w³

n. See World Wide Web.

W3

n. See World Wide Web.

W3C

n. See World Wide Web Consortium.

wallet PC

n. A pocket-sized portable computer designed to function like a wallet, carrying "virtual" versions of one's identification, money, credit cards, and other essentials, as well as a mobile information source and communications tool. The wallet PC is still under development.

wallpaper

n. In a graphical user interface such as Windows, a pattern or picture in the screen background that can be chosen by the user. See also graphical user interface.

WAN

n. See wide area network.

warm boot

n. The restarting of a running computer without first turning off the power. Also called soft boot, warm start.

Watermark

n. An image that appears on the background of a page to decorate or identify the page. When used on a Web page, the image does not scroll as the page scrolls. Not all Web browsers support watermarks.

WAV

n. A file format in which Windows stores sounds as waveforms. Such files have the extension .wav. Depending on the sampling frequency, on whether the sound is monaural or stereo, and on whether 8 or 16 bits are used for each sample, one minute of sound can occupy as little as 644 kilobytes or as much as 27 megabytes of storage. See also sampling (definition 2), waveform.

WBEM

n. Acronym for Web-Based Enterprise Management. A protocol that links a Web browser directly to a device or application that monitors a network. See also communications protocol.

WDL

n. See Windows Driver Library.

web

n. A set of interlinked documents in a hypertext system. The user enters the web through a home page. See also World Wide Web.

Web

n. See World Wide Web.

Web address

n. See URL.

Web-Based Enterprise Management

n. See WBEM.

Web browser

n. A client application that enables a user to view HTML documents on the World Wide Web, another network, or the user's computer; follow the hyperlinks among them; and transfer files. Text-based Web browsers, such as Lynx, can serve users with shell accounts but show only the text elements of an HTML document; most Web browsers, however, require a connection that can handle IP packets but will also display graphics that are in the document, play audio and video files, and execute small programs, such as Java applets or ActiveX controls, that can be embedded in HTML documents. Some Web browsers require helper applications or plug-ins to accomplish one or more of these tasks. In addition, most current Web browsers permit users to send and receive e-mail and to read and respond to newsgroups. Also called browser. See also ActiveX controls, helper application, hyperlink, Internet Explorer, Java applet, Lynx, Mosaic, Netscape Navigator, plug-in.

WebCrawler

n. A World Wide Web search engine operated America Online. See also search engine.

Web development

n. The design and coding of World Wide Web pages.

Web directory

n. A list of Web sites, giving the URL and a description of each. See also URL.

Web index

n. A Web site intended to enable a user to locate other resources on the Web. The Web index may include a search facility or may merely contain individual hyperlinks to the resources indexed.

Webmaster

or webmaster n. A person responsible for creating and maintaining a World Wide Web site. A Webmaster is often responsible for responding to e-mail, ensuring the site is operating properly, creating and updating Web pages, and maintaining the overall structure and design of the site. Also called webmistress, webweaver.

Web page

n. A document on the World Wide Web. A Web page consists of an HTML file, with associated files for graphics and scripts, in a particular directory on a particular machine (and thus identifiable by an URL). Usually a Web page contains links to other Web pages. See also URL.

Web site

n. A group of related HTML documents and associated files, scripts, and databases that is served up by an HTTP server on the World Wide Web. The HTML documents in a Web site generally cover one or more related topics and are interconnected through hyperlinks. Most Web sites have a home page as their starting point, which frequently functions as a table of contents for the site. Many large organizations, such as corporations, will have one or more HTTP servers dedicated to a single Web site. However, an HTTP server can also serve several small Web sites, such as those owned by individuals. Users need a Web browser and an Internet connection to access a Web site. See also home page, HTML, HTTP server, Web browser.

Web site certificate

n. In Microsoft Internet Explorer, a web-site certificate states that a specific web site is secure and genuine. It ensures that no other web site can assume the identity of the original secure site. Web site certificates are also dated when they are issued. When you try to open an organization's web site, Internet Explorer verifies that the Internet address stored in the certificate is correct and that the current date precedes the expiration date. If the information is not current and valid, Internet Explorer can display a warning. See also certificate, digital ID, personal certificate.

