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`PUBLISHED BY
`Microsoft Press
`A Division of Microsoft Corporation
`One Microsoft Way
`Redmond, Washington 98052-6399
`
`Copyright © 2002 by Microsoft Corporation
`
`All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
`or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.
`
`Library of Congress Cata1oging—in—Publication Data
`Microsoft Computer Dictionary.-—5th ed.
`p. ;cm.
`ISBN 0-7356-1495~4
`
`l. Computers——Dictionar'1es.
`
`2. Microcomputers-—Dictionaries.
`
`AQ76.5. M52267
`004'.03——dc21
`
`2002
`
`200219714
`
`Printed and bound in the United States of America.
`
`123456789 QWT 765432
`
`Distributed in Canada by Penguin Books Canada Limited.
`
`A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
`
`Microsoft Press books are available through booksellers and distributors worldwide. For further informa-
`tion about international editions, contact your local Microsoft Corporation office or contact Microsoft
`Press International directly at fax (425) 936-7329. Visit our Web site at www.microsoft.com/mspress.
`Send comments to mspinput@micros0ft.c0m.
`
`Active Desktop, Active Directory, ActiveMovie, Activestore, ActiveSync, ActiveX, Authenticode,
`Backoffice, BizTalk, C1earType, Direct3D, DirectAnimation, DirectDraw, Directlnput, DirectMusic,
`DirectPlay, Directshow, Directsound, DirectX, Entourage, FoxPro, FrontPage, Hotmail, IntelliEye,
`Intel1iMouse, IntelliSense, JScript, MapPoint, Microsoft, Microsoft Press, Mobile Explorer, MS~DOS,
`MSN, Music Central, NetMeeting, Outlook, PhotoDraw, PowerPoint, SharePoint, UltimateTV, Visio,
`Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual FoxPro, Visual lnterDev, Visual J++, Visual Sourcesafe, Visual Studio,
`Win32, Win32s, Windows, Windows Media, Windows NT, Xbox are either registered trademarks or
`trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and
`company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
`
`The example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places,
`and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product,
`domain name, e—mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred.
`
`Acquisitions Editor: Alex Blanton
`Project Editor: Sandra Haynes
`
`Body Part No. xos-41929
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`knowledgeable about how the operating system and appli-
`cations used memory. See also memory management unit,
`RAM. 2. In programming, the process of ensuring that a
`program releases each chunk of memory when it is no
`longer needed. In some languages, such as C and C++, the
`programmer must keep track of memory usage by the pro-
`gram. Java, a newer language, automatically frees any
`chunk of memory that is not in use. See also C, C++, gar-
`bage collection, Java.
`I
`
`memory management program 71. 1. A program used to
`store data and programs in system memory, monitor their
`use, and reassign the freed space following their execu-
`tion. 2. A program that uses hard disk space as an exten-
`sion of the random access memory (RAM).
`
`memory management unit n. The hardware that sup-
`ports the mapping of virtual memory addresses to physical
`memory addresses. In some systems, such as those based
`on the 68020, the memory management unit is separate
`from the processor. In most modern microcomputers,
`however, the memory management unit is built into the
`CPU chip. In some systems, the memory management unit
`provides interfacing between the microprocessor and
`memory. This type of memory management unit is typi-
`cally responsible for address multiplexing and, in the case
`of DRAMs, the refresh cycle. Acronym: MMU. See also
`physical address, refresh cycle, virtual address.
`
`memory model 11. The approach used to address the code
`and the data that are used in a computer program. The
`memory model dictates how much memory can be used in
`a program for code and how much for data. Most comput-
`ers with a flat address space support only a single memory
`model; Computers with a segmented address space usually
`support multiple memory models. See also compact
`model, flat address space, large model, medium model,
`segmented address space, small model, tiny model.
`
`memory module n. A removable circuit board, cartridge,
`or other canier that contains one or more RAM memory
`chips. See also memory card, memory cartridge, RAM.
`
`memory-resident adj. Permanently located in a com-
`puter’s memory, rather than swapped in and out of mem-
`ory as needed. See also memory, TSR.
`
`memory scrubbing n. 1. In mainframe computers, the
`process of a computer reading its own memory during idle
`periods in order to find and fix errors. 2. The process of
`
`examining and correcting errors as data is transferred from
`memory to the CPU of a computer.
`
`memory size n. The memory capacity of a computer, usu_
`ally measured in megabytes. See also megabyte, memory,
`memory typewriter n. An electric typewriter with inter.
`nal memory and typically a one-line liquid crystal display
`for viewing the contents of that memory. Memory type-
`writers can usually hold one page of text at a time, to
`which small modifications can be made. Memory type-
`writers usually do not retain the contents of memory when
`power is turned off.
`
`MEMS n. Acronym for micro-electromechanical systems,
`A technology combining computers with extremely tiny
`mechanical devices. MEMS devices contain rnicrocir-
`cuitry on a tiny silicon chip onto which a mechanical
`device such as a sensor or an actuator is attached. MEMS
`devices are used in switches, pacemakers, games, GPS
`tracking, data storage, and for accelerometers in air bags.
