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Introduzione all’informatica
14
in English, please
unità
1
Glossary
Binary
: positional number system in base 2, using only two symbols.
Bit
: abbreviation for binary-digit. A bit is the smallest amount of information that can
be transmitted or processed.
Byte
: set of 8 consecutive bits. It is the elementary cell of memory that can be
addressed individually in 8-bit computers.
Calculator / Processor / Computer
: a system capable of automatic processing.
CPU – Central Processing Unit
: It is the central processing unit, or the brain
of the computer.
Digital
: numeric. Digital is used in contrast to Analog to indicate a discrete state
machine with sequential and non-continuous function.
File
: container of bytes stored on a disk identified by a unique name. Bytes may also
be structured into records.
Hard-Disk
: magnetic disk drive.
Hardware
: the “hard” part of a system: it consists of the electronics and mechanical
components (keyboard, video, memory, printer, ...), parts that can be “touched”.
Input
: all data loading operations or the collection of data that a program expects
to receive.
Language
: fixed set of syntactic and semantic rules according to which a program
for the computer may be written.
Memory
: computer device capable of storing data and information.
Microprocessor
: an electronic component containing the basic parts of a computer
(control unit, arithmetic logic units, and general purpose registers).
Output
: external data transfer operation (e.g. printer).
Personal Computer
: small computer with limited performance ability.
Processing
: logical-deductive process for using data and information to get results.
Program
: set of coded statements in the form of commands understandable by
the computer that guide it to achieve a particular series of operations and that allow it
to transform input into output.
Operating System
: structured set of programs that allow humans and computers
to interact, and which manage and coordinate the hardware and software resources
of a computer system and optimize its use. It controls process management.
Software
: the “soft” part of a system, i.e., programs, statements, or any parts that
have no physical substance.
Statements
: individual orders given to the computer using a program written
in a certain language.
Glossario
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