Web terminal

n. A system containing a central processing unit (CPU), RAM, a high-speed modem, and powerful video graphics, but no hard disk, intended to be used solely as a client to the World Wide Web rather than as a general-purpose computer. Also called network computer.

Web TV

n. A system for accessing the World Wide Web and displaying Web pages on a television screen using a set-top box.

webzine

n. An electronic publication distributed primarily through the World Wide Web, rather than as an ink-on-paper magazine. See also ezine.

WELL

n. Acronym for Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link. A conferencing system based in San Francisco, California, that is accessible through the Internet and through dial-up access points in many major cities. The WELL attracts many computer professionals, along with other people who enjoy participating in one of the Internet's most successful virtual communities. Because of the number of journalists and other prominent people who participate in the WELL, it has substantial influence beyond its own relatively small number of subscribers.

whatis

n. 1. A UNIX utility for obtaining a summary of a keyword's documentation. See also man pages. 2. An Archie command for locating software whose description contains desired words.

What You See Is What You Get

adj. See WYSIWYG.

Whetstone

n. A benchmark test that attempts to measure the speed and efficiency with which a computer carries out floating-point operations. The result of the test is given in units called whetstones. The Whetstone benchmark has fallen out of favor because it produces inconsistent results compared to other benchmarks such as the Dhrystone and the sieve of Eratosthenes. See also benchmark¹, Dhrystone, sieve of Eratosthenes.

whiteboard

n. Software that allows multiple users across a network to work together on a document that is simultaneously displayed on all the users' screens as though they are gathered around a physical whiteboard.

white paper

n. An informal paper stating a position or proposing a draft specification, usually on a technical topic. See also specification (definition 1).

whois

n. 1. An Internet service, provided by some domains, that enables a user to find e-mail addresses and other information for users listed in a database at that domain. 2. A UNIX command to access the whois service. 3. A command that displays a list of all users logged onto a Novell network.

whois client

n. A program (such as the UNIX whois command) that enables a user to access databases of usernames, e-mail addresses, and other information. See also whois.

whois server

n. Software that provides the usernames and e-mail addresses from a database (often listing people who have accounts at an Internet domain) to users who request the information using whois clients. See also whois.

wide area network

n. A communications network that connects geographically separated areas. Acronym: WAN.

Wide SCSI

n. A form of the SCSI-2 interface that can transfer data 16 bits at a time at up to 20 megabytes per second. The Wide SCSI connector has 68 pins. Also called Wide SCSI-2. See also SCSI, SCSI-2. Compare Fast SCSI, Fast/Wide SCSI.

wildcard character

n. A keyboard character that can be used to represent one or many characters. The asterisk (*), for example, typically represents one or more characters and the question mark (?) typically represents a single character. Wildcard characters are often used in operating systems as a means of specifying more than one file by name.

Win32

n. The application programming interface in Windows 95 and Windows NT that enables applications to use the 32-bit instructions available on 80386 and higher processors. Although Windows 95 and Windows NT support 16-bit 80x86 instructions as well, Win32 offers greatly improved performance. See also 16-bit machine, 32-bit machine, 80386DX, 8086, application programming interface, central processing unit, Win32s.

Win32s

n. A subset of the Win32 application programming interface that works under Windows 3.x. By including the Win32s software, which is distributed as freeware, an application can gain in performance from using the 32-bit instructions available on 80386 and higher processors while running under Windows 3.x. See also 32-bit machine, 80386DX, central processing unit, Win32.

Winchester disk

n. An early IBM name for a hard disk. The term is derived from IBM's internal code name for its first hard disk, which stored 30 megabytes (MB) and had a 30-millisecond access time, reminding its inventors of a Winchester .30-caliber rifle known as a ".30-.30."

window

n. In applications and graphical interfaces, a portion of the screen that can contain its own document or message. In window-based programs, the screen can be divided into several windows, each of which has its own boundaries and can contain a different document (or another view into the same document).

windowing environment

n. An operating system or shell that presents the user with specially delineated areas of the screen called windows. Windowing environments typically allow windows to be resized and moved around on the display. The Macintosh Finder, Windows, and the OS/2 Presentation Manager are all examples of windowing environments. See also graphical user interface, window.

