| Term | Description |
|---|
| D-CHANNEL | Data Channel
|
| D/A | Digital to Analog
|
| D/R | Direct or Reverse
|
| D/S | Dhrystone Per Second
|
| D2C | Decimal To Character [REXX]
|
| D2T2 | Dye Diffusion Thermal Transfer (printing)
|
| D2X | Decimal To Hexadecimal [REXX]
|
| DAA | Data Access Arrangement +
Decimal Adjust for Addition +
Digest Access Authentication
|
| DAB | Digital Audio Broadcasting
|
| DAC | Data Acquisition and Control + Device Access Code +
Digital to Analog Converter +
Dual Attachment Concentrator
|
| DACL | Discretionary Access Control List
|
| DAD | Desktop Application Director [Borland]
|
| DAE | Digital Audio Extraction
|
| DAI | Distributed Artificial Intelligence
|
| Daisy Chain | A method of connectingdevices on a bus.On a daisy chained bus, devices not requesting a signal respond to it by passingit on. The daisy chain scheme permits assignment of device priorities based onthe electrical position of the device on the bus. |
| DAL | Data Access Language [Apple Computer] +
Data Access Layer + Disk Access Lockout
|
| DAM | Data Acquisition and Monitoring
|
| DAMPS | Digital AMPS
|
| DAO | Data Access Object [Microsoft] + Disk At Once
|
| DAP | Data Access Protocol [DEC] +
Developer Assistance Program
Dynamic Application Partitioning [IBM]
|
| DAPIE | Developers Application Programming Interface Extensions
|
| DARI | Database Application Remote Interface [IBM]
|
| DARMS | Digital Alternate Realization of Musical Symbols
|
| DART | Digital Audio Reconstruction Technology
|
| DAS | Decimal Adjust for Subtraction +
Dual-Attached Station
|
| DASD | Direct Access Storage Device [IBM]
|
| DAT | Digital Audio Tape + Disk Array Technology
|
| Data file | See document. |
| Database | A structured set of data, normally associated withsoftware to access and manipulate that data |
| DATACOM | Data Communications
|
| DAV | Digital Audio-Video +
Distributed Authoring and Versioning
|
| DAVIC | Digital Audio-Visual Council
|
| dB | Decibel
|
| DB2 | Database 2
|
| dBA | Adjusted Decibel
|
| DBC | Device Bay Controller
|
| DBCS | Delivery Bar Code Sorter + Double-Byte Character Set
|
| DBIS | Dun & Bradstreet Information Services
|
| dBm | Decibels to a Milliwatt
|
| DBMS | Data Base Management System
|
| DBR | DOS Boot Record
|
| DBS | Data Base Server +
Direct (to home) Broadcast (satellite) System
|
| DBV | Digital Broadcast Video
|
| DBWR | Database Writer [Oracle]
|
| DC | Data Collection + Data Communication + Data Control +
Device Control + Direct Current
|
| DCA | Digital Communications Associates +
Document Content Architecture [IBM]
|
| DCAF | Distributed Console Access Facility [IBM]
|
| DCAM | Digital Camera + Direct Chip Attach Module
|
| DCB | Device Control Block + Disk Coprocessor Board [Novell]
|
| DCC | Data Country Code + Digital Command Control +
Digital Compact Cassette + Direct Cable/Client Connection
+ Display Combination Code
|
| DCD | Data Carrier Detect
|
| DCE | Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment +
Data Communications Equipment +
Distributed Computing Environment [OSF] +
Distributed Computing Equipment
|
| DCED | Distributed Computing Environment Daemon
|
| DCF | Data Communication Facility [IBM] +
Data Compression Facility +
Data Count Field [IBM] +
Driver Configuration File [Lotus]
|
| DCI | Display Control Interface
|
| DCL | Data Control Language + Declaration +
DEC Command Language [DEC] +
Device Clear + Digital Control Logic +
Digital Command Language [Digital]
|
| DCML | Dynamic Configuration Markup Language
|
| DCOM | Distributed Component Object Model
