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Glossary
133
F
file—A collection of related information, saved on disk with a
unique name. A file may be an application, information
used by an application, or a document. See also
document
.
File Allocation Table (FAT)—The section of a storage drive
that keeps track of the location of stored files.
file name—A set of characters that uniquely identifies a file
within a particular folder. It consists of two parts: the
actual name and the file name extension. See also
file
extension
.
file extension—The three characters following the period
(pronounced “dot”) at the end of a file name. The
extension indicates the type of file. Examples are .exe
for application files and .hlp for help files. See also
file
name
.
folder—Also called directory. A container for organizing files
saved to a disk. A folder is symbolized on screen by a
graphical image (icon) of a file folder. A folder can
contain files and other folders.
format—(verb) To prepare a blank disk for use with the
computer’s operating system. Formatting creates a
structure on the disk so the operating system can write
information to the disk or read information from it.
frontside bus—The primary pathway (bus) between the
CPU and the computer’s main memory. Also called
“system bus.” See also
bus
.
Function key—(1) A feature in which certain keys in
combination with the Fn key can set system options or
control system parameters. (2) A key or combination of
keys that activates a memory resident application.
function keys—The keys labeled F1 through F8, typically
located on the keyboard. Their function is determined by
the operating system and/or individual applications.