EVERYDAY LIFE 21
DIGITAL LITERACY 22
BASIC COMPUTER SCIENCE CONCEPTS 25
IMPLEMENTING BASIC COMPUTER SCIENCE 26
A4 SYSTEMS DESIGN AND LIFE CYCLE 29
CONCEPTS 30
STAGES 33
PROJECT MANAGEMENT 36
GENERAL 40
A5 DESCRIBING SYSTEMS 47
PART B: CONCEPTS 61
B1 PERSONAL USE OF THE INTERNET 63
GENERAL 65
ONLINE CONTENT 66
GATHERING INFORMATION ONLINE 68
ONLINE SECURITY 69
B2 THE INTERNET 72
ACCESSING THE INTERNET 73
ORGANISING THE INTERNET 78
THE WORLD WIDE WEB 79
OTHER INTERNET APPLICATIONS 88
INTERNET PROBLEMS 92
B3 DATA HANDLING AND INFORMATION RETRIEVAL 93
B4 COMMERCIAL DATA PROCESSING (DP) 108
B5 CONTROL AND MONITORING 117
CONTROL 118
VIRTUAL REALITY 120
B6 MODELLING AND SIMULATION 122
B7 NETWORKING 127
B8 ARTIFICIAL OR MACHINE INTELLIGENCE 141
B9 COMPUTER PERSONNEL 147
B10 PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS 152
B11 COMPUTER SECURITY, ABUSE AND RELATED LAW 155
DATA SECURITY 156
VIRUSES AND MALICIOUS CODE 166
COPYRIGHT 167
B12 SYSTEMS SOFTWARE 170
CONCEPTS 171
DEVELOPMENT 174
OPERATIONS 179
PART C: PROGRAMMING 185
C1 PROGRAMMING CONCEPTS 187
OBJECT-ORIENTED TECHNIQUES 188
TRADITIONAL PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES 190
C2 PROGRAMMING (FLOW OF EXECUTION) 200
C3 PROGRAMMING (SUBPROGRAMS) 206
C4 PROGRAM SYNTAX 212
C5 DESCRIBING PROGRAMS 219
C6 TESTING AND RUNNING PROGRAMS 227
C7 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES 236
LEVELS OF LANGUAGE 238
TYPES OF LANGUAGE 243
MISCELLANEOUS SPECIALISED LANGUAGES 245
PART D: DATA 253
D1 DATA REPRESENTATION 255
CONCEPTS 255
STRUCTURES 257
ELEMENTS 261
D2 NUMERIC DATA REPRESENTATION 264
D3 MANAGING DATA FILES 271
FILES 272
OPERATIONS 276
GENERAL 281
PART E: HARDWARE 285
E1 TYPES OF COMPUTER 287
E2 INPUT 292
MANUAL INPUT 293
AUTOMATED INPUT 295
E3 MEMORY 297
GENERAL CONCEPTS 299
DISK 300
MISCELLANEOUS FORMS OF MEMORY 304
GENERAL 306
E4 OUTPUT 308
COLOUR 310
QUALITY 312
DISPLAY 314
PRINTING 317
E5 MACHINE ARCHITECTURE 323
THE PROCESSOR 324
MEMORY 327
GENERAL CONCEPTS 328
INTERFACES 334
PHYSICAL COMPONENTS 335
E6 COMMUNICATION COMPONENTS 340
E7 COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY 345
TRANSMISSION 346
PROTOCOLS 348
SIGNALS 351
E8 TRUTH TABLES AND LOGIC GATES 356
BINARY LOGIC 356
GATES 359
PART F: EFFECTIVE USE OF COMPUTER APPLICATIONS 365
F1 WORD PROCESSING AND TEXT MANIPULATION 367
SOFTWARE 367
PROCESSES 370
ELEMENTS OF PRINT 373
LAYOUT 375
STYLES 379
F2 SPREADSHEETS 382
F3 GRAPHICS, DESIGN AND DIGITAL IMAGING 389
IMAGE DATA FORMATS 389
GRAPHIC DESIGN APPLICATIONS 392
DIGITAL STILL IMAGING 397
DIGITAL VIDEO 398
F4 SOUND 402
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUND 403
SOUND PROCESSING 406
DEVICES 411
F5 USER INTERFACE AND DOCUMENTATION 415
INTERFACES 416
INTERFACE CONCEPTS 419
DOCUMENTATION 425
F6 SPECIALISED COMPUTER APPLICATIONS 427
PART G: REFERENCE 433
G1 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 435
G2 UNITS 453
G3 FILENAMES AND FILENAME EXTENSIONS 456
G4 GEOGRAPHICAL DOMAIN EXTENSIONS 460
G5 ASCII CODE 463
Index 466
Back Matter 490