InstallShield 2012 Express Edition User Guide - Knowledge Base ...

Glossary
Term Definition
cache A cache (pronounced cash) is a temporary storage area for frequently accessed data. The
purpose of caching is to store frequently used information in a location that is easy to
access, resulting in a faster-running computer. There are two types of cache: memory cache
and disc cache. Memory cache stores the data and the address of where the data is stored in
main memory. Memory caching is useful because most applications access the same data
repeatedly. Disc caching uses the main memory. It is used to hold information that has
recently been requested from the hard disc or has previously been written to the hard disc. In
general, installations usually use the disc cache. When data is read from or written to main
memory, a copy is also saved in the memory cache. When data is called for, the computer
first checks the memory cache, then the disc cache, and finally main memory.
caption A text heading in a window. The windows caption is what users click and drag to position the
active window on the screen.
CBT See computer-based training.
CD See compact disc.
CD browser A graphical user interface that is launched when a CD is inserted in the drive. It is used to
launch one or more applications on the CD.
CD-ROM See compact disc read–only memory.
checksum A calculated figure that is applied to data to test for possible corruption. The checksum is
derived by sequentially combining bytes of data in the file in a systematic manner. After
transmission or storage compression, the checksum calculation is performed again and the
result is compared with the previous outcome. If the numbers do not match, this indicates
that there is likely an error in the stored or transmitted data.
column A vertical set of information.
COM See component object model.
COM file Binary software components containing reusable code that can be shared across products. A
popular example of a COM file is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet when it is embedded in a
Word document. In this example, Excel acts as the COM server and Word acts as the client.
COM server An executable file that exposes objects to other applications according to the Component
Object Model (COM) specification. The types of objects exposed by a COM server may
include ActiveX controls, ActiveX documents, Automation objects, or MTS components.
COM+ file An extended COM file. With regard to installations, COM+ adds greater support for building
distributed components. For example, you can create appID keys and values in the registry
and thereby configure various COM components to run remotely or with special privileges.
command (1) An instruction given to a computer.
(2) An instruction that the operating system executes from the command line or a Command
Prompt window to perform a specific task. If errors occur during installation, you may, for
example, need to execute commands to run utilities, search your computer’s directories, or
delete files.
command line The area of the Command Prompt window in which commands are typed. A command line is
used to pass commands to executable files (for example,.exe, .bin).
716 ISE-1800-UG01 InstallShield 2012 Express Edition User Guide