18WuD2x

data analysis display unit • data processor 165
data analysis display unit A video display peripheral
for online data analysis.
data area A computer memory area that holds data
only (i.e., one that does not contain program instructions).
data bank A data file stored in a direct-access storage
device, which can be drawn from by many
system users through remote terminals.
database 1. A computer file containing often-used
information (e.g., names and addresses, or electronic
part numbers). 2. A popular form of computer
software that allows users to create,
maintain, and modify information.
data block A set of data bits, comprising an identifiable
item.
data bus A conductor or medium over which digital
data is transmitted from one place to another
within a computer.
data carrier storage A medium of data storage
outside of a computer (e.g., a magnetic disk).
data code A set of abbreviations or codes for data
characters or words.
data collection The pickup of signals representing
test data and their transmission to a computer,
data processor, or recorder. Also see DATA SYS-
TEM, 1.
datacom Acronym for DATA COMMUNICATION.
data communication The transmission and reception
of data signals between or among points
in a system.
data communication terminal A computer peripheral
providing an input and output link to a
central computer system, and that can be used
offline for other functions.
data compression 1. The process of reducing the
size of a data file by eliminating redundancies. 2.
The process of minimizing the length of a data
transmission by eliminating redundancies. 3.
The process of reducing the bandwidth of a data
transmission. 4. The process of reducing the dynamic
amplitude range of a data transmission.
data control The automatic control of incoming
and outgoing data in a data processing system.
data conversion The process of changing data
from one form to another, e.g., from analog to digital
(A/D), digital to analog (D/A), parallel to serial,
or serial to parallel.
data converter 1. A circuit or device for performing
DATA CONVERSION. 2. An analog-to-digital
(A/D) converter. 3. A digital-to-analog (D/A) converter.
4. A parallel-to-serial converter. 5. A
serial-to-parallel converter.
data description The description of a unit of data,
as included in a computer source program.
data display A device, such as a cathode-ray tube
(CRT) or liquid-crystal display (LCD), that presents
data for visual examination. Compare
DATA PRINTOUT.
data element 1. A component of a data signal (e.g.,
a number, letter, symbol, or the equivalent electrical
pulses). 2. A device or circuit for acquiring
or processing data. 3. A unit of data (e.g., a field
in a file).
data-flow diagram A block diagram showing the
movement of data through a data-processing system.
data format The form of data in a record or file
(e.g., character format or numerical format).
data gathering See DATA COLLECTION.
data-handling capacity 1. The amount of data
that can be stored in a memory circuit. 2. The
amount of data that can be transmitted over a
certain medium. 3. The rate at which data can be
transferred under certain conditions.
data-handling system A system that gathers,
routes, transmits, or receives data, but does not
necessarily process it.
data item A logical element (character, byte, or bit)
describing a characteristic of a record used by a
system for which there is a specific application.
data level Descriptive, through a programming
language, of the relative weight of logical elements
(data items) in a computer record. Also
called data hierarchy.
data link The portion of a computer system that
gathers data and, if necessary, converts it to a
form acceptable by a computer.
data matrix Variables and their possible values
stored as a series of columns and rows of values
in a computer memory.
data name An operand specified in a computer
source program.
data pickup 1. A transducer that collects data signals
from a source; it converts nonelectrical data
into corresponding electrical signals and delivers
its output to a data processing system. 2. Data
acquisition.
data playback The reproduction of data signals
stored by some method of data recording.
data plotter See X-Y PLOTTER.
data printout 1. A device that prints a record of
data or the results of a computation. 2. A permanent
printed record, usually of a calculation or
computation—especially the printed output of a
computer peripheral device.
data processing Work performed on acquired
data, as in solving problems, making comparisons,
classifying material, organizing files. Usually
done by a computer.
data-processing equipment A digital computer
and the peripheral equipment needed to collate,
store, analyze, and reduce data.
data-processing machine A computer or system
used to collate, store, analyze, and reduce data,
as opposed to a computer or system used primarily
to solve problems or perform routine tasks.
Also called data processor.
data-processing system An electronic system for
automatic data processing. It can be based on
analog and/or digital techniques.
data processor See DATA-PROCESSING MA-
CHINE.