From 7e0f021a9aec35fd8e6725e87e3313b101d26f5e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Tobias Klauser Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 11:37:44 +0100 Subject: Initial import (2.0.2-6) --- reference/C/glossary.html | 350 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 350 insertions(+) create mode 100644 reference/C/glossary.html (limited to 'reference/C/glossary.html') diff --git a/reference/C/glossary.html b/reference/C/glossary.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d5cad9e --- /dev/null +++ b/reference/C/glossary.html @@ -0,0 +1,350 @@ + + +Glossary of C terms. + + + +
+
+

Glossary of C terms.

+
+
+ + + +
+ +
Address. +
Reference to a memory location. +In C pointers are used to hold addresses. +

+ + +

ANSI +
American +

+ + +

API +
Application Programming Interface +

+ +

Argument. +
A value passed to a function +(see parameter). +

+ +

Base Class +
See C++ glossary. +

+ + +

Block. +
A sequence of +definitions, +declarations and +statements, +enclosed within braces {}.

+ + +

Character Array. +
A set of elements of type +char. (Can be used to store a +string).

+ +

Class +
See C++ glossary. +

+ +

Compilation error. +
Error which occurs during the translation of source code into machine +code.

+ +

Compiler. +
A program which converts source code into machine code.

+ +

Compound Statement. +
A sequence of simple statements.

+ +

Constant (common all garden) +
An item that represents a value that cannot be changed. +For Example: +
   
+        123
+        'x'
+
+ +
Constant (symbolic) +
A symbol defined in a #define +preprocessor directive to represent +a constant value.

+ +

Data type. +
Definition of the data. int, char, float.

+ + + +

Declaration. +
A construct which associates attributes to a variable name +or function.
+No storage is reserved.

+For example: +

+        extrn int  a;
+        extrn char c;
+
+variable declaration

+A structure decleration could look like: +

+        struct per_rec
+        {
+            int   age;
+            char *surname;
+            char *firstname;
+        };
+
+

+ + + +

Definition. +
    +
  1. Variable definition is a declaration with storage allocation.

    +

    +        int a;
+        char c;
+        struct per_rec person;
+
    + +
  2. A construct which specifies the name,parameters and return type +of a function.
    +For example a function definition would be: +
    +        long sqr(int num)
+        {
+            return(num*num);
+        }
+
    +
+ + +
Derived Class +
See C++ glossary. +

+ + + + +

Encapsulation. +
The C++ concept of grouping related variables and + controlling the operations performed apon them. The + encapsulated variables can be considered to be + contained in their own environment. + +

+ +

Escape sequence. +
Control codes comprising combinations of a backslash followed by +letters or digits which represent non printing characters.

+ +

Executable program. +
Program which will run in the environment of the operating system +or within an appropriate run time environment.

+ +

Executable (stand-alone) program. +
Program which will run within the environment of the operating system +without additional utilities or support.

+ +

Expression. +
A sequence of operators and operands which may yield a single value.

+ +

File. +
Data stored as an electronic file.

+ + +

File descriptor. +
This is used in +low level I/O +(open/read/write/close functions) to +identify a file. It is an integer number assigned to a file name +by open and then used as a unique identifier by +read/write and close. +

+ +

Floating-point Number. +
Number having a decimal place or exponent.

+ +

Format specification. +
A string which controls how input or output shall be presented.

+ +

Identifier. +
The names used to refer to stored data values such as constants, +variables or functions. + +
Integer. +
A number without a fractional part.

+ + +

Keyword. +
A word which has a predefined meaning to a 'C' compiler and therefore +must not be used for any other purpose.

+ +

library file. +
The file which contains compiled versions of commonly used functions +which can be linked to an object file to make an executable program.

+ +

Library function. +
A function whose code is contained in the external library file. + +
Line. +
One line of input from the standard input device (keyboard) which is +terminated with a newline character. The newline character is replaced by a +null character.

+ +

Literal. +
Characters, letters or +strings +which are to be taken literally and used +as constants rather than identifiers.

+ + + +

Method. +
C++ talk meaning a member function of a class. + +

+ + +

Object +
See C++ glossary. +

+ + +

Object Code. +
Code which is directly understandable by the machine (machine code).

+ + +

Operand. +
An expression acted on by an operator. For example: +
+        z = a + b;
+
+a and b are both operands of the + operator. + + + +
Parameter. +
A value received by a function.

+ + +

Pointer. +
Variable containing an address. +

+ +

Polymorphism +
See C++ glossary. +

+ + +

POSIX +
Portable Operating System Interface. +

+ +

Precedence +(of operators) +
The order in which operators are dealt with during the evaluation +of an expression.

+ +

Preprocessor. +
A processor which manipulates the initial directives of the source file +which contains instructions about how the source file shall be processed +and compiled.

+ +

Preprocessor directive. +
Source file instruction about how the file shall be processed and +compiled.

+ +

Program. +
A text file comprising code which can be compiled.

+ +

Run time error. +
An error which occurs when a program is executed.

+ +

Reserved word. (keyword) +
A word which has a predefined meaning to a 'C' compiler and therefore +must not be used for any other purpose.

+ + +

Scope. +

+ + +

Source code. +
A text file comprising code which can be compiled.

+ +

Statement. +
A simple statement is an expression followed by a semicolon. +(See compound statement and block).

+ + +

String. +
A string in 'C' is an array of characters terminated by a +Null character +('\0'). +

+ +

SubClass +
See C++ glossary. +

+ +

SuperClass +
See C++ glossary. +

+ +

Syntax error. +
A mistake in the source code which prevents the compiler from converting +it into object code.

+ + +

Threads. +
A process has five fundamental parts: code ("text"), data (VM), +stack, file I/O, and signal tables. Theads are spawned from a process +and can share these parts to comunicate with each other. +

+The traditional method of spawning processes (fork) could only communicate +with other forked processes via pipes and and "shared memory". The result is +threads can communicate easily and have a low CPU overhead. +

+ +

Variable. +
An identifier (and storage) for a +data type +and for which the data value +is allowed to change as the program runs.

+ +

+ +

+

+

+

+ + + + +
+ Top + + Master Index + + Keywords + + Functions +
+
+

+

+
Martin Leslie +

+ + -- cgit v1.2.3-54-g00ecf