General

Here you will find acronyms and descriptions of general computer terms:

Client/Server - Client/server describes the relationship between two computer programs in which one program, the client, makes a service request from another program, the server, which fulfills the request. Although the client/server idea can be used by programs within a single computer, it is a more important idea in a network.

FTP - File Transfer Protocol. A commonly used protocol for exchanging files over any network that supports the TCP/IP protocol (such as the Internet or an intranet).

GUI - Graphical User Interface. An interface that has pictures as well as words on the screen. With windows, icons, pull-down menus, and the mouse, the graphical user interface is easier to learn and work with.

HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol. The protocol most often used to transfer information from World Wide Web servers to browsers, which is why Web addresses begin with http://. Also called Hypertext Transport Protocol.

ISP - Internet Service Provider. An organization that offers users access to the Internet and related services.

PHP - PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor. An open source, reflective programming language.

SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The de facto standard for e-mail transmissions across the Internet.

Socket - One endpoint of a two-way communication link between two programs running on the network. A socket is bound to a port number so that the TCP layer can identify the application that data is destined to be sent.

SQL - Structured Query Language. The most popular computer language used to create, modify, retrieve and manipulate data from relational database management systems.

TCP - Transmission Control Protocol. Transport layer protocol (L4) that is one of the core protocols of the Internet protocol suite.

Tread - A part of a program that can execute independently of other parts. Operating systems that support multithreading enable programmers to design programs whose threaded parts can execute concurrently.

VB - Visual Basic. A computer programming language from Microsoft.

WAV - Or WAVE), short for Waveform audio format, is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing audio on PCs.

WMI - Windows Management Instrumentation. In Microsoft Windows operating systems, a set of extensions to the Windows Driver Model.