Windows

n. An operating system introduced by Microsoft Corporation in 1983. Windows is a multitasking graphical user interface environment that runs on both MS-DOS-based computers (Windows and Windows for Workgroups) and as a self-contained operating system (Windows 95, Windows NT). Windows provides a standard interface based on drop-down menus, windowed regions on the screen, and a pointing device such as a mouse.

Windows 95

n. An operating system with a graphical user interface for 80386 and higher processors, released by Microsoft Corporation in August 1995. Intended to replace Windows 3.11, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, and MS-DOS, Windows 95 is a complete operating system, rather than a shell that requires MS-DOS, as does Windows 3.x. For backwards compatibility, Windows 95 can run MS-DOS software. The My Computer icon on the Windows 95 destop provides access to the system files and resources, and the Network Neighborhood icon provides access to any network (if the computer is attached to one). Windows 95 supports the Plug and Play method for installing and configuring hardware and can access Windows, NetWare, and UNIX networks. The minimum configuration for Windows 95 is an 80386 processor with 4 MB of RAM, but an i486 or higher processor with at least 8 MB of RAM is recommended. See also MS-DOS, NetWare, Plug and Play, Windows, Windows for Workgroups.

Windows application

n. A software application designed for use with the Microsoft Windows environment.

Windows-based accelerator

n. A type of super VGA (SVGA) video adapter designed specifically to run Windows and Windows-based applications more quickly. A Windows-based accelerator achieves performance improvements over a standard SVGA video adapter with the help of special routines built into the adapter's read-only memory. These routines relieve the Windows operating system of some of the video-related duties it must perform on a nonaccelerated system. Also called Windows-based accelerator card. See also SVGA.

Windows CE

n. A scaled-down version of the Microsoft Windows platform designed for use with handheld PCs. Windows CE includes scaled-down versions of several Microsoft application programs, including Excel, Word, Internet Explorer, Schedule+, and an e-mail client. See also handheld PC.

Windows Driver Library

n. A collection of hardware device drivers for Microsoft Windows operating system that were not included in the original Windows package. See also driver. Acronym: WDL.

Windows Explorer

n. A utility in Windows 95 that enables the user to locate and open files and folders. Windows Explorer resembles the File Manager of Windows 3.1. The user can select folders from a list displayed on the left side of the screen and access files in a selected folder from a list displayed on the right side of the screen.

Windows for Workgroups

n. A version of Windows released in 1992 and designed to run on an Ethernet-based LAN (local area network) without the need for separate LAN software. See also LAN, Windows.

Windows Metafile Format

n. A graphics file format used by Windows to store vector graphics in order to exchange graphics information between applications and to store information between sessions. See also vector graphics. Acronym: WMF.

Windows NT

n. An operating system released by Microsoft Corporation in 1993. The Windows NT operating system, sometimes referred to as simply NT, is the high-end member of a family of operating systems from Microsoft.. It is a completely self-contained operating system with a built-in graphical user interface. Windows NT is a 32-bit, preemptive multitasking operating system that features networking, symmetric multiprocessing, multithreading, and security. It is a portable operating system that can run on a variety of hardware platforms including those based on the Intel 80386, i486, and Pentium microprocessors and MIPS microprocessors; it can also run on multiprocessor computers. Windows NT supports up to 4 gigabytes of virtual memory and can run MS-DOS, POSIX, and OS/2 (character-mode) applications. See also MS-DOS, operating system, OS/2, POSIX, Windows.

Windows NT Advanced Server

n. A superset of Windows NT that provides centralized, domain-based network management and security. Windows NT Advanced Server also offers advanced hard disk fault-tolerance features, such as mirroring and additional connectivity. See also Windows NT.

WinG

n. Short for Windows Games. An application programming interface for games in the Windows 95 environment. Under WinG, games can access the video frame buffer directly for increased speed. See also application programming interface, buffer¹, frame buffer.

WINS

n. Acronym for Windows Internet Naming Service. A Windows NT Server method for associating a computer's host name with its address. Also called INS, Internet Naming Service. Compare DNS (definition 1).

Winsock

n. Short for Windows Sockets. An application programming interface standard for software that provides a TCP/IP interface under Windows. The Winsock standard developed out of a Birds of a Feather (BOF) discussion that arose among software vendors at a UNIX conference in 1991; it has gained the general support of software developers, including Microsoft. See also application programming interface, BOF, socket (definition 1), TCP/IP.

