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- Glossary
-
- ~Heading~ Glossary
-
- access code: A telephone number or modem command to dial prior to dialing
- the actual telephone number itself.
-
- add-on board: A board containing electronics hardware that you plug into your
- computer to add additional features.
-
- address space: The range of memory addresses that the processor can
- reference. PC's running in real mode have an address space of 1 megabyte.
- ExPANDed memory can only be referenced after it is mapped into the
- processor's address space.
-
- alternate maps: Sometimes called Real Alternate Maps, a facility provided by
- EMS4 add-on memory boards which allows the fastest memory mapping.
-
- assigned key: A key which, when pressed, plays back a DESQview script.
-
- Auto Dialer: A DESQview feature that automatically dials your telephone, if
- you have a modem installed in your computer.
-
- backfill: Any conventional memory which is not on your PC's motherboard, but
- instead supplied by by an add-on memory board. If the memory board is an EMS
- 4 or EEMS card, then backfilling allows those cards to map that part of the
- conventional memory area. Note that 80386 expanded memory managers, such as
- QEMM-386 can map all of conventional memory without backfilling.
-
- background task:A program running in a window other than the current window.
-
- BIOS: The Basic Input Output Systems software which provides low level, basic
- functionality to your PC. The software is embedded in one or more ROMs in
- high memory.
-
- bit-mapped graphics: A type of display monitor capable of displaying
- graphics, as opposed to strictly textual, information.
-
- BUFFERS: A CONFIG.SYS statement that defines the number of disk buffers
- placed by DOS in memory to enhance disk operations. Each buffer uses about
- 528 bytes of memory. Increasing the number of buffers tends to speed up file
- operations at the cost of decreasing available memory.
-
- click: The action of pressing down and releasing the select button on the
- mouse.
-
- command line switch: A word or symbol on a command line which follows the
- name of the executable program file and specifies a certain command or option
- to the program.
-
- COMMAND.COM: The standard command processor used by DOS. This is the program
- which displays the DOS prompt and processes DOS commands (COPY, DIR, etc.).
-
- CONFIG.SYS: The file which defines the initial configuration of DOS. It
- typically specifies the number of DOS resources to be allocated and the devi
- ce drivers to be loaded.
-
- conventional memory: The contiguous memory starting at 0K used by DOS to run
- programs. This is usually 640K in size.
-
- coprocessor: An optional auxilliary processor used to speed up complex math
- operations.
-
- Ctrl-Break key. The key that, in most cases, aborts the current DESQview
- command or script in progress.
-
- current window: The DESQview term referring to the window in which you are
- currently working.
-
- DESQ button: The button on the mouse that interrupts a program and displays
- the DESQview menu.
-
- DESQ key: The key, which when pressed and released, interrupts a program and
- displays the DESQview menu. By default, this is the Alt key.
-
- DESQview menu: A screen display that indicates which DESQview commands are
- available at a particular time.The master list of DESQview commands.
-
- DEVICE: A CONFIG.SYS statement that tells DOS to load an add-on device driver
- at startup.
-
- device driver: A piece of software used to communicate with an installed
- hardware device (such as a printer, video adapter, disk drive or memory
- card).
-
- DOS Extender: Software that allows programs to use protected mode while
- running under DOS. Running in protected mode allows programs acess to the
- larger address space of the 80286 and 80386 processors. Among the large
- applications which are now using DOS extenders are Lotus 1-2-3 Version 3 and
- Paradox 386.
-
- DOS Resource: The blocks of memory allocated by DOS to keep track of its
- various resources, such as BUFFERS and FILES
-
- EMS: Abbreviation for ExPANDed Memory Specification.
-
- exPANDed memory: A type of memory that permits data to be stored and
- (possibly) programs to be run above the normal 640K memory limit for IBM PCs.
-
- exTENDed memory: memory addressed above 1024K (one Megabyte).
-
- FILES: A CONFIG.SYS statement which specifies the maximum numbers of files
- which can be open simultaneously.
-
- fill-in field: An area on a DESQview menu where information of a specific
- type~dash~for example, a file name~dash~is entered.
-
- foreground task: The program running in the current window.
-
- full-screen window: A window that occupies the entire screen.
-
- high memory: The area betwen the end of conventional memory (usually 640K)
- and 1024K reserved for use by system hardware, such as the system ROM, video
- and other adapters. High memory should not be confused with the XMS term,
- High Memory Area.
-
- High Memory Area: The area, as defined by XMS, from 1024K to 1088K, the first
- 64K of exTENDed memory. It is the only exTENDed memory that can be accessed
- directly by DOS programs.
-
- high RAM: Portions of high memory into which RAM has been mapped. Device
- drivers and TSRs may be loaded in high RAM to minimize conventional memory
- overhead.
-
- HMA: See High Memory Area
-
- K: The abbreviation for kilobyte, equal to 1024 bytes of memory.
-
- Keyboard buffer: The place where the BIOS stores keystrokes as they are
- typed.
-
- keystroke macro: See script.
-
- Learn: A command that tells DESQview to memorize the sequence of keystrokes
- corresponding to a routine task that you wish to store in a key.
-
- Learn key: A keypress, Shift-Alt by default, that displays the Learn menu.