`Because MEMS devices have the potential to be manufac-
`tured in large quantities for little cost, many additional
`MEMS products are being planned or studied.
`
`menu n. A list of options from which a user can make a
`selection in order to perform a desired action, such as
`choosing a command or applying a particular format to
`part of a document. Many application programs, espe-
`cially those that offer a graphical interface, use menus as a
`means of providing the user with an easily learned, easy-
`to-use alternative to memorizing program commands and
`their appropriate usage.
`
`menu bar it. A rectangular bar displayed in an application
`prograrn’s on-screen window, often at the top, from which
`menus can be selected by the user. Names of available
`menus are displayed in the menu bar; choosing one with
`the keyboard or with a mouse causes the list of options in
`that menu to be displayed.
`
`menu-driven adj. Using menus to present choices of
`commands and available options. Menu—driven programs
`are usually considered friendlier and easier to learn than
`programs with a command-line interface. Compare com-
`mand—line interface.
`
`menu item n. A choice on a menu, selectable by either
`the keyboard or a mouse. In some instances, a menu item
`that is not available (that is, not appropriate) for a given
`
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`situation is “grayed” (dimmed in comparison to the valid
`menu choices).
`
`Mercer! n. Former code name for the next-generation 64-
`bit microprocessor designed by Intel and Hewlett-Packard
`and released in 2000. Based on the IA—64 architecture, the
`64-bit microprocessor contains upwards of 10 million
`transistors and is used primarily in servers and high-per-
`formance workstations. See also IA—64.
`
`operating environments, ‘such as Windows, a unit of infor-
`mation passed among running programs, certain devices
`in the system, and the operating environment itself.
`
`message header n. A sequence of bits or bytes at the
`beginning of a message that usually provides a timing
`sequence and specifies such aspects of the message struc-
`ture as its length, data format, and block identification
`number. See also header (definition 2).
`
`Mercury n. A logic/functional programming language
`that combines the clarity and expressiveness of declarative
`programming with advanced static analysis and error—
`detection features.
`
`message of the day n. A daily bulletin for users of a net-
`work, multiuser computer, or other shared system. In most
`cases, users are shown the message of the day when they
`log into the system. Acronym: MOTD.
`
`merge vb. To combine two or more items, such as lists, in
`an ordered way and without changing the basic structure
`of either. Compare concatenate.
`
`merged transistor logic It. See integrated injection
`logic.
`
`merge sort n. A sorting technique that combines several
`sorted (input) lists into a single sorted (output) list. See
`also bubble sort, insertion sort, quicksort, sort algorithm.
`
`mesa n. An area of a germanium or silicon wafer that was
`protected during the etching process and is therefore
`higher than the surrounding etched areas. See also photo1i—
`thography.
`
`mesh network n. A communications network having two
`or more paths to any node.
`
`message n. 1. In communications, a unit of information
`transmitted electronically from one device to another. A
`message can contain one or more blocks of text as well as
`beginning and ending characters, control characters, a
`_
`software-generated header (destination address, type of
`message, and other such information), and error-checking
`or synchronizing information. A message can be routed
`directly from sender to receiver through a physical link, or
`it can be passed, either whole or in parts, through a switch-
`ing system that routes it from one intermediate station to
`another. See also asynchronous transmission, block (defi-
`nition 4), control character (definition 1), frame (definition
`1), frame (definition 2), header (definition 2), message
`switching, network, packet (definition 1), packet switch-
`ing, synchronous transmission. 2. In software, a piece of
`information passed from the application or operating sys-
`tem to the user to suggest an action, indicate a condition,
`or inform that an event has occurred. 3. In message-based
`
`Message Passing Interface n. See MPI.
`
`message queue n. An ordered list of messages awaiting
`transmission, from which they are taken up on a first in,
`first out (FIFO) basis.
`
`Message Queuing n. A message queuing and routing
`system for Microsoft Windows that enables distributed
`applications running at different times to communicate
`across heterogeneous networks and with computers that
`may be off line. Message Queuing provides guaranteed
`message delivery, efficient routing, security, and priority-
`based messaging. Message Queuing was formerly known
`as MSMQ.
`
`message reflection n. In object—oriented programming
`environments, such as Visual C++, OLE, and ActiveX, a
`function that allows a control to handle its own message.
`See also ActiveX controls, control (definition 2), OCX,
`VBX.
`
`Message Security Protocol n. A protocol for Internet
`messages that is based on the use of encryption and verifi-
`cation to ensure security. It also allows for permissions at
`the server level for delivery or rejection of e-mail. Acro-
`nym: MSP.
`
`message switching n. A technique used on some com-
`munications networks in which a message, with appropri-
`ate address information, is routed through one or more
`intermediate switching stations before being sent to its
`destination. On a typical message—switching network, a '
`central computer receives messages, stores them (usually
`briefly), determines their destination addresses, and then
`delivers them. Message switching enables a network both
`to regulate traffic and to use communications lines effi—
`ciently. Compare circuit switching, packet switching.
`
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