Wintel

adj. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a computer that uses the Microsoft Windows operating system and an Intel central processing unit (CPU). See also 80X86, PC-compatible, Windows.

wired

adj. 1. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of an electronic circuit or hardware grouping in which the configuration is determined by the physical interconnection of the components (as opposed to being programmable in software or alterable by a switch). See also hardwired (definition 1). 2. Knowledgeable about Internet resources, systems, and culture. 3. Having access to the Internet.

wireless

adj. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of communications that take place without the use of interconnecting wires or cables, such as by radio, microwave, or infrared.

wireless LAN

n. A local area network (LAN) that sends and receives data via radio, infrared optical signaling, or some other technology that does not require a physical connection between individual nodes and the hub. Wireless LANs are often used in office or factory settings where a user must carry a portable computer from place to place.

wizard

n. 1. Someone who is adept at making computers perform their "magic." A wizard is an outstanding and creative programmer or a power user. Compare guru, UNIX wizard. 2. A participant in a Multi-User Dungeon (MUD) who has permission to control the domain, even to delete other players' characters. See also MUD. 3. An interactive help utility within an application that guides the user through each step of a particular task, such as starting up a word processing document in the correct format for a business letter.

WMF

n. See Windows Metafile Format.

word

n. The native unit of storage on a particular machine. A word is the largest amount of data that can be handled by the microprocessor in one operation and also, as a rule, the width of the main data bus. 16-bit and 32-bit words are the most common. Compare byte, octet.

word processing

n. The act of entering and editing text with a word processor. Acronym: WP.

word processor

n. An application program for creating and manipulating text-based documents. A word processor is the electronic equivalent of paper, pen, typewriter, eraser, and, most likely, dictionary and thesaurus. Depending on the program and the equipment in use, word processors can display documents either in text mode (using highlighting, underlining, or color to represent italics, boldfacing, and other such formatting) or in graphics mode (in which formatting and, sometimes, a variety of fonts appear on the screen as they will on the printed page). All word processors offer at least limited facilities for document formatting, such as font changes, page layout, paragraph indentation, and the like. Some word processors can also check spelling, find synonyms, incorporate graphics created with another program, align mathematical formulas, create and print form letters, perform calculations, display documents in multiple on-screen windows, and enable users to record macros that simplify difficult or repetitive operations. Compare editor, line editor.

wordwrap

or word wrap n. The ability of a word-processing program or a text-editing program to break lines of text automatically to stay within the page margins or window boundaries of a document without the user having to do so with carriage returns, as is typically necessary on a typewriter. See also hard return, soft return.

workaround

n. A tactic for accomplishing a task, despite a bug or other inadequacy in software or hardware, without actually fixing the underlying problem. See also kludge.

workbook

n. In a spreadsheet program, a file containing a number of related worksheets. See also worksheet.

workgroup

n. A group of users working on a common project and sharing computer files, often over a local area network. See also groupware.

workgroup computing

n. A method of working electronically in which various individuals on the same project share resources and access to files using a network arrangement, such as a local area network, enabling them to coordinate their separate tasks. This is accomplished through using software designed for workgroup computing. See also groupware.

Workplace Shell

n. The graphical user interface of OS/2. Like the Mac OS and Windows 95, the Workplace Shell is document-centric. Document files are displayed as icons; clicking on an icon starts the corresponding application, and the user can print a document by dragging the document's icon to a printer icon. The Workplace Shell uses the graphical functions of Presentation Manager. Acronym: WPS.

worksheet

n. In a spreadsheet program, a page organized into rows and columns appearing on screen and used for constructing a single table.

workstation

n. 1. A combination of input, output, and computing hardware that can be used for work by an individual. 2. A powerful stand-alone computer of the sort used in computer-aided design and other applications requiring a high-end, usually expensive, machine with considerable calculating or graphics capability. 3. A microcomputer or terminal connected to a network.

