| DAC |
Stands for "Digital-to-Analog Converter" and is often pronounced "dac." Since computers only recognize digital... |
| Daemon |
The word "daemon" actually comes from the Greek language, meaning an "inner or attendant spirit" (Oxford American... |
| Dashboard |
Dashboard is a user-interface feature Apple introduced with the release of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. It allows access to... |
| Data |
Computer data is information processed or stored by a computer. This information may be in the form of text documents... |
| Data Management |
Data management refers to the way individuals, companies, and organizations manage computer data. It includes micro... |
| Data Transfer Rate |
The data transfer rate is commonly used to measure how fast data is transferred from one location to another. For... |
| Data Type |
A data type is a type of data. Of course, that is rather circular definition, and also not very helpful. Therefore, a... |
| Database |
A database contains data stored in a structured format. It includes one or more tables, which each contain multiple... |
| DBMS |
Stands for "Database Management System." In short, a DBMS is a database program. Technically speaking, it is a... |
| DDL |
DDL is short for "Data Definition Language." It is used to define the structure of a database, including the tables... |
| DDR |
Stands for "Double Data Rate." It is an advanced version of SDRAM, a type of computer memory. DDR-SDRAM, sometimes... |
| DDR2 |
Stands for "Double Data Rate 2." DDR2 RAM is an improved version of DDR memory that is faster and more efficient. Like... |
| DDR3 |
Stands for "Double Data Rate Type 3." DDR3 is an SDRAM specification introduced in 2007. Compared to previous DDR... |
| Debug |
Computer programmers, like everybody else, are not perfect. This means the programs they write sometimes have small... |
| Debugger |
Even the most experienced software programmers usually don't get it right on their first try. Certain errors, often... |
| Default |
This term is used to describe a preset value for some option in a computer program. It is the value used when a... |
| Defragment |
Defragmenting your hard disk is a great way to boost the performance of your computer. Though the term "defragment... |
| Degauss |
Ever wonder what that "degauss" button on your monitor does besides make a buzzing noise and cause the screen to go... |
| Del.icio.us |
Del.icio.us, pronounced simply "delicious," is a community bookmarking website in which users can save Web pages they... |
| Delete |
Delete is computer terminology for remove or erase. You can delete text from a document of delete entire files or... |
| Desktop |
Your computer's desktop is much like a physical desktop. You probably keep a number of commonly used items on your... |
| Desktop Computer |
A desktop computer is a computer system designed to be used at a table or desk. Some desktop computers have a separate... |
| Desktop Publishing |
When documents and images are printed, they are "published." Before computers became commonplace, the publishing... |
| DHCP |
Stands for "Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol." A network server uses this protocol to dynamically assign IP... |
| Dial-up |
A dial-up connection uses a modem to connect to an ISP or another computer. It uses standard analog phone lines to... |
| Dialog Box |
As the name implies, a dialog box serves to initiate a dialog with the user. It is a window that pops up on the screen... |
| Digital |
Digital information is stored using a series of ones and zeros. Computers are digital machines because they can only... |
| Digital Camera |
A digital camera is an electronic device that captures images in a digital format. It works in a similar way to a... |
| Digital Signature |
A digital signature is a block of data that can be attached to documents such as PDFs, word processing files, and... |
| Digitize |
When you "digitize" something, you convert it from analog to digital. For example, if you import a VHS tape from a VCR... |
| DIMM |
Stands for "Dual In-Line Memory Module." It is a type of computer memory. A DIMM is a small circuit board that holds... |
| Direct Digital Marketing |
Direct Digital Marketing, or DDM, is a type of marketing that is done through a digital medium. Common DDM mediums... |
| Direct3D |
Direct3D is an application program interface (API) developed by Microsoft that provides a set of commands and functions... |
| Directory |
A directory is another name for a folder. Files on your hard disk are organized into various folders, or directories... |
| DirectX |
DirectX is a set of standard commands and functions that software developers can use when creating their programs... |
| Disk Drive |
The term "disk drive" is a general term that describes a device that reads and/or writes data to a disk. It is often... |
| Disk Image |
