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Glossary of Data , Processing and Communications Terms . GLOSSARY OF DATA , PROCESSING AND COMMUNICATIONS TERMS ."! ... FIRST EDITION First Printing, August, 1964 Second Printing, October, 1964 SECOND EDITION First Printing, January, 1965 Second Printing, April, 1965 THIRD EDITION First Printing, April, 1966 Honeywell Inc. Electronic Data Processing Division Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts 02181 Printed in U.S.A. When ordering this publication please specify 143.0000.0000.0·m WP·8784 title and underscored portion of file number. 10466 I I ,..- ~ { t ,,- GLOSSARY OF DATA , PROCESSING AND COMMUNICATIONS TERMS Honeywell ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING ! r FOREWORD A glossary is indispensable to both newcomers and veterans in the data processing field. The newcomer finds a glossary helpful in finding his bearings as quickly and as surely as possible. He marks his way with definitions, and relationships eventually become evident and whole patterns take form. Even veterans find that they have all too often been incorrect in their assumptions as to the meaning of a term. Or, they will feel the needofa glossary when precision is criticalin communi­ cating with others. Whichever the case, a glossary, tobe useful, mustbe comprehensive and its definitions lucid. We believe that the Honeywell Glossary is one of the most comprehensive data processing glossaries ever published by a computer manufacturer. In addition to containing the standard EDP terms, it keeps pace with the fast-rising data transmission field by the inclusion of several hundred communications terms that will soon be common data processing language. It is also one of the most current glossaries available, inasmuch as it includes hundreds of the latest ASA'I.< definitions. This book is largely based on definitions found in the Bureau of the Budget's Automatic Data Processing Glossary. We wish to extend our appreciation also to the X3. 5 subcommittee of the American Standards Association. X3. 5 definitions have been indicated throughout the text by an asterisk (,~) which states, in effect: Proposed American standard definition developed by Subcommittee X3. 5 - Termi­ nology and Glossary, and presented for trial and criticism by authorization of ASA Sectional Committee X3 - Computers and Information Processing. Publication by Honeywell EDP is approved by X3 by letter dated 11 November 1963 on the mutual understanding that said definitions are not finally accepted as standards and are subject to change, modification and withdrawal, in part or in whole. The Honeywell Glossary will be updated periodically. We solicit comments and criticisms. A Users' Remarks Form is provided in the back of this Glossary for this purpose. 11 ADDRESS (communications), the coded representation of the A destination of a message. ABSOLUTE ADDRESS, see (address, absolute). ADDRESS, ABSOLUTE ':', (l) An address that is permanently ABSOLUTE CODE, see (code, absolute). assigned by the machine designer to a storage location. ~- (2) A pattern of characters that identifies a unique storage . ,,~ABSOLUTE ERROR, see (error, absolute). location without further modification. (3) An address " ".,... AB~~l:~)~E VALUE COMPUTER, see (computer. absolute which indicates the exact storage location where the ref­ erenced operand is to be found or stored in the actual machine code address numbering system. Synonymous with A. C. DUMP, see (dump, a. c.). (specific address) and related to (code, absolute). (4) A. C. Signalling, a transmission ITlethod which utilizes a Synonymous with machine address. alternating current. ADDRESS, ARITHMETIC, the assembly-language technique of ACCELERATION TIME, see (time, acceleration). appending an address modifier, consisting of a sign and up to four decimal digits, to a symbolic tag in order to desig­ ACCESS, IMMEDIATE, pertaining to the ability to obtain data nate a memory location address relative to the location rep­ from or place data in a storage device, or register directly resented by the tag. See (address, relative). without serial delay due to other units of data, and usually in a relatively short period of time. ADDRESS, BASE, (1) a number which appears as an address in a computer instruction, but which serves as the base, in­ ACCESS MODE *, in COBOL, a technique that is used to ob­ dex, initial or starting point for subsequent addresses to be tain a specific logic record from, or to place a specific modified. Synonymous with (presumptive address) and (ref­ logic record into, a file assigned to a mass storage device. erence address). (2) A number used in symbolic coding in ACCESS, PARALLEL, the process of obtaining information conjunction with a relative address. from or placing information into storage where the time re­ ADDRESS, DIRECT, an address which indicates the location quired for such access is dependent on the simultaneous where the referenced operand is to be found or stored with transfer of all elements of a word from a given storage lo­ no referenced to an index register or B-Box. Synonym.ouB cation. Synonymous with (simultaneous access). with (first level address). ACCESS, RANDOM ", (1) pertaining