<data> A data structure holding many values, possibly of
	different types, which is usually accessed sequentially,
	working from the head to the end of the tail - an "ordered
	list".  This contrasts with a (one-dimensional) {array}, any
	element of which can be accessed equally quickly.

	Lists are often stored using a cell and pointer arrangement
	where each value is stored in a cell along with an associated
	pointer to the next cell.  A special pointer, e.g. zero, marks
	the end of the list.  This is known as a (singly) "linked
	list".  A doubly linked list has pointers from each cell to
	both next and previous cells.

	An unordered list is a {set}.

	(1998-11-12)

1. <file system> {hard link} or {symbolic link}.

	2. <hypertext> {hyperlink}.

	(1997-10-22)

<file system> An element of data storage in a {file system}.

	The history of computing is rich in varied kinds of files and
	{file systems}, whether ornate (e.g., {Macintosh file system}
	for a well-known case) or deficient (e.g., many simple
	pre-1980s file systems don't allow {directories}).

	However, the prototypical file has these characteristics:

	* It is a single sequence of bytes (but consider {Macintosh}
	{resource forks}).

	* It has a finite length, unlike, e.g. a {Unix} {device}.

	* It is stored in a {non-volatile storage} medium (but see
	{ramdrive}).

	* It exists (nominally) in a {directory}.

	* It has a name that it can be referred to by in file
	operations, possibly in combination with its {path}.

	Additionally, a file system may associate other information
	with a file, such as {permission} bits or other {file
	attributes}; timestamps for file creation, last revision, and
	last access; revision numbers (a` la VMS), and other kinds of
	{magic}.

	Compare: {document}.

	(1997-04-08)

<software> Instructions for a computer in some programming
	language, often {machine language}.  The word "code" is often
	used to distinguish instructions from {data} (e.g. "The code
	is marked 'read-only'") whereas "{software}" is used in
	contrast with "{hardware}" and may consist of more than just
	code.

	(2000-04-08)

1. <electronics> {push-button}.

	2. <operating system> A graphical representation of an
	electrical {push-button} appearing as part of a {graphical
	user interface}.  Moving the {mouse pointer} over the
	graphical button and pressing one of the physical mouse
	buttons starts some software action such as closing a window
	or deleting a file.

	See also {radio button}.

	(1997-07-07)

1. To prepare to read or write a file.  This usually involves
	checking whether the file already exists and that the user has
	the necessary authorisation to read or write it.  The result
	of a successful open is usually some kind of {capability}
	(e.g. a {Unix} {file descriptor}) - a token that the user
	passes back to the system in order to access the file without
	further checks and finally to close the file.

	2. Abbreviation for "open (or left) parenthesis" - used when
	necessary to eliminate oral ambiguity.  To read aloud the LISP
	form (DEFUN FOO (X) (PLUS X 1)) one might say: "Open defun
	foo, open eks close, open, plus eks one, close close."

	3. Non-proprietary.  An open {standard} is one which can be
	used without payment.

	[{Jargon File}]

	(1995-01-31)

<character> (Or "ctrl", "^") One (or a pair) of {modifier
	keys} found on all modern {keyboards}.  If the control key is
	held down while pressing and releasing certain other keys then
	a "{control character}" is generated, e.g. holding control and
	hitting "A" generates control-A ({ASCII} code 1).  The ASCII
	code for the control character is generally 64 less than that
	for the unmodified character.

	The control key does not generate any character on its own but
	most modern keyboards and {operating systems} allow a program
	to tell whether each of the individual keys on the keyboard
	(including modifier keys) is pressed at any time.

	Control characters mostly have some kind of "non-printing"
	effect on the output such as ringing the bell (Control-G) or
	advancing to the next line (Control-J).  Most have alternative
	names suggesting these functions (Bell, Line Feed, etc.).

	See {ASCII character table}.

	(1997-07-10)

<hypertext> A program which allows a person to read
	{hypertext}.  The browser gives some means of viewing the
	contents of {nodes} (or "pages") and of {navigating} from one
	node to another.

