National Teaching and Learning Change ProgrammeInformation and Communication Technology:
Dictionary

• Home
• Data representation
• General
• Hardware
• Internet/web
• Managing data
• Multimedia
• Networks and communications technology
• Programming
• Security
• Software
• Systems design
• My downloads

Search results

• help desk
  A system usually employed by software houses, specialist suppliers, or large organisations with many computers, in order to respond to questions relating to the use of particular pieces of software or hardware. Support staff are often referred to as a help desk and may be contacted quickly using the phone or email.
• 
• HEX
  The number system using base 16 and the digits 0 to 9 and A B C D E F. It is often used in computing because long binary numbers can be written as short hexadecimal numbers without losing the relationship between the value and the individual bits in the number with each group of four bits being represented by one hexadecimal digit.
• 
• hexadecimal
  The number system using base 16 and the digits 0 to 9 and A B C D E F. It is often used in computing because long binary numbers can be written as short hexadecimal numbers without losing the relationship between the value and the individual bits in the number with each group of four bits being represented by one hexadecimal digit. Also known as HEX.
• 
• hierarchical database
  A database where the data is held in a tree structure. Each data item can be thought of by users as existing on one of a number of levels. There are links to related data items at the higher level and sometimes at a lower level. The data items at a lower level hold more detail about the item that they are linked to above.
• 
• high resolution
  Resolution is the term for the clarity of text and graphics as they appear on a monitor screen or printed on paper. High resolution images have many small dots closer together and produce clearer images with diagonal straight lines and curves both appearing smoother and less jagged.
• 
• high-level language
  A high level language is designed to help a programmer write a computer program in a way that reflects the problem being solved, rather than the details of how the computer will produce the solution. Such languages use instructions in English-like statements rather than in the machine language which the computer understands.
• 
• highlight
  Changing the appearance of a part of the screen display to make it stand out. For example, in a document, this means to emphasise in some way a part of the text, typically by selecting with the mouse a part of the data, and displaying it in inverse video, white on black, so that you can see what is selected.
• 
• histogram
  A graphical way of displaying the data in a spreadsheet, usually displayed as a bar chart.
• 
• history
  In a web browser, the history provides a list of recently visited sites.
• 
• hit
  When a search is successful it is called a hit.
• 
• hit
  On the internet, hit refers to accessing a web page, and hit rate is the number of times it is accessed.
• 
• hit counter
  A running total of the number of times a web page has been visited.
• 
• hit rate
  On the internet, hit refers to accessing a web page, and hit rate is the number of times it is accessed.
• 
• home page
  Any web page can be accessed directly if its full address is known, but to make locating information easier each website has a home page (a starting page) which provides a starting point for a user to search the site.
• 
• home page
  A browser can be set to have a home page, for example, the page which always displays when it is first loaded.
• 
• horizontal scrolling text
  Animated text which moves across the screen.
• 
• host
  Many people access the internet using a service provided by an internet service provider (ISP). These companies provide a host computer, which the user connects to. The host computer manages the communications and also stores data such as electronic mail, web pages and files for its subscribers. This host computer is connected to the internet and subscribers can communicate with other computers on the internet.
• 
• hot key
  A function key or a key combination (frequently combining control or alt with other keys), which causes an immediate action, for example calling up a menu, or running another program. The name suggests the urgency of beginning a new action without fully breaking off from the existing task, or without the need to progress through a sequence of menus.
• 
• hot link
  A graphic or piece of text which, when clicked, opens the page to which it is linked, either on the same website or another site. Also known as a link or hyperlink.
• 
• hot spot
  In HTML, used to indicate the part of a graphic which, when clicked, links to another document on the internet.