National Teaching and Learning Change ProgrammeInformation and Communication Technology:
Dictionary

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• back
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• backbone
  A backbone is a high-speed communication link used to provide the main links between the smaller sub-networks in a large network. The connections are fibre optic cable.
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• background
  In web design, a page has a background pattern or background colour.
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• background job
  An activity carried out whilst the user is doing other work on the computer. Printing is typically a background job.
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• backing store
  A means of storing large amounts of information outside the immediate access store. Most backing store uses magnetic or optical storage.
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• backup
  Making copies of data or programs in case the originals are corrupted or lost. If the system fails it can be rebuilt with accurate data.
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• backward compatible
  A computer system or software designed to work with an older system or software, so that there is no need to buy new hardware, and data from the old computer system can be continued to be used.
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• bandwidth
  A measure of the capacity of a communications channel. It is the range of frequencies that a channel can handle. Bandwidth may be given as a frequency (range), such as 3 kHz, or as a transmission rate in bits per second (bps), such as 63 Kbps. Transmission rate is often referred to as line speed. For example, channels might be described as having line speeds of 56K or 64K, meaning 56 Kbps or 64 Kbps.
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• banner ad
  A clickable advert in the shape of a rectangle at the bottom or top of a web page.
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• bar chart
  A graphical way of displaying the data in a spreadsheet. Each item of data appears as a bar, the length of which is proportional to the size of what the data represents.
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• bar code
  An arrangement of vertical lines of varying thickness with spaces in between, printed on products. The spacing and line thickness represent a numeric code used to enable a computer to identify the product. A scanner is used to read the code. Bar codes are used mainly in stock control.
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• baseline
  The invisible line on which capital letters sit.
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• BASIC
  Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. A high level programming language invented at Dartmouth College.
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• batch file
  A batch file is a single file containing one or more operating system commands. When the batch file is run, all the commands within it are executed. Usually has a file extension of .bat.
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• batch mode
  This is when items are collected together and processed in one operation.
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• batch processing
  In batch processing all the data to be input are collected together before being processed in a single efficient operation. This method is also used when computer users submit individual jobs that are processed together as a batch.
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• batch upload
  The process of uploading a number of files in one go, rather than one at a time. Common in FTP.
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• battery
  An independent stored power source, allowing laptop computers, etc. to continue running when not connected to the mains electricity supply.
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• baud
  The unit used to measure the speed (the baud rate) of serial data transmission, e.g. the transmission of data along a telephone line or the speed of serial transmission to a printer. Roughly equivalent to one bit per second.
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• baud rate
  The unit of measurement of the speed of serial data transmission.