GLOSSARY Active Window - the window that is currently receiving user input through the keyboard or mouse. All other windows are inactive. You can change the active window by clicking the Selection button when the mouse pointer is positioned anywhere in an inactive window. AmigaDOS - (Amiga Disk Operating System) This is the name that most people use to refer to the entire operating system of the Amiga. However, AmigaDOS specifically refers to just a part of the Amiga operating system - the part that manages disks, files and devices. Amiga OS - (Amiga Operating System) The system software. This name refers to the software that controls the general operation of the Amiga and programs that are run on it. Analog - a representation of value or signal (e.g. Analog RGB monitor), in a continuously variable form. For example, electric currents and voltages in analog form, vary continuously from value to value rather than abruptly, discretely, or in steps (as they would in a digital signal). ARexx - (Amiga Rexx) The Amiga version of the IBM mainframe REXX language developed by William Hawes. ARexx is a scripting language (essentially a programming language) that lets you integrate different programs. Argument - A portion of a command line used to control options and functions. Words or values placed after a command, on the same command line, are considered arguments. Application Programs - Application Software - Any computer program. That is, a series of instructions that controls the Amiga to perform specific functions (Graphic Paint programs, Animation, Spreadsheets, Databases, Word Processors and Games are examples) Archive - to store or backup files for safety or duplicate purposes. SEE ALSO -> `Archive Bit` ASCII - (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) The standard used for communication between computers. This standard uses specific values to describe all the character elements that are used by computers (for instance, the uppercase letter A, is assigned the decimal value of 65) SEE ALSO -> `ASCII Table` Backdrop Window - a window that stays anchored to the back of a screen. All other windows in that screen are placed in front of a backdrop window. Binary - the only language directly understood by computers; represented electronically by ON or OFF switches. Binary is a numbering system where numbers are specified by arranging binary digits, or bits (0 or 1), in sequence. Bit - a single digit in the binary numbering system, which can be either 1 or 0. Bitmaps - binary data used to represent graphics. The data describes each pixel location and color used to compose a graphic image. Blitter - a special coprocessor inside the Agnus chip that manipulates data information very quickly. The Blitter controls an Amiga DMA (direct memory access) channel and can transfer up to a million pixels from one area of memory to another in one second. Because of this speed, the Blitter is used for data copying and line drawing. Block - a group of files, bits arranged on a disk, or characters that are treated as a single unit. Booting - the process of starting up a computer (comes from the term "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps"). This procedure loads the operating system and sets up the system software. A cold boot takes place when you first turn on the power of your computer. A warm boot occurs after a software reset, when you press the three keys: Ctrl, Left-Amiga & Right-Amiga all at the same time. Buffer - a temporary storage area. For instance, serial communications make use of a buffer when transferring data. SEE -> `Serial Preferences` & `ADDBUFFERS` Bugs - A mistake in a computer program or a malfunction of a part in a hardware device Bytes - A group of binary digits, or bits, handled as a unit (there are 8 bits in a byte). Bytes are primarily used to represent a single character in a computer. Cache - a memory buffer that is used to improve system performance SEE -> `ADDBUFFERS` Chip Memory Chip RAM - The Amiga divides its RAM into specific types: Chip & Fast Chip RAM must be used for holding graphics and sound data in order for the custom chips to have access to the data. Chip memory is the only area of memory that the custom chips (Agnus, Denise & Paula) can read information from and place information into. Therefore, the amount of Chip RAM in your system affects the graphics potential of your Amiga. Chip RAM can start from 512K, in basic A500s and go up to 2 Megabytes in A3000s. Clicking - "Clicking a button" means positioning the pointer and quickly pressing and releasing one of the buttons. Cold Boot - to turn off power to your Amiga completely and then turn it back on. NOTE: Always wait at least 5 seconds before switching power back on Command - a