saving The transferring of information to storage to prevent its loss when the computer is turned off.
schema The structure of a database.
scope The extent of a problem, or project, that you can address.
search engine Software that gives you the ability to search for Internet resources. Search engines are usually accessed through Web browser software.
search item In an online search, the words that describe your search topic.
secondary storage A nonvolatile storage medium, such as a disk drive, that stores program instructions and data.
sector A pie-shaped wedge of the concentric tracks encoded on the disk during a low-level format.
segment A group of fields.
sequencer A software program used to play MIDI files.
sequential access An information storage and retrieval technique in which the computer must move through a sequence of stored data items to reach the item to be retrieved.
sequential file A file in which the entries are processed in the order in which they were encoded.
Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) Internet standards providing direct connections through telephone lines.
serial port A port that synchronizes and manages asynchronous communication between the computer and devices such as serial printers, modems, and other computers.
server A high-capacity, high-speed computer with a hard disk; the server controls all or some procedures on a network.
shareware Copyrighted software that may be tried without expense but requires the payment of a registration fee if you decide to use it.
shell A utility program designed to provide an improved user interface for a program or operating system usually considered difficult to use.
shortcut In Windows 95, an icon that provides fast access to a program.
simple sequence A programming construct in which the instructions to the computer are executed in the order in which they appear.
simulation A computer game that reflects aspects of the real world.
site license A contract with the software publisher that allows multiple copies of software to be made for use within an organization.
slide A photographic transparency on film arranged for projection.
slide show A predetermined set of charts and graphs displayed one after the other.
Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) An interface that amounts to a complete expansion bus, into which you can plug devices such as hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives, scanners, and laser printers.
smart card A card that resembles a credit card but has a microprocessor and memory chip. Smart cards are used to access information ranging from a medical history to the purchase of goods where the dollar amount is automatically debited.
smart cars Cars with microprocessors that provide for more control and interaction with the environment. Smart cars can diagnose their own internal problems, operate safely, warn the driver of potential problems, and help with navigation.
smart terminal A terminal with processing capabilities and disk drives so that users can download information.
social computing The capability to order goods electronically and to automatically bill a customer's credit card.
soft copy A temporary form of output, as in a monitor display.
software System, utility, or application programs expressed in a computer-readable language.
software emulator A program that makes one CPU pretend to be another.
software package A computer program delivered to the user in a complete and ready-to-run form, including all the necessary programs and documentation.
software piracy The making of illegal copies of copyrighted software.
software suite A collection of full-featured, stand-alone programs that usually share a common command structure and have similar interfaces.
sound board An adapter that adds digital sound reproduction capabilities to an IBM-compatible PC; also called a sound card.
sound card Used to process music in a computer; also called a sound board.
sound file A file containing digitized sound that can be played back if a computer is equipped with multimedia.
source code The typed program instructions that people write before the program has been compiled or interpreted into machine instructions that the computer can execute.
source-data automation An automation system in which keyboards and display units are placed in the most convenient spot for data entry.
spacing The spaces not used by the characters in a document.
special-purpose program A program that performs a specific task, usually for a specific profession.
speech synthesis The capability of a computer to "speak" through synthesized computer-generated voices.
spell checker A program that looks up words in an electronic dictionary to verify spelling.
spreadsheet The two-dimensional matrix of rows and columns where you can enter headings, numbers, and formulas.
spreadsheet file A file containing one or more spreadsheets created in the proprietary file format of a spreadsheet program.
star topology The physical layout of a local network in which a host computer manages the network.
status line A line of an application program's display screen, usually at the bottom, that describes the state of the program.
storage The retention of program instructions and data within the computer so that this information is available for processing purposes.
stored-program concept The idea, which underlies the architecture of all modern computers, that the program should be stored in memory with the data.
structural unemployment Unemployment caused by advancing technology that makes an entire job obsolete.
structure chart The design tool that shows the top-down design of a program; also called a hierarchy chart.
Structured Query Language (SQL) An IBM-developed query language widely used in mainframe and minicomputer systems.
style and grammar checker A program that electronically checks the style and grammar of your document.
style sheet A collection of styles frequently used in a specific type of document.
stylus A pen-shaped instrument used to select menu options on a monitor screen or to draw line art on a graphics tablet.
subdirectory A directory created in another directory. A subdirectory can contain files and additional subdirectories.
subject directories Web search tools that contain resources classified by subjects in broad categories and multiple levels of subcategories.
subnotebook A special-purpose computer that sacrifices some storage and processing capabilities in order to maintain a low weight.
subordinate module In a structure chart, a module that is one level down from the superordinate module and to which control may be temporarily transferred.
subschema An outline of the fields that a user will be able to use in a database.
Super Video Graphics Adapter (SVGA) An enhancement of the VGA display standard that can display as much as 1,280 pixels by 1,024,768 lines with as many as 16.7 million colors.
supercomputer The largest, fastest, and most expensive type of computer made, designed to execute complex calculations rapidly. Supercomputers are used mostly for scientific research.
superordinate module In a structure chart, the module to which control is transferred after all the instructions in a subordinate module have been executed.
superscalar architecture A design that lets the microprocessor take a sequential instruction and send several instructions at a time to separate execution units so that the processor can execute multiple instructions per cycle.
supervisor program A part of the operating system that remains in storage at all times.
support Maintenance required to keep a computer system running.
surge A momentary and sometimes destructive increase in the amount of voltage delivered through a power line.
surge protector An inexpensive electrical device that prevents high-voltage surges from reaching a computer and damaging its circuitry.
switched lines Telephone lines for which the telephone company switching station determines the telephone line to use.
synchronous transmission The transmission of data between computers at timed intervals.
syntax The rules governing the structure of commands, statements, or instructions that are given to a computer.
syntax error The errors detected by the language translator; a mistake in following the rules of the language.
synthesizer A piece of equipment that uses FM (Frequency Modulation), sampling, or waveguiding technology to produce a sound pattern.
system An organized way to accomplish one or more goals. A system can be natural or artificial (made by people).
system clock The CPU processing function regulator that produces a pulse at regular intervals.
system software All the software used to operate and maintain a computer system, including the operating system and utility programs.
system unit The big box that contains the processing circuitry and storage devices of a computer.
systems analysis A phase of systems development in which the systems analyst or the systems development team determine what the new system should accomplish.
systems analyst A person who creates specifications, calculates feasibility and costs, and implements a computer system. The systems analyst looks at the entire scope of a firm's information-processing activities and tries to devise more effective methods.
systems design A phase of systems development in which the general requirements defined in the analysis phase are converted into detailed specifications for the new system.
systems development life cycle (SDLC) An organized way of creating a system.
systems development/acquisition A phase of systems development in which the systems analyst either writes the programs that make up the system or acquires the software package that will do the job.
systems implementation A phase of systems development in which the organization adopts the new system.
systems model A model describing the relationship between data and information, showing that data goes into a process and information is output.