to the process of ob­ ADDRESS, EFFECTIVE, (1) a modified address. (2) The ad­ taining information from or placing information into storage dress actually considered to be used in a particular execu­ where the time required for such access is independent of tion of a computer ins truction. the location of the information most recently obtained or placed in storage. (2) Pertaining to a device in which random ADDRESS, FIRST LEVEL, same as (address, direct). access, as defined in definition I, can be achieved without ADDRESS, FLOATING, formerly, an address written in such a effective penalty in time. way that it can easily be converted to a machine address by ACCESS, SERIAL *, pertaining to the process of obtaining in­ indexing, assembly, or by some other means. formation from or placing information into storage when ADDRESS FOUR, a method of specifying the location of oper­ there is a time sequential relation governing the successive ands and instructions in which the storage location of the two storage locations. operands and the storage location of the results of the op­ ACCESS, SIMULTANEOUS, same as (access, parallel). eration are cited, and the storage location of the next in­ struction to be executed are cited. ACCESS TIME, see (time, access). ADDRESS, FOUR"PLUS"ONE *, see (format, address). ACCOUNTING MACHINE, same as (tabulator). ADDRESS, IMMEDIATE, an instruction address in which the ACCUMULATOR, (1) the register and associated equipmentin address part of the instruction is the operand. Synonymous the arithm.etic unit of the computer in which arithmetical with (zero level address). and logical operations are performed. (2) A unit in a digit­ al computer where numbers are totaled; i. e., accumulated. ADDRESS, INDEXED, an address that is to be modified or has Often the accumulator stores one operand and upon receipt been modified by an index register or sitnilar device. Syn­ of any second operand, it forms and stores the result of onymous with (variable address). i performing the indicated operation on the first and second ADDRESS, INDIRECT, an address in a computer instruction operands. Related to (adder). which indicates a location where the address of the refer­ ACCURACY *, the degree of freedom from error, that is, the enced operand is to be found. In some computers the ma­ r degree of conformity to truth or to a rule. Accuracy is chine address indicated can itself be indirect. Such multi­ l contrasted with precision, e. g., four-place numbers are ple levels of addressing are terminated either by prior less precise than six-place numbers, nevertheless a prop­ control or by a termination symbol. Synonymous with (sec­ erly computed four-place number might be more accurate ond level address). than an improperly computed six-place number. ADDRESS, MACHINE, an absolute, direct, unindexed address ACCURACY CONTROL SYSTEM, an error detection and cor­ expressed as such, or resulting after indexing and other rection system. processing has been completed. ACOUSTIC DELAY LINE, see (line, acoustic delay). ADDRESS, MULTI, same as (address, multiple). ACTION, RATE, a type of control action in which the rate of ADDRESS, MULTILEVEL "', same as indirect address. correction is made proportional to how fast the condition is ADDRESS, MULTIPLE, a type of instruction which specifies going awry. This is also called derivative action. the addresses of two or more items which may be the ad­ ACTUAL KEY"', see Key, Actual dresses of locations of inputs or outputs of the calculating unit or the addresses of locations of instructions for the ADD SUBTRACT TIME, see (time, add subtract). control unit. The term multi-address is also used in char­ ADDER *, a device whose output is a representation of the acterizing computers; e. g., two, three, or four address sum of the quantities represented by its inputs. Related to machines. Synonymous with (multi-address). (accumulator). ADDRESS, ONE, (1) a single address. (2) A system of ma­ ADDRESS *, (1) an identification, as represented by a name, chine instruction such that each complete instruction explic­ label, or number, for a register, location in storage, or itly describes one operation and involves one storage loca­ other data source or destination. (2) Loosely, any part of tion. Synonymous with (single address) and related to (in­ an instruction which specifies the location of an operand for struction, one address). the ins true tion. ADDRESS, ONE"PLUS"ONE, see (format, address). ADDRESS PART *, a part of an instruction word which speci- ploys syrnbols to represent operators such as AND. OR, NOT, EXCEPT, IF ... THEN, etc., to permit mathematical fies the address of an operand. calculation. Named after George Boole, famous English ADDRESS, PRESUMPTIVE, same as (address, base) (1). mathematician (1815-1864). ADDRESS, REFERENCE, same as (address, base) (1). ALGOL *, ALGorithITlic Oriented Language, an international procedu~riented laT;'"guage. See (language, algorithmic). ADDRESS REGISTER ':', see Register, Address ADDRESS, RELATIVE, an address to which the base address ALGORITHM *, a prescribed set of well defined rules, or must be added in order to find the machine address.
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