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Glossary
F
file
— A collection of related information, saved on disk with a unique
name. A file may be a program, information used by a program, or a
document. See also
document.
file allocation table (FAT)
— The section of a disk that keeps track of
the location of files stored on the disk.
file name
— A set of characters that uniquely identifies a file within a
particular folder. It consists of two parts: the actual name and the file
name extension. See also
file extension
.
file extension
— The three characters following the period (pronounced
“dot”) at the end of a file name. The extension indicates the type of
file. Examples are .exe for program files and .hlp for help files. See
also
file name.
folder
— Also called directory. A container for organizing files saved to
a disk. A folder is symbolized on screen by a graphical image (icon)
of a file folder. A folder can contain files and other folders.
format
— (verb) To prepare a blank disk for use with the computer’s
operating system. Formatting creates a structure on the disk so the
operating system can write information to the disk or read
information from it.
frontside bus
— The primary pathway (bus) between the CPU and the
computer’s main memory. Also called “system bus.” See also
bus.
function keys
— The keys labeled F1 through F12, typically located on
the keyboard. Their function is determined by the operating system
and/or individual programs.
G
ground
— A conductor to which all components of an electric circuit are
connected. It has a potential of zero (0) volts, is connected to the
earth, and is the point of reference for voltages in the circuit
.
H
hard disk
— A storage device composed of a rigid platter or platters that
can be magnetically coded with data. Hard disks hold much more
information than diskettes and are used for long-term storage of
programs and data. The primary (or only) hard disk in a computer is
usually fixed, but some computers have secondary hard disks that
are removable. By default, the hard disk is referred to as drive C.
hardware
— The physical components of a computer system. Compare
software.