|
| DCP | Device Control Protocol +
Digital Light Processing [TI]
|
| DCS | Data Collection System + Data Control System +
Desktop Color Separation + Distributed Control System
|
| DCT | Discrete Cosine Transform
|
| DCU | Data-Cache Unit
|
| DD | Day + Digital Display + Double Density
|
| DDA | Distributed Data Access + Domain-Defined Attribute
|
| DDB | Device Dependent Bitmap + Device Descriptor Block
|
| DDC | Digital Data Channel [VESA] + Display Data Channel
|
| DDC1 | Display Data Channel One
|
| DDCMP | Digital Data Communications Message Protocol [DEC]
|
| DDCS | Distributed Database Connection Services [IBM]
|
| DDD | Direct Distance Dialing
|
| DDE | Direct Data Entry + Dynamic Data Exchange [Microsoft]
|
| DDEML | Dynamic Data Exchange Manager Library [Microsoft]
|
| DDF | Display Data Channel + Dynamic Data Formatting [IBM]
|
| DDI | Device Driver Interface +
Digital Document Interchange + Direct Dial In
|
| DDK | Device Driver Kit [Microsoft Windows]
|
| DDL | Data Definition Language + Data Description Language
|
| DDM | Distributed Data Management
|
| DDN | Defense Data Network
|
| DDNS | Dynamic Domain Naming System
|
| DDOS | Distributed Denial Of Service
|
| DDP | Datagram Delivery Protocol +
Distributed Data Processing
|
| DDR | Dynamic Document Review [Symantec]
|
| DDR-SDRAM | Double Data Rate-SDRAM
|
| DDS | Data Description Specification +
Digital Dataphone Service [AT&T] + Design Data Sheet +
Digital Data Storage + Distributed Database Services
|
| DDX | Digital Data Exchange
|
| DE | Device End
|
| DEA | Data Encryption Algorithm + Disposable Email Address
|
| Debugger | A program or part of a program which aids inlocating and correcting errors (bugs) in program code. It is said that theoriginal bug was in fact a moth which found its way into an early computer andcaused it to malfunction. |
| DEC | Decrement + Device Clear + Digital Equipment Corporation
|
| DECNET | Digital Equipment Corporation Networking (protocol)
|
| DEF | Desktop Functional Equivalent [Compaq]
|
| Default Button | In some dialogboxes, the command button that is selected automatically if you press Enteror Return. In most graphical user interfaces (GUIs)default buttons have a bold border around them. |
| DEFRAG | Defragment
|
| Degauss | On monitors,a process that demagnetizes the metal components in the CRT,thus eliminating image distortion that can result from magnetic charges acquiredby the components. Some new monitors degauss automatically whenever you turn onyour monitor. |
| DEK | Data Encryption Key
|
| DEL | Delete
|
| DELSTR | Delete String [REXX]
|
| DEN | Directory Enabled Network +
Document Enabled Networking [Novell-Xerox]
|
| DER | Distinguished Encoding Rules
|
| DES | Data Encryption Standard + Data Entry Sheet
|
| Desktop | The term for the screenbackground in most graphical user interfaces (GUIs)on which windows,icons,and dialogboxes appear. |
| desktop publisher | A program for creating newspapers, magazines, books, etc. Some common desktop publishing programs include FrameMaker, PageMaker, InDesign, and GeoPublish. |
| DET | Device Execute Trigger
|
| DEV | Device
|
| Device | A component of the system's hardwareconfiguration, such as a modem,printer, mouse,sound card, or diskdrive. |
| Device Driver | Softwarethat controls how a computer communicates with a device,such as a printer. For example, a printer driver translates information from thecomputer into information the printer can understand. |
| DF | Data Field + Default + Destination Field +
Device Flag + Double Flag
|
| DFC | Data Flow Control
|
