The Computer Folks Glossary

Earth stations	Geographically dispersed transmitting and receiving stations linked to communications satellites.
EBCDIC (extended binary-coded decimal interchange code)	A method by which digital computers represent character data.
Echo or Echoplex	A communications technique in which communications are sent and then echoed back to the sender, as a means of checking accuracy.
EDO (extended data out)	A type of RAM technology that provides better performance than standard memory technology.
Education and training software	Computer programs that help the user learn and perfect new skills.
EIDE (enhanced integrated device electronics)	A type of drive that features high storage capacity and fast data transfer.
8086 assembly language	A low-level language consisting of short mnemonic commands that the computer can easily translate into machine language.
Electronic mail (e-mail)	Correspondence sent from one person to another electronically.
Electronic mail system	The hardware and software that collect and deliver e-mail messages.
Electronic publishing	The manipulation, storage, and transmission of electronic documents by means of electronic media or telecommunications services.
Electronic typewriter	A typewriter that incorporates features of a word processor.
E-mail message	A letter or memo sent electronically from one user to another.
E-mail software	Computer programs that manage the user's computer mailbox.
Employee empowerment	Giving employees the authority to make business decisions.
Encoding	The conversion of a message and its format into a form that can be transmitted electronically.
Encryption	The process of scrambling or hiding information so that it cannot be understood without the key necessary to change it back into its original form.
End key	A key that, when pressed, takes the user to the end of the line, or the end of the docum ent.
Entity	A person, place, thing, or event about which a user wants to store data.
Error message	A statement that appears on the computer screen, indicating that the user has made a mistake, such as misspelling a command, leaving out required punctuation, or typing command words out of order.
Esc key	A key that, when pressed, cancels an operation.
Ethernet	A type of network configuration in which network nodes are connected by coaxial cable or twisted-pair wire; the most popular network architecture, it typically transmits data 10 megabytes per second.
Even parity	In a parity bit error-checking protocol, the requirement that there be an even number of 1 bits in a data block.
Event-driven language	A computer language that helps programmers create programs that continually check for, and respond to, program events.
Exabyte	A quintillion (10/18) bytes.
Excel	A spread sheet program from microsoft.
Exception report	A report generated by a management information system, listing information that is outside of normal acceptable ranges, such as a reorder report showing low-stock inventory items.
Executable file	A file that contains the instructions that tell a computerhow to perform a special task.
Executive manager	Managers responsible for making long-range plans and seting goals for an orginization.
Expansion bus	The segment of the data bus that transports data between RAM and peripheral devices.
Expansion port	A socket on the expansion card into which the user plugs a cable from a peripheral device, allowing data to pass between the computer and the peripheral device.
Expansion slot	A socket into which the user can plug a small circuit board called an expansion card.
Expert system	A computer system incorporating knowledge from human experts, and designed to analyze data and produce a recommendation or decision.
Expert system shell	A software tool used for developing expert system applications.
Exporting	The process by which a program transforms data into a format suitable for another program, and theen transmits it.
Expression	A combination of symbols and characters that represents an operation or value to a computer; in database usage, an expression usually has a field name on the left and the information desired on the right.
External bay	An opening in the computer case that allows the user to install a device that must be accessed from outside the case.
External entity symbol	In a DFD, usually a square that represents an outside source or destination for data.
External information	Information obtained by organizations from outside sources.
External services	Services provided by the operating system that helps users start progams, manage store data, and maintain security.