statement or order that is issued to the Amiga to perform a specific function. Copper - a special-purpose coprocessor within the Agnus chip whose instructions control display-related hardware in the system. Each part of a display frame is defined by a Copper instruction list. Copper instructions are placed in RAM and execute along with the 680x0 instructions to produce screen displays. Coprocessor - a separate processor that removes some of the burden from the CPU by performing dedicated tasks (such as math computations or graphics and sound manipulation. CPU - (Central Processing Unit) The Amiga's brains. The CPU loads program instructions into memory and executes them. Cursors - visual indicators on a computer screen that indicated where you can start inputting data. For instance, a cursor appears in a text gadget to show you where to start typing text. The mouse pointer is also considered a cursor. Custom Chips - The Amiga uses custom chips to perform dedicated and specialized functions. These chips can perform these functions faster than the CPU. This way the CPU can perform more efficiently. The Amiga's custom chips, designed by Jay Miner (considered by many to be the father of the Amiga), are named: Agnus - contains two coprocessors: the copper (controls the video display), and the blitter (used for quickly moving blocks of memory around - this is what gives the Amiga its graphics and animation power). Incidentally, the blitter was originally called the bimmer (bit map manipulator). Denise - controls graphics/video output (Screen & Display Modes, Genlocking) Paula - controls sound output and floppy disk functions. Cylinders - physical divisions of a disk (hard or floppy). The Amiga's standard 3.5 inch diskettes are divided into 80 cylinders (0 - 79) when the FORMAT function is performed. Data - representation of facts, concepts, or instructions in a form suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing by humans or computers. Default - a value or action that is assumed if nothing has been specified. Delimiters - symbols used to enclose a group of words or characters, so that they are referenced as a single unit. For example, the " character must be used to enclose a pathname that contains spaces as in: DIR "Old Reports" Device - generally, any electronic or electromechanical machine or part. In AmigaDOS, a device is a software interface (device drivers) between the operating system and the physical hardware. AmigaDOS devices recognize a standard set of commands that allow applications and the operating system to control the hardware. Digital - pertaining to representation of data using digits or discrete quantities. Specifically, computers can only understand digital data, that is, signals that represent either 1 or 0 (binary). Directory - an area or subdivision on a disk that is used to hold files and even other directories (known as subdirectories). Disc Disk - flexible (floppy), fixed (harddrives), or removable (CD-ROM, WORM, MAGNETO OPTICAL) data storage medium. Disk Operating System - the part of a computer's software that manages disks, files and devices. Dithering - a method of representing several color shades by mixing other shades. Double-Clicking DoubleClicking - to position the mouse pointer, and press & release a mouse button twice rapidly. Dragging - to position the mouse pointer over some icon or gadget, press & hold down a button, and move the mouse. Drawer - The Workbench equivalent of an AmigaDOS directory structure. ECS Enhanced Chip Set - the latest, improved versions of the Custom Chips (Agnus, Denise & Paula) that allow new features such as: more display modes, better sound, enhanced memory configuration, etc.). For instance, the enhanced, or "Fatter Agnus" provides increased Chip RAM availability. Environment Variables - values that describe and define your current computing environment. For instance the standard 2.x Startup-Sequence sets two environment variables, KickStart & Workbench. These variables hold the version numbers of the Kickstart & Workbench software you are currently running. AmigaDOS allows you to access these environment variables and to set your own local and global environment variables. SEE -> GET, SET, UNSET (local environment variable commands) GETENV, SETENV, UNSETENV, (global environment variable commands) Exec - short for the Amiga operating system's Executive software. The Exec controls functions such as: memory allocation, multitasking, lists and interprocess communication (messages). Expression - A statement that describes a set of variables, fields or constants, combined with arithmetic, relational, or logical operations. SEE -> EVAL Extended Chip Set - same as Enhanced Chip Set Fast Memory Fast RAM - The Amiga