| DFD | Data Flow Diagram
|
| DFDR | Digital Flight Data Recorder
|
| DFM | Design For Manufacturability [IBM]
|
| DFP | Digital Flat Panel
|
| DFS | Distributed File System
|
| DFSMS | Data Facility Storage Management Subsystem [IBM]
|
| DFT | Design For Testability + Diagnostic Function Test +
Discrete Fourier Transform +
Distributed Function Terminal
|
| DFU | Data File Utility
|
| DGIS | Direct Graphics Interface Standard
|
| DHCP | Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
|
| DHL | Dynamic Head Loading
|
| DHTML | Dynamic HTML
|
| DI | Data In + Destination Index
|
| DIA | Document Interchange Architecture [IBM]
|
| Dialog Box | Also called a Panel insome graphical user interfaces (GUIs).A small window that appears temporarily to request information or to alert youto a condition. Dialog boxes usually request a response such as Ok to continueor Cancel to stop an operation. |
| DIB | Device Independent Bitmap +
Directory Information Base +
Dual Independent Bus [Intel]
|
| DIBOL | DEC Business Oriented Language
|
| DICOM | Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine
|
| dict | A protocol used for looking up definitions across a network (in particular the Internet). |
| DID | Direct Inward Dialing
|
| DIDS | Distributed Intrusion Detection System
|
| DIF | Data Interchange Format
|
| DIFFSENS | Differential Sense
|
| digital camera | A digital camera looks and behaves like a regular camera, except instead of using film, it stores the image it sees in memory as a file for later transfer to a computer. Many digital cameras offer additional storage besides their own internal memory; a few sport some sort of disk but the majority utilize some sort of flash card. Digital cameras currently lack the resolution and color palette of real cameras, but are usually much more convenient for computer applications. Another related device is called a scanner. |
| DIIP | Direct Interrupt Identification Port
|
| DIME | Direct Internet Message Encapsulation
|
| DIMM | Dual In-Line Memory Module
|
| Dimmed | A term usually used in GUIsto indicate that a particular command is not available or is disabled. Alsosometimes referred to as grayed out. |
| DIN | Deutsche Industrie Norm (German equivalent of EIA)
|
| DIO | Data Input-Output
|
| DIP | Dialup Internet Protocol [Internet] +
Digital Imaging Processing +
Dual In-line Package + Dual In-line Pin
|
| DIP Switch | Dual Inline Package. Small on-off switchesmounted in computer hardwarefor purposes of user configuration. When adding expansion cardsto computers, DIP switches must often be set to make the card compatible withthe computer's configuration. |
| DIR | Directory (file)
|
| Direction Keys | Also called Arrow Keys. Keys used at timesto navigate around the screen- especially in text areas. Direction keys havearrows pointing up, down, right, and left. |
| Directory | Part of a structure fororganizing your files on a disk.A directory can contain files and other directories (called subdirectories).Directories are often referred to as folders on computers with GUIs. |
| DIS | Draft International Standard +
Dynamic Impedance Stabilization [CompuCom]
|
| DISA | Data Interchange Standards Association +
Direct Inward System Access
|
| Disk | A medium for storing information.Information stored on a disk remains there even when you turn your computer off,unlike information stored in memory (RAM).A floppy disk can be inserted and removed from a floppy disk drive, whereas ahard disk is permanently mounted inside its drive. |
