GLOSSARY

Address Space

The area of memory that a program can address.

ALGOL

A high level programming language.

Alphanumeric

Character information as opposed to graphic information.

APL

A Programming Language. An advanced interactive language designed by K Iverson.

ASAS

A finite element package.

ASKA

A finite element package from Aitkens Research.

Atlas

A computer which is often used as benchmark for computer performance.

BASIC

A simple interactive language.

BCPL

Basic Cambridge Programming Language.

Byte

8 bits of data.

CADC

Computer Aided Design Centre.

Centronix

The name usually refers to a keyboard terminal produced by Centronix which operates at about 200 characters per second.

Chaining

A FORTRAN overlay system.

Channel

A path from a source of data to a user of data. Can be a physical set of wires or a path through software.

Command decoding

The decoding of text presented to a computer by a user with a view to interpreting it as a command to some program.

Command macro

A series of commands which can be considered to be a single command by a user.

CONIVER

A language designed for Artificial Intelligence which allows the use of back tracking.

Cooperative computing

The use of two or more computers being involved in the execution of one problem concurrently.

Cross Assembler

An assembler which runs on a computer and produces code for some other computer.

CSMP

Continuous System Modelling Package for simulation.

CTL

Computer Technology Limited.

Data Bank

A system for storing a large quantity of related information.

EPSS

Experimental Packet Switched Service. An experimental communications network being developed by the Post Office.

Extended Fortran

A FORTRAN system which has been extended beyond the defined international standards.

Federal Computing Centre

A possible assembly of computing organisations at the Chilton site.

Finite Element Analysis

The reduction of a structure into arbitrarily defined elements over which an approximate solution is obtained by summing the solutions in each element.

Floppy disc

A very simple, small and low cost exchangeable disc system.

Front-end-Processor

A computer used to organise input and output of data to a second computer.

GENESYS

A finite element package for Civil Engineering.

GINO F

A graphical system developed by the Computer Aided Design Centre at Cambridge.

Hard copy graphics

System whereby a user can obtain graphical output on paper.

ICES

A finite element package for structural engineering.

LISP

A list processing language.

LP

Linear Programming.

Meeting House function

The function which brings together experts in a particular field or in different fields to further progress in the state of the art or to promote cross-fertilization between disciplines.

Menu handling

A system whereby a user can be presented with a series of options by a computer and can select one or more.

Micro computer

A simple computer possibly on a small number of integrated circuits.

Minicomputers

Small computers of less than 1 Atlas power usually of a short word length and less than £100K.

Modem

Device which enables a digital data string to be passed over an analogue telephone circuit.

Multiplexing

The act of combining a number of data channels through a single data channel.

NASTRAN

A large finite element package used in the aerospace industry.

NEL

National Engineering Laboratory at East Kilbride.

Network

A system for connecting terminals and computers.

Overlay

A means whereby sections of code in main memory which are no longer required may be replaced by wanted sections of code.

PAFEC

A finite element package for structure design produced by Nottingham University Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Paging

A method of store management which normally allows virtual memory systems.

PASCAL

A structured Programming language.

POP

An interactive language designed by the Edinburgh Artificial Intelligence Group.

Re-entrant code

A piece of computer code which may be used by more than one process at a time.

Refresh display

A display in which the picture is continually written to a cathode ray tube to give the illusion that it is permanently being displayed.

SIMULA

A general purpose simulation language.

SNOBOL

A text manipulation language.

Storage tube display

A display in which the picture is written on a cathode ray tube which has the ability to retain the image.

String handling

The processing of a string of characters or text.

Swapping

The removal of a program to backing store and its replacement by another.

System programming

The programming associated with operating systems.

TSO

Time Sharing Option. A multi-access system which can be used on IBM 370 series computers.

UMIST

University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.

Virtual memory

Memory systems where the user program address is mapped onto the real memory address. The term is often applied to systems where fragmented address spaces are allowed or address spaces larger than the real memory.