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Glossary: O

object
In software engineering, an instance of data encapsulated with all its features and possible uses in constructing program applications, like an interchangeable part in manufacturing.

object code
The binary version of a program, originally written in a high-level language, having been created as machine language code by the translation process.

object-oriented database
A networked database that can link a variety of data objects like text, graphics, photos, video, and sound and associate them with an object, such as a "card" window in HyperCard.

object-oriented graphics software
Draw programs that treat graphic constructions as objects suitable for repositioning and resizing as a unit.

object-oriented programming
A popular, recent programming technique which offers users a set of predefined objects or tools to construct applications, illustrated by such languages as Smalltalk.

odd parity
Indicates that the total number of 1s in the unit of transmitted information must be odd.

on-line
A term used to describe a person connected to a computer network, often at a remote location.

on-line commenting system
Similar to computer conferencing, a networking setup used for education so that students can read and comment on each other's written work.

on-line thesaurus
Computer software including a thesaurus to offer a list of synonyms that can be substituted for a word while the writer is using the word processor.

open forum
A computer conference set up on a public bulletin board system that allows anyone who logs on to participate.

operating system
The computer's own system software for monitoring all of its operations, such as moving data into and out of storage and coordinating the running of application programs.

optical character recognition (OCR)
An input process that scans a printed character in a book or reads a number on a check and translates them into computer-readable codes.

optical disk
A storage medium read by a laser beam that can store several hundred megabytes of data. CD-ROMs are optical disks that can be read but cannot be erased, but erasable ones are also now available.

OR (union)
A fundamental logical operator that combines all the elements of two sets of data into one larger set.

OS/2
An acronym for Operating System/2, a powerful GUIpersonal computer operating system owned by IBM.

output presentation format
Another term for final formatting and deciding how to present the completed spreadsheet.

output
Transferring data processed by a computer system to a hardware device like a monitor or a diskette for display or storage.


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