| Disk Cache | A portion of RAMset aside for temporarily holding information read from a disk. It often makesdata retrieval faster. |
| Disk Drive | The mechanism that holdsand spins a disk,reading and writing data to it. |
| DISP | Displacement (offset)
|
| Display Adaptor | Hardwarethat converts (adapts) information in video memory to video output. |
| DIT | Directory Information Tree
|
| Dithered Color | A color producedby a pattern of differently colored dots that simulate the desired color. A solidcolor on one device (such as a 256-color monitor) may be a dithered color onanother device. Also knows as nonsolid color. |
| DIV | Divide
|
| DIVE | Direct Interface Video Extension [OS/2 Warp]
|
| DIVX | Digital Video Express
|
| DIW | D-Inside Wire [AT&T]
|
| DIX | Digital-Intel-Xerox (Original Ethernet Standard)
|
| DL | Download (also D/L)
|
| DL/1 | Data Manipulation Language 1 [IBM]
|
| DLB | Dynamic Load Balancing
|
| DLC | Data Link Control (protocol) [IBM] +
Distributed Loop Carrier
|
| DLCI | Data Link Connection Identifier
|
| DLD | Display List Driver
|
| DLE | Data Link Escape
|
| DLL | Dynamic Link Library
|
| DLM | Distributed Lock Manager + Dynamic Link Module
|
| DLP | Digital Light Processing [TI]
|
| DLPI | Data Link Provider Interface
|
| DLR | DOS LAN Requester
|
| DLS | Data Link Switching [IBM]
|
| DLT | Digital Linear Tape
|
| DM | Distributed Memory
|
| DMA | Direct Memory Access/Addressing +
Document Management Alliance
|
| DMAC | DMA Controller
|
| DMACS | Distributed Manufacturing Automation & Control Software
|
| DMD | Digital Micromirror Device [TI]
|
| DME | Direct Memory Execution +
Distributed Management Environment
|
| DMF | Distribution Media Format [Microsoft]
|
| DMI | Desktop Management Interface
|
| DML | Data Manipulation Language +
Dialog Markup Language [W3C]
|
| DMM | Digital Multimeter
|
| DMMS | Dynamic Memory Management System
|
| DMOS | Double-diffused Metal-Oxide Semiconductor
|
| DMP | Dot Matrix Printer
|
| DMPC | Distributed Memory Parallel Computer
|
| DMPP | Distributed Memory Parallel Processor
|
| DMQS | Display Mode Query and Set [IBM]
|
| DMS | Data Management Software + Data/Document
Management System
|
| DMSD | Digital Multistandard Decoding
|
| DMSDK | Digital Media Software Development Kit [SGI]
|
| DMSS | Distributed Mass Storage System
|
| DMT | Digital/Discrete Multi-Tone
|
| DMTF | Desktop Management Task Force
|
| DMY | Day Month Year
|
| DN | Down
|
| DNA | Deoxyribonucleic Acid
|
| DNC | Direct Numerical Control
|
| DNIC | Data Network Identification Code
|
| DNIS | Dialed Number Identification Service
|
| DNS | Domain Naming System
|
| DO | Data Out + Distributed Objects
|
| DO-IT | Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and
Technology
|
| DOA | Dead On Arrival
|
| DOCSIS | Data Over Cable-Service Interface Specification
|
| DOCSV | Data Over Circuit-Switched Voice
|
| Document | A data file. Whatever youcreate with an application, including information you type, edit, view, or save.A document may be a business report, a picture, or a letter and is stored as afileon a disk. |
| Document Window | In most graphical user interfaces (GUIs),a windowwithin an application window. There can be more than one document window open ata time. |
| DOE | Distributed Objects Environment/Everywhere
|
| DOIP | Dial Other Internet Providers [IBM]
|
| DOLAP | Desktop OLAP
|
| DOM | Document Object Model [W3C]
|
| Domain | Part of the InternetProtocol (IP) address, used to identify the organization or local networkthat a local host is connected to. For example: uchicago.edu |
| DOMF | Distributed Object Management Facility
