CIE INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER STUDIES GLOSSARY
Actuator – It is a device that can be operated by signals from a computer or control system causing physical movement. (E.g. devices for opening windows in a computer controlled ventilation system) Algorithm – It is a sequence of instructions designed to perform a particular task and it is independent of any programming language. It includes precise details about the operations to be performed and in what order. (E.g. pseudo-code or program flow chart) Batch processing – It is a processing that doesn’t start until all the data are collected without any needs of human interaction. It uses computer during overnight. (E.g. payroll system, billing, cheque processing) CAD (Computer Aided Design) – It is the use of computer system that allows engineers and architects to design new projects by producing drawings. (E.g. designing new cars) Command-line interface – It is a set of commands instructed by the user in order to communicate with the computer and get the requirements sorted out. Compiler – It is a program that converts high-level language into machine language and converts whole program before execution. Cookies – It is a text which the user receives when in access to the internet website and gets automatically downloaded onto the user’s computer and further develops to infect a computer. (E.g. it can be blocked when the user rejects it by setting its restriction on the web page) Data integrity – It refers to the accuracy of data. Data-logging – It is an automatic capturing and storing of data readings from sensors over a period of time. (E.g. weather forecasting) De-skilling – It is replacing a semi-skilled labour with a micro-processing control system. Dry run – It is working through a program or a section of a program manually. This is useful for locating errors, particularly run time errors. E-commerce – It is an electronic commerce that allows buying and selling goods and services through the