In {object-oriented programming} sending a message to an
	{object} (to invoke a {method}) is equivalent to calling a
	{procedure} in traditional programming languages, except that
	the actual code executed may only be selected at run time
	depending on the {class} of the object.  Thus, in response to
	the message "drawSelf", the method code invoked would be
	different if the target object were a circle or a square.

	(1995-02-16)

1. <language> An English-like query language used in the
	{Pick} {operating system}.

	2. <database, product> {Microsoft Access}.

	(1994-11-08)

1. <operating system> The {Unix} {superuser} account (with
	user name "root" and user ID 0) that overrides file
	permissions.  The term {avatar} is also used.  By extension,
	the privileged system-maintenance login on any {operating
	system}.

	See {root mode}, {go root}, {wheel}.

	[{Jargon File}]

	(1994-10-27)

	2. <operating system> {root directory}.

	(1996-11-21)

	3. <data> {root node}.

	(1998-11-14)

<security> An arbitrary string of characters chosen by a user
	or {system administrator} and used to authenticate the user
	when he attempts to log on, in order to prevent unauthorised
	access to his account.

	A favourite activity among unimaginative {computer nerds} and
	{crackers} is writing programs which attempt to discover
	passwords by using lists of commonly chosen passwords such as
	people's names (spelled forward or backward).  It is
	recommended that to defeat such methods passwords use a
	mixture of upper and lower case letters or digits and avoid
	proper names and real words.  If you have trouble remembering
	random strings of characters, make up an acronym like
	"ihGr8trmP" ("I have great trouble remembering my password").

	(1994-10-27)

1. <architecture> {cache hit}.

	2. <World-Wide Web> A request to a {web server} from a {web
	browser} or other {client} (e.g. a {robot}).

	The number of hits on a server may be important for
	determining advertising revenue.

	In the course of loading a single {web page}, a browser may
	hit a web server many times e.g. to retrieve the page itself
	and each {image} on the page.  In contrast, caching by
	browsers and {web proxies} reduces the number of hits on the
	server because some requests are satisfied from the cache.

	3. <jargon> To press and release a key on the keyboard.  Some
	prefer the less aggressive "tap".

	(2000-02-20)