Essential IT – Glossary

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Essential IT – Glossary

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Glossary of terms

A:drive / The part of the computer that reads and saves information on to a floppy disk
Bookmarks / A means or storing web addresses (URLs)
Browser / A program to view web pages
Button / Used to make an action occur
Case / Upper case are capital letters and Lower case are the non capital (small) letters
Data / Information
Desktop / The work area that appears when the computer first turns on, where files are often moved or deleted
Dialogue box / A place where you can have a conversation with the program you are using. The program presents a dialogue box when it wants specific information to complete a task. There are always buttons in dialogue boxes
Disk / A medium for storing information. It can be built into the computer (hard drive) or a separate item, for example, CDs, floppy disks, Zip disks
Document / In computing it is a computer file containing information which will be either read on a screen or printed.
Double click / Press the left hand mouse button twice in quick succession
Email / Electronic mail – messages transmitted through computer networks
Field / A separate area where information can be entered on a screen
File / An area of storage created by a person or a program on a disk
Floppy disk / A square, hard covered disk to be inserted into A:drive. Information can be read from, and saved on to a floppy disk. Floppy disks allow information to be transformed from one computer to another
Font / The design of the letters. For example the letters you are reading are in a font called “Times New Roman”.
Format / A disk: prepare for use, erase all information on it
A document: process used to achieve the desired appearance of a document (for example, line space, font style)
Highlight (selecting) / The means of identifying what is to be affected by future actions. Done by clicking and dragging the mouse or use of particular keys
I-beam / What the mouse pointer looks like when in a text area
Icon / A symbol or small picture to identify their purpose or function, for example the trash can
Insertion point / Where text, typed on the keyboard, will be placed within a document
internet / The network of computer connections around the globe
Login / To identify yourself to a computer system. It usually consists of a Username (the name the system knows you by) and a Password which is secret
Keyboard / A means of entering information and controlling the function of software
Menu bar / Usually at the top of the window and contains a set of words (eg File, Edit). Click on one and a menu drops down
Monitor / Computer screen and casing
Mouse / A tool for controlling the pointer on the screen. Through its buttons it controls the operations of software
Pointer / On the screen, controlled by the mouse on the desk
Password / A secret code to protect personal information or computer systems
PC / Personal computer, usually refers to an IBM compatible
Program / Also referred to as software. A set of instructions to control a computer. For example Microsoft Word, Excel
Run / To start a software program
Save / To store permanently in your file what you currently see on the screen. Must be done frequently
Scroll / Moving up and down or left and right on the screen
Select / See highlight
Software / See program
Tab, Space Bar, Caps Lock, Shift, Enter, Back-space, Delete / Special keys on the keyboard which control what is typed
Text / A sequence of characters (most commonly the alphabet)
Tool Bar / The bar containing buttons and icons which contain commonly used functions of the software
URL / The formal name of web pages (for example:
Username / The computer account name given to you to access a service
Virus / A malicious program which can transfer to other computers with the potential to delete or corrupt information
Web / (WWW): World Wide Web. The collection of documents accessible via the internet which can be viewed using a web Browser.
Window / The structure for displaying documents and software. It consists of a number of standard components, for example minimise button, the close button, scroll bars, title bar.

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