divides its RAM into to specific types: Chip & Fast. Chip RAM must be used for holding graphics and sound data in order for the custom chips to have access to the data. The remaining, general-purpose Fast RAM can hold any data. Fatal - an error condition that stops a process or program completely. SEE -> FAILAT, CONDITION_FLAGS Fields - areas of a requester or window that prompt for information; you set preferences by adjusting different fields in the form of various gadgets. File - the basic unit of storage on your Amiga. A File is a group of related data bytes that are stored on a disk (floppy, hard or RAM) and accessed by a specific name. File System - The part of the operating system that manages files and directories and subdirectories on a disk. Flag - a status indicator. AmigaDOS uses a condition flag to indicate the relative success or failure of commands or programs. SEE -> FAILAT, CONDITION_FLAGS Font - refers to a common set of design characteristics (size, style, shape, etc.) used to define letters, symbols and numbers. Fonts make up the appearance of Amiga text displays. SEE -> Font_Preferences Function Keys - the keys along the top of your Amiga keyboard, that can be programmed to perform specific functions within programs. Genlock - a video device that allows Amiga graphics to be combined and synchronized with external video sources (cameras, vcrs, etc.). Ghosting - refers to the way certain gadget or menu objects may be displayed less distinctly than normal to indicate unavailable options. Gigabytes - 1,000,000,000 (billion) bytes. Graphics - images generated by your Amiga in the form of symbols, graphs, letters & numbers (fonts), lines, drawings and pictures. Graphical User Interface GUI - a visually oriented system that allows you to control a computer by selecting graphic symbols (icons, gadgets, windows, etc.) instead of typing commands. Workbench is the Amiga's GUI, while AmigaDOS requires you to type commands. HAM - (Hold And Modify). An Amiga display mode that allows you to see up to 4096 colors on the screen at once. Handler - software that redefines how AmigaDOS uses a specific hardware resource. For example the speak-handler allows you to access the built-in speech synthesizer via SPEAK:, as if it were a physical device, like a printer; you can copy files to SPEAK: and the speech synthesizer will narrate for you. Amiga handlers are stored in the L: directory. Handshaking - used in serial communications to specify the codes and electronic signals required for two separate computers to transfer data. SEE -> Serial_Preferences Hierarchical - used to describe the relationship between files, directories and subdirectories in AmigaDOS. I.E. There are different layers or levels in the AmigaDOS hierarchy. Starting at the root directory of a disk you can proceed to immediately access files, or you can go deeper into the file system by using directory and subdirectory paths. SEE -> AmigaDOS_File_Structure Icon - onscreen pictures from the Workbench interface, that represent AmigaDOS disks, drawers (directories), projects (files), and tools (programs). IDE - (Integrated Drive Electronics) a harddrive interface where the majority of the control electronics is built into the harddrive itself, allowing computer connection with minimal electronics. Interlace Interleave - The arrangement of the members of one sequence of items or objects so that they alternate with members of one or more other sequences of items. On the Amiga, Interlace refers to the alternating of the odd and even display lines on a monitor to produce a higher resolution image (the scan lines are doubled). SEE -> Display_Modes Interleave is used to refer to the way data is structured on a disk, particularly a harddisk; interleaved data is not arranged side by side, but in alternating blocks. Interprocess Communications - a feature of computer operating systems such as the Amiga's that allows programs to communicate with each other, to pass data between themselves. This makes it appear as if the separate programs are a single application. ARexx is a tool that allows you to customize the way programs pass data back and forth. Intuition - the part of the Amiga's operating system that provides the routines for managing windows, icons, menus and gadgets. The Workbench interface is actually built using Intuition's routines; Workbench uses the Intuition routines to create the visual interface and uses AmigaDOS to do the actual file, directory and subdirectory manipulations. IFF/ILBM - (Interchange File Format/Interleaved Bit Map) - The standard graphics file format used by the majority of graphics and animation related applications. This allows programs from separate companies to share graphics files between