Chapter 4 Definitions

Question 1

Define utility programs (utilities)

Answer 1

part of an operating system which carries out certain functions such as virus checking, defragmentation and screensaver

Question 2

Define malware

Answer 2

programs that are installed on a user’s computer with the aim of deleting, corrupting or manipulating data illegally

Question 3

Define anti-virus software

Answer 3

software that quarantines and deletes files or programs infected by a computer virus; the software can run in the background or be initiated by the user

Question 4

Define heuristic checking

Answer 4

checking software for behaviour that could indicate a possible virus

Question 5

Define quarantine

Answer 5

to isolate (in order to later delete) a file or program identified by anti-virus software as being infected by a virus

Question 6

Define defragmentation

Answer 6

a process that reorganises sectors on an HDD by rearranging blocks of data so that they are contiguous

Question 7

Define contiguous

Answer 7

next to each other

Question 8

Define back-up

Answer 8

make copies of files onto another storage media in case the original file becomes corrupted or is deleted

Question 9

Define screensaver

Answer 9

software that supplies a still or moving image on a monitor if a computer has been inactive for a period of time

Question 10

Define device driver

Answer 10

software that communicates with the operating system and translates data into a format understood by the device

Question 11

Define descriptor

Answer 11

a collection of information about a device plugged into a USB port

Question 12

Define operating system

Answer 12

software that provides an environment in which applications can run and also provides an interface between computer and human operator

Question 13

Define boot up/bootstrap loader

Answer 13

a small program that is used to load other programs to correctly ‘start-up’ a computer system

Question 14

Define EEPROM

Answer 14

stands for electronically erasable programmable ROM

Question 15

Define human computer interface (HCI)

Answer 15

an interface supplied by the operating system to ‘hide’ the complexities of the software and hardware from the human user

Question 16

Define command line interface (CLI)

Answer 16

an interface which allows communication with the computer by typing in commands using a keyboard

Question 17

Define graphical user interface (GUI)

Answer 17

an interface that uses icons to represent apps and tasks which the user can select/launch by clicking on a mouse or using a touch
screen

Question 18

Define windows icons menu and pointing device (WIMP)

Answer 18

an interface that uses a pointing device such as a mouse to
select options from screen icons or a menu

Question 19

Define post-WIMP

Answer 19

a modern touch screen interface system that allows actions such as pinching and rotating

Question 20

Define memory management

Answer 20

the part of an operating system that controls main memory

Question 21

Define security management

Answer 21

the part of an operating system that ensures the integrity, confidentiality and availability of data

Question 22

Define hardware management

Answer 22

the part of an operating system that controls all input and output devices; it is made up of sub-systems such as printer management

Question 23

Define buffer

Answer 23

a memory area used to store data temporarily

Question 24

Define file management

Answer 24

part of an operating system that manages files in a computer (for example, the ability to create, delete, copy, open, close and rename files)

Question 25

Define interrupt

Answer 25

a signal sent from a device or software to a microprocessor requesting its attention; the microprocessor suspends all operations until the interrupt has been serviced

Question 26

Define multitasking

Answer 26

a function that allows a computer to process more than one task/process at a time

Question 27

Define administrator

Answer 27

a person responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of a computer system that involves multi-user function

Question 28

Define user account

Answer 28

an agreement that allows an individual to use a computer; the user needs a user name and password to enter the user’s area

Question 29

Define error handling routine

Answer 29

a routine in a program or operating system that recognises and recovers a system from abnormal inputs or hardware faults (for example, recovery from an attempt to divide by zero)

Question 30

Define firmware

Answer 30

a program that provides low level control for devices

Question 31

Define interrupt priority

Answer 31

the priority assigned to an interrupt are given a priority so that the microprocessor knows which one needs to be serviced first and which interrupts are to be dealt with quickly

Question 32

Define service (an interrupt)

Answer 32

when an interrupt is received, some action needs to be taken by the processor depending on what caused the interrupt; until this is resolved (that is, it is serviced), the interrupt cannot be removed to allow the processor to continue

Question 33

Define interrupt service routine (ISR)

Answer 33

software that handles interrupt requests (for example, when the printer out of paper) and sends a request to the CPU for processing

Question 34

Define machine code

Answer 34

a binary programming language, a program written in machine code can be loaded and executed without translation

Question 35

Define high-level language (HLL)

Answer 35

a programming language that is independent of computer hardware, a program written in a HLL needs to be translated into machine code before it is executed.

Question 36

Define low-level language (LLL)

Answer 36

a programming language that is dependent on computer hardware, both machine code and assembly language are LLLs

Question 37

Define assembly language

Answer 37

a programming language that is dependent on computer hardware, a program written in an assembly language program needs to be translated into machine code before it is executed

Question 38

Define assembler

Answer 38

a computer program that translates programming code written in assembly language into machine code

Question 39

Define compiler

Answer 39

a computer program that translates a source program written in a high-level language to machine code

Question 40

Define translator

Answer 40

converts a program written in a high-level language program into machine code

Question 41

Define interpreter

Answer 41

a computer program that analyses and executes a program written in a high-level language line by line

Question 42

Define integrated development environment (IDE)

Answer 42

a suite of programs used to write and test a computer program written in a high-level language

Question 43

Define debugging

Answer 43

finding errors in a computer program by running or tracing the program

Question 44

Define prettyprinting

Answer 44

displaying source code using different colours and formatting, which make the code easier to read and understand

Question 45

Define report window

Answer 45

a separate window in the runtime environment of an IDE that shows the contents of variables during the execution of a program