	{Netscape Navigator}, {NCSA} {Mosaic}, {Lynx}, and {W3} are
	examples for browsers for the {World-Wide Web}.  They act as
	{clients} to remote {web servers}.

	(1996-05-31)

<World-Wide Web, database, tool> {Allaire Corporation}'s
	commercial {database} application development tool that allows
	{databases} to have a {World-Wide Web} {interface}, so a
	database can be queried and updated using a {web browser}.

	The ColdFusion Server application runs on the {web server} and
	has access to a {database}.  ColdFusion files on the web
	server are {HTML} pages with additional ColdFusion commands to
	{query} or {update} the database, written in {CFML}.  When the
	page is requested by the user, the {web server} passes the
	page to the Cold Fusion application, which executes the {CFML}
	commands, places the results of the {CFML} commands in the
	{HTML} file, and returns the page to the {web server}.  The
	page returned to the {web server} is now an ordinary {HTML}
	file, and it is sent to the user.

	Examples of ColdFusion applications include order entry, event
	registration, catalogue search, directories, calendars, and
	interactive training.  ColdFusion applications are robust
	because all database interactions are encapsulated in a single
	industrial-strength {CGI} script.  The formatting and
	presentation can be modified and revised at any time (as
	opposed to having to edit and recompile {source code}).

	ColdFusion Server can connect with any database that supports
	{ODBC} or {OLE DB} or one that has a native database driver.
	Native database drivers are available for {Oracle} and
	{Sybase} databases.

	ColdFusion is available for {Windows}, {Solaris}, and {HP-UX}.
	A {development environment} for creating ColdFusion files,
	called ColdFusion Studio, is also available for {Windows}.

	Current version: MX(6), as of 2003-07-11.

	The {filename extension} for ColdFusion files is .cfm

	{Home (http://www.coldfusion.com/)}.

	(2003-07-27)

<messaging> /yoos'net/ or /yooz'net/ (Or "Usenet news", from
	"Users' Network") A distributed {bulletin board} system and
	the people who post and read articles thereon.  Originally
	implemented in 1979 - 1980 by Steve Bellovin, Jim Ellis, Tom
	Truscott, and Steve Daniel at Duke University, and supported
	mainly by {Unix} machines, it swiftly grew to become
	international in scope and, before the advent of the
	{World-Wide Web}, probably the largest decentralised
	information utility in existence.

	Usenet encompasses government agencies, universities, high
	schools, businesses of all sizes, and home computers of all
	descriptions.  In the beginning, not all Usenet hosts were on
	the Internet.  As of early 1993, it hosted over 1200
	{newsgroups} ("groups" for short) and an average of 40
	megabytes (the equivalent of several thousand paper pages) of
	new technical articles, news, discussion, chatter, and
	{flamage} every day.  By November 1999, the number of groups
	had grown to over 37,000.

	To join in you originally needed a {news reader} program but
	there are now several web gateways such as {Deja
	(http://www.deja.com/)}.  Several {web browsers} include news
	readers and {URLs} beginning "news:" refer to Usenet
	newsgroups.

	{Network News Transfer Protocol} is a {protocol} used to
	transfer news articles between a news {server} and a {news
	reader}.  The {uucp} {protocol} was sometimes used to transfer
	articles between servers, though this is probably rare now
	that most sites are on the {Internet}.

	{Stanford University} runs a service to send news articles by
	{electronic mail}.  Send electronic mail to
	<netnews@db.stanford.edu> with "help" in the message body.
	[Still?  URL?]

	{(http://www.openmarket.com/info/internet-index/current-sources.html)}.

	{Notes on news
	(http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/notes/notes.html)} by Lars Magne
	Ingebrigtsen <larsi@ifi.uio.no>.

	[Gene Spafford <spaf@cs.purdue.edu>, "What is Usenet?",
	regular posting to {news:news.announce.newusers}].

	(1999-12-17)