The Computer Folks Glossary

T1 service	A type of ISDN service that provides 1.5 megabytes per second capacity over a dedicated line.
T3 service	A type of ISDN service that uses fiber-optic cable to provide dedicated service with a capacity of 45 megabits per second.
Table	An arrangement of data in a grid of rows and columns.
Tape backup	A copy of data from a computer's hard disk, stored on a magnetic tape used to restore lost data.
Tape cartridge	A removable magnetic tape module, similar to a cassette tape.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)	A standard set of communication rules used by every computer that connects to the Internet, and by computers on Ethernet and Token Ring networks.
Technical writer	A person who specializes inwriting explanations of technical concepts and procedures.
Telecommunications	The process of sending electronic data over communications lines, or the transmission of data from a sender to a distant receiver.
Terabytes	1,000,000,000,000 bytes.
Terminal	A device with a keyboard and a screen, used for input and output but not for processing.
Terminal emulation software	Programs that make it possible for a micrcomputer to connect to a host computer and behave as if it were a terminal of the host computer.
Test area	A location where software testing can occur without disrupting an organization's regular information system.
Text	In spreadsheet terminology, words used for worksheet titles and for labels that identify columns and rows.
Thesaurus	A feature of documentation software that provides synonyms.
Thin coax	A type of coaxial cable that is typically used in local area network installations and as home cable tv wiring.
TIFF (Tag Image File Format)	A format used to compress bitmap images.
Time bomb	A type of computer program that stays in a computer system undetected until it is triggered at a certain date or time.
Time-sharing system	A configuration in which terminals must share the host computer's processing time.
Toggle key	A key that switches a device back and forth between two modes.
Token	A unit of data that can carry a packet for delivery, as it travels continuously around a Token Ring network.
Token Ring	A type of network configuration in which the nodes are sequentially connected in the form of a ring; the second most popular network architecture.
Tools	Graphical user interface objects and other software components that make it easier for a user to interact with a software program.
Top-level domains	The major categories into which groups of computers on the Internet are devided.
Touch pad	A touch-sensitive device that allows the user to control an on-screen pointer by running over the pad's surface.
Tower case	A vertically-oriented microcomputer case, usually placed on the floor to conserve desk space.
TQM (total quality management)	The process by which an organization analyzes and implements way to improve the quality of its products and/or services.
Track point	A small pencil-eraser-shaped device embedded amoung typing keys, which controls an on-screen pointer when the user pushes the track point up, down, left, or right.
Track ball	A pointing device consisting of a ball that is rotated in a frame, in order to move a pointer around a computer screen.
Tracks	A series of concentric subdivisions created on a storage disk during the formatting process.
Trailer label	An indicator that signals the end of data in a sequential file on magnetic tape.
Transaction	A business activity that involves the exchange of information, goods, or services.
Transaction processing system (TPS)	A system that keeps track of transactions for an organiozation by providing ways to collect, display, modify, and cancel transactions.
Transmitter	A device that sends a signal at a particular frequency or group of frequencies.
Transponder	A device on a telecommunications satellite that receives a signal on one frequency, amplifies the signal, and then retransmits the signal on a different frequency.
Trap door	A special set of instructions, often created during development and testing, that allows an individual to bypass the normal security precautions and enter the system.
Trojan horse	A computer program that appears to perform one function while actually doing something else, such as inserting a virus into a computer system.
Tuple	In a relational database, a row in a table, which is equivalent to a record.
Tutorial	A step-by-step learning guide.
24-bit color graphic	Also called true-color graphic, a photographic-quality graphic that can display up to 16.7 million colors. It requires 24 bits for each pixil.
Twisted-pair cable	Also called UTP. A type of cable in which two separate insulated srands of wire are twisted together. Used in connecting nodes on a network with RJ-45 connectors on both ends.
256-color graphics	A digital image in which each pixil can have one of 256 colors.