CAI Glossary

Unit 1: Introduction to Windows, Computer Systems, and Networks

1. Access keys – shortcut keys; keys used in combination to create actions or functions in a software package (nonbreaking spaces, em dash)

2. Application software – any program that processes data for the user (inventory, payroll, spreadsheet, word processor, etc.)

3. Cursor – insertion point in a document in the form of a blinking vertical line on the screen

4. Default – the current setting or action taken by hardware or software if the user has not specified otherwise

5. Folder – location to save a document and organize many files

6. Hardware – machinery and equipment (CPU, keyboard, monitor, printer)

7. Maximize – make window larger

8. Minimize – make window smaller; shrink to an icon on the taskbar

9. Mouse – hardware used to move cursor around a document or select menus

10. Network – a system that transmits any combination of voice, video, or data between users; includes the network operating system in the client and server machines, the cables connecting them, and all supporting hardware in between – such as bridges, routers and switches, antennas and towers

11. Password – keyword used to access information on a network, Web site, etc.

12. Restore – to refresh or bring back to original position or size

13. Shortcut – command relevant to a particular item; see Access keys

14. Software – instructions for the computer; a series of instructions that perform a particular task is called a program

15. Standalone – a PC that is not permanently connected to a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN)

16. System software – software made up of control programs, such as the operating system and database management system (DBMS)

17. Taskbar – an onscreen toolbar that displays the active applications (tasks); clicking on the taskbar button restores the application to its previous appearance

18. Text file – a file that holds text without any formatting and can be opened in numerous applications

19. Windows – the most widely used operating system for personal computers; provides a graphical user interface and desktop environment similar to the Macintosh, in which applications are displayed in resizable, movable windows on screen

Unit 2: Word Processing –

Creating Simple Documents

1. Business letter (salutation, complimentary close, reference initials, enclosure notations) – formal means of communication outside a business

2. Default setting – the current setting or action taken by hardware or software if the user has not specified otherwise

3. Insert – adding text to a document

4. Memo (heading, body, closing) – correspondence within a company

5. Print preview – menu option that allows user to look at a document before printing to ensure proper formatting

6. Proofreader's marks – special notation used to mark up printed draft with changes to be made before final printing

7. Sans serif – font characteristic in which the font has no decorative lines, or serifs, projecting from its characters

8. Serif – font characteristic in which the font has decorative lines projecting from its characters

9. Thesaurus – tool used to look up synonyms for a selected word

10. Typeover/overtype – toggle mode of insert key that allows the user to type over existing text without deleting

11. Word wrap – text automatically moves from one line to the next line

Unit 3: Word Processing –

Changing Margins, Formatting Paragraphs, and Setting and Using Tabs

1. Bullets – a symbol used to precede text

2. Decimal tab – a tab that aligns to a certain position anchored by a decimal

3. Default tabs – preset tabs established by the software

4. First-line indent – a paragraph format in which the first line is indented from the left margin and subsequent lines remain at the left margin

5. Hanging indent – a paragraph format in which the first line is moved to the left margin and subsequent lines are indented from the left

6. Horizontal centering – having equal white space on the left and right of a document

7. Hyphenation – breaking words that extend beyond the right margin

8. Leaders – a line of dots or dashes used to draw the eye across a printed page, such as a table of contents

9. Nonbreaking spaces – keystrokes used in combination to link two words or letters that cannot be separated by a line break

10. Paragraph alignment (left, center, right, justify) – position of text in a document

11. Vertical centering – text with equal white space in the top and bottom margins

Unit 4: Word Processing –

Moving, Copying, and Revising Text

1. Clipboard – temporary storage area where text or images are stored when cut or copied

2. Copy – to duplicate a selected object or text without removing the selection from its original place

3. Cut – to move text or an image from one document to another or one location to another within a document

4. Find/search – a tool used to look for certain words, documents, or formatting in a document

5. Paste – place text into a document from a clipboard

6. Replace – to place new text in the position of existing text

Unit 5: Spreadsheets –

Creating, Editing, and Enhancing a Simple Worksheet, and

Creating a Simple Chart or Graph

1. Active cell – the cell that appears outlined with a thick border on the worksheet

2. Cell – the intersection of a row and a column where data or functions can be entered

3. Cell address – the letter and number that represent the intersection of the column and row to form that cell

4. Column – vertical group of cells identified by a letter in a worksheet

5. Currency – number format that prints dollar symbols and commas and specified decimal places

6. Formula – a series of calculations, expressions, numbers, and operators to carry out a command in arithmetic

7. General format – shows only the digits in the number and no commas

8. Label – entry in a cell that begins with a letter and is left-aligned

9. Math operators (*, /, +, -, ^) – symbols used in mathematical calculations

10. Mathematical order of operation – the order in which calculations take place (add/subtract, exponents, multiply/divide, parentheses)

11. Row – horizontal group of cells identified by a number in a worksheet

12. SUM – built-in formula that calculates the sum of a range of cells

13. Value – entry in a cell that begins with a number and is right-aligned

14. Worksheet – individual page or sheet in a workbook, shown by a tab at the bottom of the screen

Unit 6: Internet and Ethical Use of Technology Resources

1. Browser – a program that allows a user to display HTML-developed Web pages

2. Censorship – an issue related to who will regulate the contents of a CD title, especially concerning pornography, racism, and violence

3. Cookie – a collection of information stored on the local computer of a World Wide Web user; used chiefly by Web sites to identify previous users

4. Copyright – a law that secures for a limited time to the creators the exclusive right to their works; copyright law protects such things as music, CDs, poetry, novels, books, artwork, movies, newspapers, magazines, photographs, etc.

5. Favorites (bookmarks) – a place in a World Wide Web document that you can jump to by name

6. Freeware – software that is available for free, usually over the Internet

7. Hacker – one who illegally enters another’s electronic system, as to gain secret information

8. Home page – the Web page that serves as your main menu or home base on the Web

9. Hyperlink – a retrieval system that enables a user to access particular locations in Web pages or other electronic documents by clicking on aspecific spot within a Web page

10. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) – the coding specification for creating Web pages; contains the text you see on the page, plus special codes that determine how the text gets displayed and how the user interacts with the page

11. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) – a protocol used to request and transmit files over the Internet or other computer networks

12. Internet – the worldwide network of computers connected to each other via the Internet Protocol (IP)

13. Intranet – an internal network set up by companies and organizations to facilitate communications among employees, customers, vendors, and selected others

14. Modem – a data communications device that connects a computer to a telephone line and lets the user transfer data at high speeds

15. Online – a process for delivering multimedia, utilizing telecommunications and the Internet

16. Public domain – materials that have no copyright and can be used without permission

17. Search engines – a software program that searches indexed Web sites and reports locations containing specified information

18. Shareware – computer software distributed with no up-front cost

19. Telecommunications – a communications process involving phone lines, cable, or wireless transmission

20. Universal Resource Locator (URL) – the address of a resource on the World Wide Web

21. Web page – a document that is written in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and forms the basis for the World Wide Web

22. World Wide Web (WWW) – a networked hypertext system that allows documents to be shared over the Internet

Unit 7: Presentation –

Developing a Simple Presentation

1. Design template – provides consistency in design and color throughout the entire presentation

2. Presentation software – a graphics program that allows you to produce professional-looking presentations

3. Slide – the area where you create, edit, and display information in a presentation

4. Slide layout – specifies the arrangement of placeholders on a slide

5. Title slide – the first slide in a new PowerPoint presentation