Unit 2 Vocabulary: Introduction to Software

Verb (infinitive)
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Abort
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to end a program or a process before its completion
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"When the word processor application crashed, the user had to abort the program and lose all his unsaved changes."
Noun (thing)
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Bug
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an error or glitch in a computer program caused by a programmer's mistake
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"An average developer will create one bug for every 10 lines of code written."
Noun (thing)
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Closed source
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software in which the license stipulates that the user cannot see, edit, or manipulate the source code of a software program
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"I wanted to develop a new feature for the program, but I couldn't because it was closed source."
Adjective
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Compatible
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capable of being used without modification
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"The IBM 360 was the first commercially successful computer family with a wide range of compatible parts."
Noun (thing)
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Crash
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a computer failure which aborts an application or freezes an operating system
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"The user was advised to reboot the computer after a serious crash in which the computer no longer responded."
Noun (person)
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End user
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a person who uses a product or service on a computer
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"Developers must maintain a close relationship with end users if they want to have a successful career."
Noun (thing)
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Error
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an incorrect action attributable to poor judgment, ignorance, or inattention
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"The computer reported a "division by zero" error and automatically aborted the program."
Verb (infinitive)
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Execute
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to start a program on a computer
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"The program was set to execute every night at midnight."
Noun (thing)
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Feature
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something a computer program is "supposed" to do; often a reason to buy or upgrade software
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"The man upgraded his copy of Word because of a new feature that allowed him to spell-check documents in Spanish."
Noun (thing)
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IDE (integrated development environment)
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an application normally consisting of a source code editor, a compiler and/or interpreter, build-automation tools, and a debugger
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"The new employee asked his boss to buy him a license for his favorite IDE because there was none installed on his new company laptop."
Noun (thing)
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Open source
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a program in which the code is distributed allowing programmers to alter and change the original software as much as they like
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"The article stated that many programmers prefer open source solutions because they can modify features and fix bugs without waiting for an upgrade or patch from the manufacturer."
Noun (person)
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Programmer
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a person who writes or modifies software
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"The software company needed to hire three new programmers to help debug their flagship application."
Noun (thing)
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Proprietary
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privately developed and owned technology
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"Because of proprietary code, you may not modify or redistribute the source code of Windows or Macintosh operating systems."
Noun (thing)
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Restriction
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a rule or law which limits or controls access to something
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"The video website had content restrictions in place for users under the age of 18."
Noun (thing)
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Usability
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a measure of how easy or hard a program is to use
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"Back in the late 90s, programmers or salespeople would often be responsible for a website's usability; but nowadays we usually assign that task to a properly trained UX designer."
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