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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 040 737 LI 002 060 TITLE Automatic Data Processing Glossary. INSTITUTION Bureau of the Budget, Washington, D.C. NOTE 65p. AVAILABLE FROM Reprinted and distributed by Datamation Magazine, 35 Mason St., Greenwich, Conn. 06830 ($1.00) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF-$0.50 HC-$3.35 DESCRIPTORS *Electronic Data Processing, *Glossaries, *Word Lists ABSTRACT The technology of the automatic information processing field has progressed dramatically in the past few years and has created a problem in common term usage. As a solution, "Datamation" Magazine offers this glossary which was compiled by the U.S. Bureau of the Budget as an official reference. The terms appear in a single alphabetic sequence, ignoring commas or hyphens. Definitions are given only under "key word" entries. Modifiers consisting of more than one word are listed in the normally used sequence (record, fixed length). In cases where two or more terms have the same meaning, only the preferred term is defined, all synonylious terms are given at the end of the definition.Other relationships between terms are shown by descriptive referencing expressions. Hyphens are used sparingly to avoid ambiguity. The derivation of an acronym is shown by underscoring the appropriate letters in the words from which the acronym is formed. Although this glossary is several years old, it is still considered the best one available. (NH) Ns U.S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECES- SARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDU- CATION POSITION OR POLICY automatic data processing GLOSSA 1 I.R DATAMATION Magazine reprints this Glossary of Terms as a service to the data processing field. As with any new and dynamic field, standardization and common terminology are generally after- thoughts: The technology of the automatic information processing field has progressed dramatically in the past few years and now is the time that we should address ourselves to the problem of common terms. Towards this end we offer this glossary, which was compiled by the i U. S. Bureau of the Budget as an official reference. Although sev- eral years old, it is to our knowledge the best glossary available. It is our hope that this will contribute to a greater interchange of information and standardization within this vastly expanding field. GARDNER F. LANDON Publisher A GUIDE TO USERS 1.Typography and General Format. Terms in this glossary appear in a single alphabetic sequence, ignoring commas or hyphens. Lower case, bold characters are used for terms, except acronyms and the initial letters of proper nouns, for which capital, bold letters are used. Lighter facecharacters are used for definitions and for cross referencing or clarifying terms. 2.Key Words and Modifiers. Definitions are given only under key word entries. Such entries may be either single word or multiple word terms, and may be nouns or other parts of speech. For example: address (noun) address, direct (noun, multiple term) algorithmic (adjective) assemble (verb) auto-abstract (noun; verb) Modifiers consisting of more than one word are listed in spoken or normally used sequence. For example: program, internally stored record, fixed length 3.Preferred Terminology. When two or more terms have the same meaning, definitions are given only under the preferred term. The phrase, "same as ..." is used to indicate the term under which the definition appears. For example: quantizer, same as (digitizer). All synonymous terms are given at the end of the definition. For example: digitizer, a device which converts an analog measurement into digital form, Synony- mous with (quantizer). 4.Cross Referencing. Other relationships_ between terms are shown by descriptive referencing expressions. The following are examples; similar to, contrasted with,.and clarified by. The expression "see ...", is used only with terms appearing in an inverted word order, and serves to lead the user to the term where the definition appears. 5.Use of Hyphens. Hyphens have been used sparingly, and chiefly to avoid ambiguity. For example, in the term "data-reduction", the hyphen indicates that the term is a single concept and does not appear in the inverted word form. 6.Acronyms. The derivation of an acronym is shown by underscoring the appropriate letters in the words from whiCh the acronym is formed. For example: COBOL, Common Business Oriented Language. ii A as long as the input signals are present. Re- lated to (accumulator) (2). absolute address, see (address, absolute). address, (1) an identification, represented by absolute code, see (code, absolute). a name, label or number, for a register or absolute error, see (error, absolute). location in storage. Addresses are also a absolute value computer, see (computer, abso- part of an instruction word along with com- lute value). mands, tags, and other symbols. (2) The part a. c. dump, see (dump, a. c.). of an instruction which specifies an operand acceleration time, see (time, acceleration). for the 'instruction. access, immediate, pertaining to the ability to address, absolute, an address which indicates obtain data from or place data in a storage the exact storage location where the ref. device, or register directly without serial erenced operand is to be found or stored in delay due to other units of data, and usually the actual machine code address numbering in a relatively short period of time. system. Synonymous with (specific address) access, parallel, the process of obtaining in- and related to (code, absolute). formation from or placing information into address, base, (1) a number which appears as storage where the time required for such an address in a computer instruction, but access isdependent on the simultaneous which serves as the base, index, initial or transfer of all elements of a word from a starting point for subsequent addresses to be given stor a ge location. Synonymous with m o d i f i e d. Synonymous with (presumptive (simultaneous access). address) and (reference address). (2) A num- access, random, (1) pertaining to the process ber used in symbolic coding in conjunction ofobtaining information from or placing with a relative address. information into storage where the time re- address, direct, an address which indicates the quired for such access is independent of the location where the referenced operand is to location of the information most recently ob- be found or stored with no reference to an tained or placed in storage; (2) pertaining to index register or B-Box. Synonymous with a device in which random access, as defined (first level address). in definition 1, can be achieved without ef- address, effective, (1) a modified address. fective penalty in time. (2) The address actually considered to be access, serial, pertainingtothe process of used in a particular execution of a computer obtaining information from or placing infor- instruction. mation into storage where the time required address, first level, same as (address, direct). for such access is dependent on the necessity address, floating, formerly, an address written for waiting while nondesired storage locations in such a way that it can easily be converted are processed in turn. to a machine address by indexing, assembly, access, simultaneous, sameas(access, or by some other means. parallel). address, four, a method of specifying the loca- access, time,see (time, access.). tion of operands and instructions in which the accounting machine, same as (tabulator). storage location of the two operands and the accumulator, (1) theregister and associated storage location of the results of the opera- equipment in the arithmetic unit of the com- tion are cited, and the storage location of the puter in which arithmetical and logical op- next instruction to be executed are cited. erations are performed. (2) A unit in a digital address, immediate, an instruction address in computer where numbers are totaled; i.e., which the address part of the instruction is accumulated. Often the accumulator stores theoperand. Synonymous with (zero level 11 one operand and upon receipt of .any second address). operand, it forms and stores the result of address, indexed, an address thatisto be performing the indicated operation on the modified or has been modified by an index first and second operands. Related to (adder). register or similar device. Synonymous with fJ accuracy, the degree of exactness of an ap- (variable address). proximation or measurement. High accuracy address, indirect, an address in a computer fi thus implies low error. Accuracy normally instruction which indicates a location where denotes absolute quality of computed results; the address of the referenced operand is to precision usually refers to the amount of de- be found. In some computers the machine tail used in representing those results. Thus, address indicated can itself be indirect. Such four place results are less precise than six multiple levels of addressing are terminated place results; nevertheless a four place table either by prior control or by a termination might be more accurate than an erroneously s ymb o 1. Synonymous with(second level computed six place table. address). acoustic delay line, see (line, acoustic delay). address, machine, an absolute, direct, unin- action, rate, a type of control action in which dexed address expressed as such, or result- the rate of correction is made proportionalto ing after indexing and other processing has how fast the condition is going awry. This is been completed. also called derivative action. address, multi, same as (address, multiple). add subtract time, see (time, add subtract). address, multiple, a type of instruction which adder, a device which forms, as output, the specifies the addresses of two or more items sum of two, or more numbers presented as which may be the addresses of locations of inputs.