FALSE --
(programming)
A value to which a Boolean descriptor can evaluate.
FALSE must be the word ``false,'' irrespective of case, or
a non-zero return code.
FDDI --
Fiber Distributed Data Interface.
field --
An area in a form in which you record specific information,
such as a name or date.
See also
form.
FIFO (First In First Out) --
(programming) A named permanent pipe which allows two unrelated
processes to exchange information using a pipe connection.
file --
The basic unit of information on a UNIX filesystem.
Regular files are usually either text (ASCII) or
executable programs. Other types of files exist on the
UNIX system such as directories, which store information
about the files within them; device files, which are used
by the system to access a particular
device;
and FIFO (First In First Out) pipe files, which
are used to transfer data between programs.
The
attributes
of each file are stored in the file's
inode.
See also
directory.
File Class Database --
(programming)
Contains file class definitions, where each definition
consists of a file class name and a list of properties.
The properties define the visual and
metaphor behavior of files belonging to the file class.
file descriptor --
1. A file descriptor is an integer value assigned by
the operating system to a file when the file is opened by a process.
2. A number associated with an open file; used to refer to the open
file in I/O redirection operations.
file properties --
The information that can be displayed about an icon, such
as its name, owner, group, size, type, class, the number of
links it has, its access time, and the permissions
assigned to it.
filename --
The name of a file, which must be unique in the directory
in which it resides.
For specific rules on naming files, see
filename.
filesystem --
A hierarchical organization of directories and files. In a
filesystem, each file has a unique location in relation to
all others. See also
pathname.
filesystem type --
(programming)
Each different filesystem implementation that is
incorporated into the VFS architecture
is referred to as a filesystem type.
A filesystem type can support different file types.
The traditional UNIX System V filesystem type, a secure file system type,
a high performance filesystem type, and an MS-DOS file system type
are examples of potential filesystem types.
file type --
1. The format in which information is stored.
Some applications accept information only of a particular type.
The Clipboard can convert information from one type to another.
See also
Clipboard
and
data integration.
2. (programming) The general expected characteristics of
a file are determined by its file type.
File types include regular file, character special file,
block special file, FIFO, directory, and symbolic link.
Each file type is supported within some filesystem type.
filter --
A filter is a program that reads information from the standard input,
acts on it in some way, and sends its result to the standard output.
It is called a filter because it can be used in a pipeline
(see
pipe)
to transform the output of another program.
Filters are different from editors in that they do not
change the contents of a file.
Examples of filters are
sort(1),
which sorts the input, and
wc(1),
which counts the number of words, characters, and lines in the input.
firmware --
The Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM),
which permanently holds a few, special programs.
fixed privilege --
A set of privileges that are always given to processes
created from the executable file, independent of the
process privileges from the creating, parent process.
flag --
A command option, used to set up some feature of a command.
Similar in function to a
command line
option or
argument.
flat widget --
(programming)
Same as ``flattened widget''.
A single widget that maintains a collection of similar
user-interface components that together give the appearance and behavior of
many widgets.
See also
widget.
floppy disk --
See
diskette.
FMLI application --
(programming)
An application developed using the Form and Menu Language Interpreter
(FMLI) to provide and maintain a user interface
relying only on standard characters.
An FMLI application can provide access to other applications.
foreground process group --
(programming)
Each session that has established a connection with
a controlling terminal distinguishes one process group
of the session as the foreground process group
of the controlling terminal.
This group has certain privileges when accessing
its controlling terminal that are denied to background process groups.
See also
background process group.
flush --
To empty a buffer, for example; to throw
away unwanted input/output on interrupt
or to release output from stdio.
focus --
Also ``keyboard focus.''
A window or menu has focus when it can accept input from the
mouse or keyboard.
The easiest way to get focus on something is to click on it.
focus policy --
Describes how a window is made active -- that is, how it is
enabled to receive input from the keyboard. The focus policy
can be set to be explicit or implicit.
See also
explicit focus
and
implicit focus.
folder --
A container that can contain files and other folders. You use folders to
organize files and folders by grouping them under one name. For example, a
folder called reports might contain several files such
as report1 and report2.
Directories are called folders when they appear on the Desktop.
font --
A style of text characters on the Desktop or elsewhere.
See also
font family.
font angle --
Specifies the angle of the font, such as italic, oblique, or normal.
font family --
A group of different forms of one typeface that includes varieties
of font weights (such as bold or normal), angles (such as italic
or oblique), and point sizes.
font path --
The pathname that identifies where the font description resides.
font point size --
The nominal size of font characters in points. There are
72 points to an inch.
font weight --
The heaviness of the font, such as light, bold, or normal.
fork --
fork is a system call that splits one process into two,
the parent process and child process, with separate, but
initially identical, text, data, and stack segments.
See
fork(2).
form --
1. An area on the screen where data is entered and displayed.
Forms are used for entering, searching, modifying, and
deleting data.
While in a form, you are in
edit mode.
See also
field.
2. (programming) A visual element of an FMLI
application displayed in a
frame.
A form is made up of fields that allow
you to provide input to the application.
formatting --
The process of imposing an addressing scheme on a
disk. This includes the establishment of a
VTOC, and the mapping of both sides of the disk into
tracks and sectors.
frame --
(programming)
An independently scrollable, bordered region of the screen, used to
display FMLI forms, menus, and text.
A frame includes a title bar, frame border, contents, and, for
frames containing more than three lines, a scroll box.
frame definition file --
(programming)
A file in which the contents, appearance, functionality, and
placement of a menu, form, or text frame are defined using
FMLI.
frame ID number --
(programming)
A number assigned by FMLI to a frame when
it is opened. A frame ID number appears
at the left in the title bar of a frame.
The frame ID number allows users
to navigate among frames by number.
free list --
In a filesystem, the list of blocks that are not
occupied by data.
ftp --
A file transfer program that allows you to copy files
to and from a remote computer in a network.
full pathname --
See
absolute pathname.
fully qualified domain name --
The full name of a host,
by which it can be uniquely identified.
The name includes the machine name and the
full name for the domain to which it belongs.
Also called the ``fully qualified host name''.
function --
(programming) 1. Functions are defined within a program or
shell script;
thereafter, when the function name is referred to, the commands
within the function definition are executed. A function can
return a value that can be assigned to a variable in the calling
environment.
2. A kernel utility used in a driver. The term function is used
interchangeably with the term kernel function. The use of functions
in a driver is analogous to the use of system calls and library routines
in a user-level program.
functional channel --
(programming) A channel whose existence can be determined from the system
call interface, independent of the internal implementation.
Such channels include inode information,
filesystem directories containing elements whose level is
different from that of the directory, signals, FIFO pipes,
IPC mechanisms, I/O device control mechanisms,
file and record locking, and text locking.
function calls --
(programming) Features contained in a programming library that let
you perform specific
programming features. For example, a networking programming library might
have specific function calls for requesting connections, negotiating protocol
features, and sending data to remote systems.
function keys --
The keys marked <F1> through <F10> (or higher) on your keyboard.
These keys are used in some programs to issue specific commands.
fundamental block size --
(programming)
The minimal file allocation unit.
In the case of disk-based filesystems
this is a disk sector or a multiple of disk sectors,
smaller than or equal to the
preferred block size.