A disk image is a software copy of a physical disk. It saves the entire data from the disk, including the file... |
| Dithering |
Dithering is a process that can be applied to both digital images and audio files. For digital images, dithering adds... |
| DLL |
Stands for "Dynamic Link Library." A DLL (.dll) file contains a library of functions and other information that can be... |
| DMA |
Stands for "Direct Memory Access." DMA is a method of transferring data from the computer's RAM to another part of the... |
| DNS |
Stands for "Domain Name System." The primary purpose of DNS is to keep Web surfers sane. Without DNS, we would have... |
| DNS Record |
DNS records are stored in zone files and are used for translating domain names to IP addresses. They also contain... |
| Dock |
The Dock is a feature of the Mac OS X Finder that provides quick access to programs, files, and folders. By default... |
| Document |
A document is a type of file that has been created or saved by an application. For example, a text file saved with... |
| Domain |
While the term "domain" is often used synonymously with "domain name," it also has a definition specific to local... |
| Domain Name |
A domain name is used to identify a website. Businesses commonly have a domain name that is their name with the ".com... |
| Domain Suffix |
A domain suffix is the last part of a domain name. Common examples include ".com," ".net," and ".org," though many... |
| Dongle |
This funny-sounding computer term has two widely different definitions that are completely unrelated:
1. A security... |
| DOS |
Stands for "Disk Operating System." DOS was the first operating system used by IBM-compatible computers. It was... |
| Dot Matrix |
A dot matrix is a 2D matrix of dots that can represent images, symbols, or characters. They are used for electronic... |
| Dot Pitch |
This is the measurement used to determine how sharp the display of a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor is. It is measured... |
| Double Click |
Double clicking involves clicking your mouse button quickly two times. To perform a double click, and not just two... |
| Download |
This is the process in which data is sent to your computer. Whenever you receive information from the Internet, you... |
| DPI |
Stands for "Dots Per Inch." DPI is used to measure the resolution of an image both on screen and in print. As the... |
| Drag |
You can use your mouse to drag icons and other objects on your computer screen. Dragging icons from your desktop or an... |
| DRAM |
Stands for "Dynamic Random Access Memory." DRAM is a type of RAM that stores each bit of data on a separate capacitor... |
| Driver |
This term usually refers to the person behind the wheel of a moving car. In the computer world, however, a driver is a... |
| DRM |
Stands for "Digital Rights Management." DRM refers to a collection of systems used to protect the copyrights of... |
| Drop Down Menu |
A drop down menu is a horizontal menu that displays a list of options when one of the primary menu items is selected... |
| DSL |
Stands for "Digital Subscriber Line." It is a medium for transferring data over regular phone lines and can be used to... |
| DSLAM |
Stands for "Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer." A DSLAM is a device used by Internet Service Providers (ISPs... |
| DTD |
Stands for "Document Type Definition." A DTD defines the tags and attributes used in an XML or HTML document. Any... |
| Dual-Core |
A dual-core processor is a CPU with two processors or "execution cores" in the same integrated circuit. Each processor... |
| DV |
Stands for "Digital Video." Unlike traditional analog video, which is captured frame by frame on a tape, digital video... |
| DVD |
Stands for "Digital Versatile Disc." It can also stand for "Digital Video Disc," but with the multiple uses of DVDs... |
| DVD+R |
Stands for "Digital Versatile Disc Recordable." DVD+R discs look the same as regular DVDs, but can be used to record... |
| DVD+RW |
Stands for "Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable." A DVD+RW is like a DVD+R, but can be erased and rewritten. DVD+RWs... |
| DVD-R |
Stands for "Digital Versatile Disc Recordable." A DVD-R looks the same as a regular DVD, but like a CD-R, it can be... |
| DVD-RAM |
DVD-RAM stands for "Digital Versatile Disc - Random Access Memory." It is one of three rewriteable DVD formats, along... |
| DVD-RW |
Stands for "Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable." A DVD-RW is like a DVD-R but can be erased and written to again. Like... |
| DVI |
Stands for "Digital Video Interface." DVI is a video connection standard created by the Digital Display Working Group... |
| DVR |
Stands for "Digital Video Recorder." A DVR is basically a VCR that uses a hard drive instead of video tapes. It can... |
| Dynamic Website |
A dynamic website contains Web pages that are generated dynamically. Each time a user accesses a page within a dynamic... |