|
| DOS | Denial Of Service + Disk Operating System
|
| DOSEM | DOS Emulation
|
| Double-click | Clicking a mousebutton twice in quick succession. Used in most GUIsto "open" an icon. |
| DOV | Data Over Voice
|
| DOW | Day Of Week
|
| Download | To transfer data or code fromone computer to another. The distinction between downloading and uploading ishazy but downloading often refers to transfer from a larger serversystem (especially a mainframe) to a smaller clientsystem, especially a microcomputer or specialised peripheral. |
| Downloadable Font | See softfont. |
| DP | Data Processing
|
| DPA | Demand Protocol Architecture [3Com] +
Document Printing Architecture
|
| DPAM | Demand Priority Access Method
|
| DPAREN | Data Parity Enable [IBM]
|
| DPB | Drive Parameter Block
|
| DPC | Direct Program Control
|
| DPI | Distributed Protocol Interface + Dots Per Inch
|
| DPL | Descriptor Privilege Level
|
| DPM | Digital Panel Meter
|
| DPMA | Data Processing Management Association
|
| DPMI | DOS Protected Mode Interface [Microsoft]
|
| DPMS | Digital Power Management Signaling +
Display Power Management Support
|
| DPO | Data Phase Optimization
|
| DPS | Document Processing System
|
| DPSK | Differential Phase Shift Keying
|
| DPtoTP | Display Coordinates to Tablet Coordinates
(converting)
|
| DQDB | Distributed Queue Dual Bus
|
| DQL | Data Query Language
|
| DR | Data Received
|
| DR-DOS | Digital Research-Disk Operating System
|
| DR.BOND | Dial-up Router Bandwidth On Demand [NEC]
|
| Drag | An action performed using a mouse.Used to move iconson the screen and in selecting commands from menus.Position the cursor/pointeron an item, press and hold the mouse button, move the cursor to a new location(by sliding the mouse), and then release the mouse button. |
| DRAM | Dynamic Random Access Memory
|
| DRAW | Direct Read After Write
|
| DRDA | Distributed Relational Database
Algorithm/Architecture [IBM]
|
| DRDW | Direct Read During Write
|
| DRI | Declarative Referential Integrity +
Digital Research Incorporated
|
| drive | A device for storing and/or retrieving data. Some drives (such as disk drives, zip drives, and tape drives) are typically capable of having new data written to them, but some others (like CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs) are not. Some drives have random access (like disk drives, zip drives, CD-ROMs, and DVD-ROMs), while others only have sequential access (like tape drives). |
| Drive Letter | The letter assigned to a drive on an IBM PCor compatible computer- for example, C. A and B usually refer to floppydrives and C to a harddrive. |
| driver | A driver is a piece of software that works with the OS to control a particular piece of hardware, like a printer or a scanner or a mouse or whatever. |
| DRM | Digital Rights/Distributed Resource Management
|
| DRO | Data Request Output + Destructive Read-Out
|
| DRS | Document Registration System
|
| DRV | Drive
|
| DS | Data Segment + Data Send + Data Server + Double Sided
|
| DS3 | Digital Signal Level 3
|
| DSA | Digital Signature Algorithm + Directory System Agent
|
| DSAP | Destination Service Access Point
|
| DSD | Direct Stream Digital [Sony-Philips]
|
| DSDD | Double Sided, Double Density (diskette)
|
| DSE | Data Storage Equipment
|
| DSEA | Display Station Emulation Adapter
|
| DSECT | Dummy Control Section
|
| DSHD | Double Sided, High Density (diskette)
|
| DSIG | Digital Signature
|
| DSIS | Distributed Support Information Standard
|
| DSL | Digital Subscriber Line
ADSL Asymmetric DSL
BDSL Broadband DSL