-
- LOADHI: Two programs included with Quarterdeck's QRAM and QEMM products to
- load programs into high RAM. The LOADHI.COM program loads TSR's and DOS
- resources into high memory, while the LOADHI.SYS program loads device drivers
- into high memory.
-
- mappable: Describes a portion of the address space through which exPANDed
- memory can be accessed.
-
- MB: the abbreviation for Megabyte. A Megabyte is equal to 1,024K or
- 1,048,576 bytes of memory.
-
- modem: A device that you attach to your computer which permits your computer
- to make and receive telephone calls.
-
- mouse: A pointing device that controls a second cursor (the mouse cursor) on
- the display screen. By moving the mouse on a hard service, you move the mouse
- cursor on the screen in a corresponding direction.
-
- mouse cursor: A second, diamond-shaped, screen cursor which appears when a
- mouse is used with DESQview.
-
- network adaptor: A hardware card that provides the interface between your
- processor and a local area network. This hardware often reserves portions of
- high memory for its own use.
-
- option: A menu entry that lets you select (turn ON) or deselect (turn OFF) a
- particular DESQview feature.
-
- page frame: An EMS term describing the mappable area, 64K in size, which is
- the place that almost all EMS programs use for mapping. Other mappable
- regions are only used by programs written specifically for EMS4 or EEMS.
-
- parallel ports: Hardware ports used for communication with parallel devices,
- such as printers, accessed through I/O addresses stored in the BIOS data
- area.
-
- processor: The chip which controls your PC, usually either an 8086, 8088m
- 80286, 80386, 80386SX or i486.
-
- Protected Mode: The mode of the 80286, 80386 or i486 processor which allows
- all of extended memory to be accessed directly. Normally, DOS programs cannot
- be run in protected mode. However, programs that use a DOS extender can run
- in protected mode while still maintaining compatibility to DOS.
-
- protocol: The set of commands that a modem uses to dial the telephone.
-
- Put Aside: The DESQview commandthat temporarily removes a window from the
- screen and swaps its associated program out to disk, RAM disk, or expanded
- memory~dash~thus freeing up the memory used by that program.
-
- QEMM: Either of two Quarterdeck products~dash~QEMM-386 or QEMM 50/60. Each
- includes an EMS4 driver and utilities to load TSR's device drivers and DOS
- resources into high memory.
-
- QEXT: Quarterdeck's ExTENDed memory manager for 80286 PCs. Versions 5.0 and
- above support the XMS memory specification. Previous versions only supported
- DESQview's use of the High Memory Area.
-
- QRAM: The Quarterdeck product which enhances other vendor's EMS4 or EEMS
- drivers by providing utilities to load TSRs, device drivers and DOS resources
- into high memory.
-
- RAM: Random Access Memory. This is the memory in your computer into which
- programs and data may be loaded. Its contents are lost when power is turned
- off. It is distinct from ROM in that the contents of RAM can be changed.
-
- Real Mode: The processor mode common to all Intel microprocessors and the
- only mode directly supported by DOS. In real mode, only the first megabyte of
- memory is addressable.
-
- ROM: Read Only Memory. This is memory that is fixed in content and cannot be
- changed. The contents of ROM are not lost when power is turned off. The
- programs contained in ROM are responsible for controlling your hardware.
-
- reverse video: A way that text is displayed in which the text and background
- colors are reversed.
-
- Script: A sequence of steps you have instructed DESQview to memorize.
-
- select button: The left-most button on the mouse.It is used to select
- commands on DESQview menus, move and resize windows, switch between windows,
- and mark information to be transferred.
-
- serial ports: Hardware ports used for communication with serial devices such
- as modems, accessed through I/O addresses stored in the BIOS data area.
-
- snapshot: An exact image of the full screen that DESQview creates so you can
- mark information to be transferred to another program.
-
- swap out. To temporarily store a program on disk because memory is needed to
- open a new window in DESQview.
-
- TSR: A Terminate and Stay Resident program (memory resident program). Such a
- program initializes itself, hooks up to system resources it wants to monitor
- (for example, the keyboard interrupt so that it can "pop up" later) reserves
- some memory for itself, and then returns to the DOS prompt. Quarterdeck's
- LOADHI.COM program can load TSRs into high memory.
-
- VCPI: Virtual Control Program Interface. This is a programming specification
- created by Quarterdeck Office Systems and Phar Lap Software to allow DOS
- extended programs to run when loaded after a virtual 8086 mode expanded
- memory manager such as QEMM-386. Without VCPI, DOS extenders would be
- incompatible with these expanded memory managers.
-
- video adapter: The hardware and ROM software that controls the video display
- characteristics~dash~usually either monochrome, CGA, EGA, VGA or Hercules.
-
- virtualization: The process by which DESQview 386 runs programs that write
- directly to the screen in small windows and in background on an 80386 PC.
- This may be set ON or OFF for any program.
-
- window: How a program running in DESQview is viewed and where all DESQview
- work is done. Several windows and, therefore, several programs, can be viewed
- on the screen simultaneously.
-
- XMS: The ExTENDed memory Specification created to allow DOS programs to
- utilize high RAM and exTENDed memory, including the High Memory Area.
-
- Zoom: A DESQview command that enlarges the window in which you are workingto
- a full screen window, or shrinks it back to its previous, smaller window size
- and position, if its already full screen.
-