themselves. Interfaces - A software interface, such as a GUI, allows you to control your computer or programs. A hardware interface connects your computer to external devices, such as printers, modems, etc. Keymap - A file that allows you to configure your keyboard to generate foreign characters, such as French, Spanish, German, etc. SEE -> SETMAP, KEYSHOW Keyword - a word used on an AmigaDOS command line to specify arguments. SEE -> Command_Template Kickstart - contains the Amiga's basic operating system routines. Kickstart contains the Exec, Intuition, graphics and layers libraries, as well as device drivers and handlers. Kickstart either exists in a ROM chip or is loaded from disk (on pre-release 2.x A3000s and early A1000s) Kilobytes - 1,000 (thousand) bytes. represented using the letter K as in, the Amiga floppy disk can store approximately 880K of data (880,000 bytes). Library - a collection of software routines that perform related functions. Libraries either exist in Kickstart or in the LIBS: directory of your system disk (SYS:). Megabytes - 1,000,000 (million) bytes. Memory - The Amiga's immediate, working storage area. Your total amount of memory or RAM determines the size and number of programs and data that can be run and stored on your Amiga at once. Menu Button - the right-hand button on the standard Amiga mouse. The menu button is used to activate a menu, menu item, or menu subitem. Once these items are selected, they can be used to transfer information in a program or between programs (the other button is the Selection button). Mouse - the device used to control the screen pointer. The standard Amiga mouse has two buttons, the left or Selection button and the right, or Menu button. Multitasking - the process of performing more than one task, or operation at a time. The Amiga's multitasking capability allows you to run several programs simultaneously, all sharing the power of the CPU. Each task acts as though it has complete control of the CPU and associated system hardware. However, the Exec software is actually managing the constant switching between tasks, to make it appear this way. Parent Directory Parent Window - the directory that holds the current directory, or the window containing the icon that was used to open the current window. Parallel - refers to an interface that transfers data using several lines. The Amiga's parallel port can transfer data 8 bits at a time. The Parallel port is primarily used for printer communications. The Amiga's parallel port is bi-directional, which means that data can be input to the parallel port as well as output from it. SEE -> Ports Parity - an extra bit used during serial communications. The parity bit is attached to bytes of data during transfer to determine if any errors occurred in the transmission process. Partitions - subdivisions of a harddrive that allow you to manage a single harddrive unit as if it were separate drives. This allows you to break down a large capacity drive into more manageable sections. Peripherals - any expansions devices that you add to your computer. Pixels - (Picture Elements) these are the dots of light that make up the display on your Amiga's screen. Pointer - also known as the cursor, it is the object that moves around the screen as you move the mouse. It allows you to select icons and gadgets and to choose menu items. Processes - Each AmigaDOS process represents a particular operation of the Amiga's operating system, such as a running program. RAM - (Random Access Memory) The portion of your Amiga's memory used for temporary data and program storage; anything in RAM is lost when you reboot or turn off the power. RAM Disks RAM Drives - A part of memory that is used to simulate a disk drive. Ram Disks are used for quick but temporary data transfers. For instance, single drive users without harddrives can use ram disks to speed up the process of copying files between disks: First, files from one disk are copied to the ram disk by accessing RAM:, then the files can be copied from RAM: to another disk. The contents of RAM: are lost if power is lost or if you reboot. Reboot - or booting, to reset your Amiga with the key sequence: Ctrl, Left-Amiga & Right-Amiga Recoverable Ramdisks Recoverable Ramdrives - ram disks that survive a reboot. Contents are still lost if power is lost. The recoverable ramdisk is accessed via the RAD: device. RAD: can be made to emulate a floppy disk (you can use the FORMAT and diskcopy commands on a properly configured RAD:) by editing the RAD: entry in the DEVS:Mountlist file. SEE -> Mountlist, MOUNT, RAD: RGB - (Red Green Blue), a type of video signal or monitor that uses separate red, green and blue video signals to create an image. SEE -> PrinterGfx_Preferences, for