World Wide Web

or World-Wide Web n. The total set of interlinked hypertext documents residing on HTTP servers all around the world. Documents on the World Wide Web, called pages or Web pages, are written in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), identified by URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) that specify the particular machine and pathname by which a file can be accessed, and transmitted from node to node to the end user under HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). Codes, called tags, embedded in an HTML document associate particular words and images in the document with URLs so that a user can access another file, which may be halfway around the world, at the press of a key or the click of a mouse. These files may contain text (in a variety of fonts and styles), graphics images, movie files, and sounds as well as Java applets, ActiveX controls, or other small embedded software programs that execute when the user activates them by clicking on a link. A user visiting a Web page also may be able to download files from an FTP site and send messages to other users via e-mail by using links on the Web page. The World Wide Web was developed by Timothy Berners-Lee in 1989 for the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN). Also called w³, W3, Web. See also ActiveX controls, HTML, HTTP, HTTP server (definition 2), Java applet, URL. Acronym: WWW.

World Wide Web Consortium

n. A consortium of commercial and educational institutions that oversees research and promotes standards in all areas related to the World Wide Web. Acronym: W3C.

worm

n. A program that propagates itself across computers, usually by creating copies of itself in each computer's memory. A worm might duplicate itself in one computer so often that it causes the computer to crash. Sometimes written in separate segments, a worm is introduced surreptitiously into a host system either as a prank or with the intent of damaging or destroying information. See also bacterium, Internet Worm, Trojan horse, virus.

WORM

n. Acronym for "write once, read many." A type of optical disc that can be read and reread but cannot be altered after it has been recorded. WORMs are high-capacity storage devices. Because they cannot be erased and rerecorded, they are suited to storing archives and other large bodies of unchanging information. See also compact disc.

WOSA

n. Acronym for Windows Open System Architecture. A set of application programming interfaces from Microsoft that is intended to enable Windows applications from different vendors to communicate with each other, such as over a network. The interfaces within the WOSA standard include Open Database Connectivity (ODBC), the Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), the Telephony Application Programming Interface (TAPI), Windows Sockets (Winsock), and Microsoft Remote Procedure Calls (RPC). See also MAPI, ODBC, remote procedure call, TAPI, Winsock.

wrap around

vb. To continue movement, as with the cursor or a search operation, to the beginning or to a new starting point rather than stopping when the end of a series is reached. For example, the screen cursor wrap around to the first column of the next line rather than stopping when it reaches the last column of the current line. Likewise, a program starting a search or replace operation in the middle of a document might be instructed to wrap around to the beginning rather than stop when it reaches the end of the document.

wrist rest

n. See wrist support.

wrist support

n. A device placed in front of a computer keyboard to support the wrists in an ergonomically neutral position, thereby safeguarding against repetitive strain injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Also called wrist rest. See also carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injury.

write¹

n. A transfer of information to a storage device, such as a disk, or to an output device, such as the monitor or printer. For example, a disk write means that information is transferred from memory to storage on disk. See also output¹. Compare read¹.

write²

vb. To transfer information either to a storage device, such as a disk, or to an output device, such as the monitor or a printer. Writing is the means by which a computer provides the results of processing. A computer can also be said to write to the screen when it displays information on the monitor. See also output². Compare read².

write access

n. A privilege on a computer system that allows a user to save, change, or delete stored data. Write access is usually set by the system administrator for a networked or server system and by the owner of the computer for a stand-alone machine. See also access privileges.

write-back cache

n. A type of cache with the following feature: when changes are made to cached data, they are not simultaneously made to the original data as well. Instead, the changed data is marked, and the origianl data is updated when the chached data is deallocated. In a write-through cache, by contrast changes made to cached data are simultaneously made in the original copy. A write-back cache can perform more quickly than a write-through cache. But in some contexts, differences between cached and original data could lead to problems, and write-through caches must be used. Also called write-behind cache, write cache. See also cache.

write-behind cache

n. A form of temporary storage in which data is held, or cached, for a short time in memory before being written on disk for permanent storage. Caching improves system performance in general by reducing the number of times the computer must go through the relatively slow process of reading from and writing to disk. See also cache, CPU cache.

write cache

n. See write-behind cache.

write error

n. An error encountered while a computer is in the process of transferring information from memory to storage or to another output device. Compare read error.

write protect

vb. To prevent the writing (recording) of information, usually on a disk. Either a floppy disk or an individual file on a floppy or a hard disk can be write protected (though not necessarily infallibly). See also write-protect notch.

write-protect tab

n. See write-protect notch.

WWW

n. See World Wide Web.

WYSIWYG