- packet - A group of
bits, including data and control elements, that are
transmitted together. The control elements include a
source address and a destination address. The data
elements, and possibly error-control information, are
arranged in a specifed format.
- packet switching -A
system, used extensively throughout the Internet, for
handling messages based upon the breakdown of a message
into standardized packets, each of which is independently
routed to the addressee.
- pane -Sub-section of
a window. For example the Netscape mail window has three
panes: the folder pane, the mail pane, and the message
pane. The boundaries between the panes can be moved by
the user.
- parent / child -Technically,
the relationship between a master process in UNIX and a
sub-process spawned by the parent. Adopted by Netscape as
a way of referring to the relationship of FRAMES on Web
pages, which can be nested down to many levels.
- parse -In data
management, to examine byte by byte in order to extract a
certain expected patterns, such as file names, dates,
etc.
- password - A
secret combinations of letters and other symbols needed
to login to a computer system.
- path -A complete
instruction defining where in the computer's directory
structure a certain file is located. A path may be
indicated from the root, such, as, C:\WINDOWS\GAMES, or
relative to the current subdirectory.
"..\WINAPPS\ACCOUNTS" means "starting from
here, go up one level and go back down to
WINAPPS\ACCOUNTS".
- PCMCIA - Personal
Computer Memory Card International Association
- PDF - (Portable
Document Format) A convention that imports a completely
formatted document to a user's screen, including all
fonts, colors, and illustrations exactly like a magazine
page. At the present time, only the application Adobe
Acrobat can read / display .PDF files on the Web.
- perl -(Practical
Extraction and Report Language) A modern computer
language whose features make it very suitable for cgi-bin
tasks.
- permission -A
UNIX file may be designed as readable and / or writable
and / or executable. The total designation is made
independent for the file's owner, for other users on the
same system, and for users from outside. The total
designation is known as the file's permissions.
- ping -(Packet
INternet Groper) An Internet program used to determine
whether a specific IP address is accessible. It works by
sending a packet to the specified address and waiting for
a reply. Normally, the network administrator 'pings' to a
location to check whether the site is accessible.
- PkZIP , PkUNZIP - The
most popular shareware for compression and decompression
of files. PK stands for the author of this shareware Phil
Katz.(I faintly remember this name. Please correct me if
I am wrong)
- platform - A term
referring to an operating system or a runtime environment
like Windows-95, Solaris, etc.
- plug-in - A smaller
"add-on" computer program which works in
conjuction with a larger application. Usually a plug-in
enhances the capabilities of the program it is
"plugged" into. Web browsers like Netscape
Navigator have many plug-ins which allow a user to do
everything from viewing Quicktime VR animations to
visiting VRML worlds to hearing realaudio.
- point - The act of
placing your mouse arrow onto a link to direct it to
another web page. "Point your browser to" means
"go to" that web site.
- POP -(Post Office
Protocol) An e-mail system that establishes your primary
mailbox in your own desktop computer rather than at your
access provider's site. POP mail is the usual protocol
for incoming mail, while SMTP is used for outgoing.
- port - 1. A logical
channel in a communications system 2. To install a
software on another computer system.
- post - To send a
message to online bulletin board / newsgroups /
discussion forums.
- postmaster - The
administrator to whom complaints about his / her site
must be addressed.
- PostScript - PostScript
is a programming language designed to be used to describe
printing on pages.
- PPP -(Point-to-Point
Protocol) A convention for transmitting packet-switched
data over long-distance networks.
- progam - (or
application or software) These three terms refer to a
computer program or set of programs that performs a
specific job. World Wide Web browsers, HTML editors, and
Netscape plugins are all examples of applications. This
contrasts with an Operating System, such as MacOS or
Windows, which manage how your computer performs tasks,
and "runs" these applications.
- prompt - The place
or the symbol which asks you to type in some command or
click on the mouse.
- properties window
-Pop-up window displaying hidden information
about some object selected by the mouse. Properties
windows usually, but not always, allow the user to edit
the information.
- protocol - A set
of rules for communicating.
- proxy -A device used
to acess Internet around a "firewall" put up to
ensure security in a large system.
- proxy server - A
technique used to cache information on a Web server and
acts as an intermediary between a Web client and that Web
server. It basically holds the most commonly and recently
used content from the World Wide Web for users in order
to provide quicker access and to increase server
security. This is common for an ISP especially if they
have a slow link to the Internet.
- PSTN - Public
Switched Telephone Network the collection of
interconnected systems operated by the various telephone
companies and administrations(PTTs) around the world.