- S
-
- samples-per-second
- The number of times per second that the audio card
records data from the audio input. For example, 44
kiloHertz is CD quality, 22 kiloHertz is FM music
quality, and 11 kiloHertz is voice quality.
- SBCS
- See single-byte
character set.
- scalar
- An arithmetic object, or a pointer to an object of any
type.
- scan
- To search backward and forward at high speed on a CD
audio device.
- scope
- That part of a source program in which an object is
defined and recognized.
- scope operator (::)
- An operator that defines the scope for the argument on
the right. If the left argument is blank, the scope is
global; if the left argument is a class name, the scope
is within that class.
- scroll increment
- The number by which the current value of the circular
slider is incremented or decremented when a user presses
one of the circular slider control buttons.
- secondary window
- See child window.
- section
- A unit of code or data produced by the compiler. Sections
do not have attributes. Contrast with segment.
- seed
- An initial value supplied to a random-number algorithm
with which the algorithm can generate a unique sequence
of pseudo-random numbers.
- segment
- A unit of code or data produced by the linker and
existing only in an executable image of the program. The
linker assigns attributes to sections, orders and groups
them, and puts them into segments. Contrast with section.
- semaphore
- A synchronization kernel object used for counting
resources. A semaphore offers a thread the ability to
query the number of resources available. If one or more
resources are available, the count of available resources
is decremented. See critical
section, kernel object,
mutex, event.
- sequence
- A sequentially ordered flat collection.
- sequential collection
- An abstract class with the property of sequentially
ordered elements.
- server
- (1) A functional unit that provides services to one or
more clients over a network. (2) In the AIX operating
system, an application program that usually runs in the
background and is controlled by the system program
controller.
- shared library
- On the AIX operating system, a
library created by the ld command that
contains at least one subroutine that can be used by
multiple processes. Programs and subroutines are linked
as before, but the code common to different subroutines
is combined in one library file that can be loaded at run
time and shared by many programs. A key to identify the
shared library file is left in the header of each
subroutine. A shared library file has the file
extension .shr. See dynamic
link library.
- shell
- A program that interprets sequences of text input as
commands. It may operate on an input stream or it may
interactively prompt and read commands from a terminal. X/Open.
- siblings
- All the children of the same parent (class, node, window)
are said to be siblings of one another.
- signal
- (1) A condition that may be reported as a result of an
error in program execution. For example, SIGFPE is the
signal used to represent erroneous arithmetic operations
such as a division by zero. See exception.
(2) A mechanism by which a process may be notified of, or
affected by, an event occurring in the system. Examples
of such events include hardware exceptions and specific
actions by processes. The term signal is also used to
refer to the event itself. X/Open, I. (3)
In AIX operating system operations, a method of
interprocess communication that simulates software
interrupts. IBM.
- signaled
- A state in which an object has been reactivated after the
threads have been put to sleep. For example, if a thread
in a parent process needs to wait for the child process
to terminate, the parent's thread puts itself to sleep
until the kernel object identifying the child process
becomes signaled. See nonsignaled.
- signal handler
- A function to be called when the signal is reported.
- silent mode
- See unattended mode.
- single-byte
character set (SBCS)
- A set of characters in which each character is
represented by a one-byte code. Contrast with double-byte
character set.
- single-precision
- Pertaining to the use of one computer word to represent a
number, in accordance with the required precision. I.
- slash
- The character /, also known as solidus. This character is
named <slash> in the portable character set.
- SMPTE
- Society for Motion Picture and TV Engineers.
- SMPTE time code
- A frame-numbering system developed by SMPTE that assigns
a number to each frame of video. The 8-digit code is in
the form HH:MM:SS:FF (hours, minutes, seconds, frame
number). The numbers track elapsed hours, minutes,
seconds, and frames from any chosen point.
- Society for Motion Picture and TV Engineers
- An organization that prepares standards and documentation
for television production.
- sorted
- Segregated into groups according to specified criteria.
- sorted bag
- A sorted flat collection that allows duplicate elements.
See key sorted bag.
- sorted collection
- (1) An abstract class with the property of sorted
elements. (2) Any collection with sorted elements. See key sorted collection.
- sorted map
- A sorted flat collection with key and element equality.
- sorted relation
- A sorted flat collection that uses keys, has element
equality, and allows duplicate elements.
- sorted set
- A sorted flat collection with element equality. See key sorted set.
- source directory
- A directory where a project's parts are physically
stored. A project can have many source directories.
- source file
- A file that contains source statements for such items as
high-level language programs and data description
specifications. IBM. Contrast with object file.
- source program
- A set of instructions written in a programming language
that must be translated to machine language before the
program can be run. IBM.
- source region
- The smallest unit of code that can be recompiled and
relinked during an incremental C++ build.
- source type
- Information associated with and used by an action. An
action's list of source types specifies the kind of parts
or files to which the action applies.
- space character
- The character defined in the portable character set as
<space>. The space character is a member of the
space character class of the current locale, but
represents the single character, and not all of the
possible members of the class. X/Open.