CDSL Consumer DSL [Rockwell]
FDSL Fixed Directory Subscriber List
HDSL High-Bit-Rate DSL +
High-Data-Rate DSL
IDSL Integrated Services Digital Network DSL
RDSL Rate-Adaptive DSL
SDSL Single-Line DSL +
Symmetric DSL
VDSL Very-High-Bit-Rate DSL
VADSL Very-High-Rate Asymmetric DSL
VDSL Very-High-Data-Rate DSL
|
| DSLAM | Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer
|
| DSM | Distributed Shared Memory +
Domain-Specific Modeling
|
| DSMA | Digital Sense Multiple Access
|
| DSML | Directory Services Markup Language
|
| DSN | Data Source Name + Delivery Service Notification
|
| DSO | Dynamic Shared Object
|
| DSOM | Distributed System Object Model
|
| DSP | Delivery Service Partner +
Digital Signal Processing/Processor +
Digital Sound Processor +
Directory Synchronization Protocol [Lotus]
|
| DSPT | Display Station Pass-Thru [IBM]
|
| DSQD | Double Sided, Quad Density (diskette)
|
| DSR | Data Set Ready + Device Status Register +
Device Status Report
|
| DSS | Decision Support System + Digital Signature Standard +
Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum +
Direct Station Selector
|
| DSSI | Digital Standard Systems Interconnect [DEC]
|
| DSSS | Direct-Sequencing Spread Spectrum
|
| DSSSL | Document Style Semantics and Specifications Language
|
| DSTN | Double Supertwisted Nematic
|
| DSU | Data Service/Switching Unit + Digital Service Unit
|
| DSVD | Digital Simultaneous Voice and Data
|
| DSW | Data Status Word + Device Status Word
|
| DSX | Digital Signals Cross-Connect
|
| DTA | Disk Transfer Area
|
| DTC | Desktop Conferencing
|
| DTCP | Digital Transmission Copy Protection
[Hitachi, Intel, Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba]
|
| DTD | Document Type Definition
|
| DTE | Data Terminal Equipment + Dumb Terminal Emulator
|
| DTF | Distributed Test Facility
|
| DTL | Dialogue Tag Language [IBM] + Diode-Transistor Logic
|
| DTM | Digital Terrain Mapping
|
| DTMF | Data Tone Multiple Frequency + Dual Tone Multifrequency
|
| DTP | Desktop Publishing + Distributed Transaction Process
|
| DTR | Data Terminal Ready + Data Transfer Rate
|
| DTS | Distributed Traffic Shaping [Cisco]
|
| DTSS | Dartmouth Time Sharing System
|
| DTV | Desktop Video + Digital Television
|
| DTVC | Desktop Video Conferencing
|
| DU | Disk Usage
|
| DUA | Directory User Agent
|
| Dual-Scan Display | A variant of a passivematrix display in which the top and bottom half of the screen are refreshedsimultaneously, allowing the screen to be refreshed twice as fast, yieldingbetter display quality.E |
| DUAT | Direct User Access Terminal
|
| DUN | Dial-Up Networking [Microsoft]
|
| DUNCE | Dial Up Network Connection Enhancement
|
| DV | Digital Video
|
| DVC | Desktop Video Conferencing + Digital Video Camera
|
| DVD | Digital Video Disk
|
| DVD-A | Digital Video Disk-Audio
|
| DVD-R | Digital Video Disk-Recordable
|
| DVD-RAM | Digital Versatile Disc-RAM
|
| DVD-ROM | Digital Versatile Disc-ROM
|
| DVE | Digital Video Effect
|
| DVI | Digital Video Interactive + Digital Visual Interface
|
| DVM | Digital Volt Meter
|
| DVMRP | Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol [Internet]
|
| DVOF | Digital Video Over Fiber
|
| DVR | Digital Video/Voice Recorder
|
| DW | Data Warehousing
|
| DWDM | Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexer
|
| DWG | Drawing
|
| DWMT | Discrete Wavelet Multitone
|
| DWT | Discrete Wavelet Transform
|
| DXC | Data Exchange Control
|
| DXF | Data Exchange File + Drawing Exchange Format
|
| DXI | Data Exchange Interface
|
| DYNSLT | Dynamic Select [IBM]
|
| DYNSRC | Dynamic Source
|