adjusting printer RGB values Rigid Disk Block - the latest method of configuring harddrive devices. Information pertaining to the harddrive is stored on the harddrive itself, the first couple of blocks known as the rigid disk block. Harddrive Controllers that support this type of setup obtain the information they need from harddrive; there's no need for a Mountlist entry. ROMS - (Read Only Memory) a type of memory chip where information has been stored permanently by the manufacturer. Information can only be read from ROM; nothing can be written or changed on a ROM. Final versions of Kickstart exists on ROM chips. SCSI - (Small Computer System/Standard Interface) a standard interface used primarily for connecting harddrives to the Amiga. Selection Button - the left-hand button on the standard Amiga mouse. The Selection button is used to select icons, gadgets, and windows in the Workbench environment. double-clicking the Selection button on an applications program icon automatically starts that program; double-clicking on a project icon automatically starts the applications program that originally produced that project file; and double-clicking on a drawer or disk icon opens a window to reveal their contents (the other button is the Menu Button). Serial - refers to a type of data transfer or interface port, where information is transferred serially or sequentially (bit by bit). The Amiga's serial port is RS-232 compatible and primarily used for connecting to modems. SEE -> Serial_Preferences Shell - refers to the Amiga's command line interface (the shell was previously known as the CLI). In a sense, the shell "packages" the functions of AmigaDOS into a command line environment, which makes it easy for you to communicate with the Amiga - by issuing AmigaDOS commands. Strings - sequentially connected alphanumeric characters. A string is simply a line of text and/or numbers. Strings can be as short as a single character, or several words long. Subdirectory - a further subdivision of a directory withing the AmigaDOS file system (a directory within a directory). Syntax - rules that guide you in the arrangement of symbols, values, words and phrases in a command language statement. Syntax tells you how to type out an AmigaDOS command. SEE -> Command_Format System Disk - refers to the disk (floppy or hard) that was used to start up (boot) the computer. If you booted from a floppy disk, the floppy disk becomes the system disk, known to the Amiga as SYS:. On harddrive systems SYS: would be the partition used for the boot up process. Tasks - individual programs operating within the Amiga's operating system. Tool - a program, as it exists within the Workbench interface. Tool Types - options for a program (tool) operating within the Workbench environment. Tool Types allow you to specify arguments or options by including them within the Tool Type field of a Tool's icon. Validation - the process that occurs whenever you insert a disk into any of your Amiga's floppy drives. The Amiga scans the disk to determine if it is an AmigaDOS formatted disk and displays its icon on the Workbench. Viruses - senseless programs created for prank purposes. Most viruses are relatively harmless, but some can cause severe damage by corrupting valuable data on disks. Viruses are also known as "Trojan horse" programs since they sneak into your computer system either hidden on a part of a floppy disk or disguised as a legitimate program. Your system can then become infected when you boot up with a disk holding the virus or run a virus launching program. There are many Public domain utilities available for detecting and exterminating viruses. SEE -> INSTALL, for details on removing bootblock viruses. Volume Volume Name - Volume refers to the actual contents of a disk in a drive as opposed to the drive that contains the disk. For instance a floppy disk named, "Graphics" inserted in your first drive can be accessed in two ways: by specifying the name of the drive containing the disk, in this case, DF0:, or by specifying the volume name which is "Graphics". In the same way, harddrives have a device name, such as DH0:, and a volume name, such as "Work" or "System2.0". Warm Boot - to reset the Amiga with the: CTRL - Left Amiga - Right Amiga, key sequence. Workbench - the Amiga's Graphical User Interface (GUI) software that lets you control your Amiga using windows, icons, menus and the mouse pointer. Write-Enabled - the state of a floppy disk when the corner tab is slid down to cover the drive hole. You will be able to read, write or delete data on the disk. Write-Protected - the state of a floppy disk when the corner tab is slid up to expose the drive hole. You will be able to read but NOT write or delete data on the disk.