- specifier
- In declarations, an indication of storage class,
fundamental data type, or other property of the object or
function being declared.
- sprite
- A small graphic that can be moved independently around
the screen, producing animated effects.
- stack
- A data structure in which new elements are added to and
removed from the top of the structure. A stack is
characterized by last-in, first-out (LIFO) behavior.
- stack frame
- The physical representation of the activation of a
routine. The stack frame is allocated and freed on a LIFO
(last-in, first-out) basis.
- stack storage
- See automatic storage.
- standard error
- An output stream usually intended to be used for
diagnostic messages.
- standard input
- An input stream usually intended to be used for primary
data input. X/Open. Standard input comes
from the keyboard unless redirection or piping is used,
in which case standard input can be from a file or the
output from another command.
- standard output
- An output stream usually intended to be used for primary
data output. X/Open. When programs are run
interactively, standard output usually goes to the
display unless redirection or piping is used, in which
case standard output can go to a file or to another
command.
- stanza
- In the AIX operating system, a group of lines in a file
that together have a common function or define a part of
the system. Stanzas are usually separated by blank lines
or colons, and each stanza has a name. For example, the
stanzas for the AIX compiler default configuration file
specify information that the compiler uses when it is
invoked.
- statement
- (1) A language costruct that represents a step in a
sequence of actions or a set of declarations. (2) In a
program or procedure, an instruction that ends with a
semicolon (;), or several instructions that are
surrounded by brace brackets ({}).
- static
- A keyword used for defining the scope and linkage of
variables and functions. For internal variables, the
variable has block scope and retains its value between
function calls. For external values, the variable has
file scope and retains its value within the source file.
For class variables, the variable is shared by all
objects of the class and retains its value within the
entire program.
- static library
- A library linked with other modules when those modules
are built. In IBM C/C++ Compilers, it has the file
extension .lib. Contrast with dynamic link library.
- static linking
- Combining code and data at build time. Static linking
increases the size of the executable file. Contrast with dynamic linking.
- step backward
- In multimedia applications, to move the medium backward
one frame or segment at a time.
- step forward
- In multimedia applications, to move the medium forward
one frame or segment at a time.
- step frame
- A function of devices such as digital video and videodisc
players that enables a user to move frame-by-frame in
either direction.
- stopping thread
- The thread that causes a program being debugged to stop.
- storage class specifier
- A keyword (auto, register, static, or extern) that
defines the potential lifetime of the storage containing
an object.
- stream
- (1) A contiguous group of data elements being
transmitted, or intended for transmission, in character
or binary-digit form, using a defined format. (2) A file
access object that allows access to an ordered sequence
of characters, as described by the ISO C standard. A
stream provides the additional services of
user-selectable buffering and formatted input and output.
(3) In text processing, treating the entire text as a
single string, even when the string is broken into lines
for viewing purposes.
- stream buffer
- A stream buffer is a buffer between the ultimate
consumer, ultimate producer, and the I/O Stream Library
functions that format data. It is implemented in the I/O
Stream Library by the streambuf class and the classes
derived from streambuf.
- string
- A contiguous sequence of characters.
- string literal
- A contiguous sequence of zero or more characters enclosed
in double quotation marks that is itself data, rather
than a reference to data.
- structure
- A construct that contains an ordered group of data
objects. Unlike an array, the data objects within a
structure can have varied data types.
- structured
exception handling
- A mechanism for handling system exceptions that matches
exceptions with handlers based on the value returned from
an exception filter expression. It allows C programmers
exception-handling capabilities similar to those offered
by C++. See exception
handling.
- structure tag
- The identifier that names a structure data type.
- subclass
- See derived class.
- subscript
- One or more expressions, each enclosed in brackets, that
follow an array name. A subscript refers to an element in
an array.
- subset
- A set in which each element is also an element of another
specified set. Contrast with superset.
- subsystem
- A secondary or subordinate system, usually capable of
operating independently of, or asynchronously with, a
controlling system. T.
- subtree
- A tree structure created by arbitrarily denoting a node
to be the root node in a tree. A subtree is always part
of a whole tree. See tree, root,
node.
- superclass
- See base class, abstract class.
- superset
- Given two sets, A and B, A is a superset of B if all
elements of B are also elements of A. Contrast with subset.
- super video graphics adapter
(SVGA)
- A graphics adapter that can display 256 colors with a
resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels. See video graphics
adapter.
- switch expression
- The controlling expression of a switch statement.
- switch statement
- A C or C++ language statement that causes control to be
transferred to one of several statements, depending on
the value of an expression.
- symbolic name
- (1) A unique name used to represent an entity such as a
field, file, data structure, or label. IBM.
(2) One or more characters with visible glyphs, enclosed
between angle brackets.
- synchronous
- (1) Pertaining to two or more processes that depend on
the occurrence of specific events such as common timing
signals. T. (2) Occurring with a regular or
predictable time relationship. IBM.
- system default
- A default value defined in the system profile. IBM.