Glossary
back buffer
A nonvisible surface to which bitmaps and other images can be drawn while the primary surface displays the currently visible image.
back clipping plane
The far boundary of a viewing frustum beyond which objects are not rendered.
Back-door PDAs
Handheld devices purchased and supported by employees for personal use but are also used to access corporate enterprise data.
Back-office
Internal corporate functions, such as accounting/billing, purchasing, etc.
background audio source
An audio source that is not controlled by the operating system, such as a radio, a CD player, or an auxiliary input device. Background audio sources may continue playing in the background when foreground audio sources are active.
background graphics mode
A mode that defines how background colors are mixed with window or screen colors for text and bitmap operations.
background source
An audio source that cannot be mixed with other background sources before being sent to a destination. Background sources include "entertainment audio" sources such as the radio tuner, CD audio, or MS Audio.
backlight
A light source for a backlit display.
backup authority
A trusted application running on a secure computer used as a storage medium.
backup file
A duplicate copy of your HP Jornada files and data that is stored on your desktop PC or on a PC Card. This file does not include your HP Jornada settings and information stored in ROM, such as factory-installed software. Use your backup file to restore your HP Jornada to its previous state if your device data is damaged or destroyed or if you have performed a factory default reset.
bandwidth
1. The difference between the highest and lowest frequencies that an analog communications system can pass. For example, a telephone accommodates a bandwidth of 3,000 Hz, which is the difference between the lowest (300 Hz) and highest (3,300 Hz) frequencies it can carry.
2. The data transfer capacity of a digital communications system.
bank select
A MIDI controller that allows instruments to be chosen from different groups or banks, each identified by a 2-byte code.
banner
A banner is a graphic image (static, animated, or rich media) that is placed on web sites as an advertisement. Banners are commonly used for brand awareness and generating sales.
base font
The font glyphs that you obtain from another font when performing font linking.
base notification engine
One of the two parts of the notification subsystem in Windows CE. The base notification engine manages all the notifications registered on the system and triggers notifications when an event occurs.
bevel
Adding a beveled effect to a graphic image gives the image a raised appearance by applying highlight colors and shadow colors to the inside and outside edges.
bezel
The faceplate hardware module that is located on an automotive computing device. Hard keys and soft keys that are used to interact with the user interface elements on the device screen are located on the bezel.
BIB File
A file that lists modules to be included in an image and their attributes.
bidirectional parallel port
An interface that supports two-way parallel communications between a device and a computer.
big endian
A data format where the least significant byte is placed in the highest memory address.
billboard
A primitive inserted into a 3-D scene that is oriented so that one face is toward the viewer. A texture, usually an animated sprite, is applied to the billboard to give the appearance of a 3-D object in the scene.
billboarding
A 2-D technique of simulating the appearance of a 3-D object in a scene. An application inserts a primitive, typically rectangular, into the scene oriented so that one face is toward the viewer and applies a texture or a set of textures. The texture or set of textures gives the appearance of an animated 3-D object.
binary editor
A resource editor that allows you to edit a resource at the binary level in either hexadecimal or ASCII format.
Binary Large Object (BLOB)
1. A large piece of data, such as a bitmap, characterized by large field values, an unpredictable table size, and data that is formless from the perspective of an application.
2. A keyword that designates the BLOB structure that contains information about a block of data.
Bit Block Transfer (blit)
The process of copying the bits that constitute a bitmap from one device context to another. For example, a bit block transfer can be used to move a bitmap stored in memory to the screen for display. The bits can also be altered during a bit block transfer. As a result, light and dark portions of an image can be reversed. Successive displays can thus be used to change the appearance of an image or to move it around on the screen.
bit depth
The amount of bits can be used to describe the color of a pixel. The bit depth determines the range of colors that can be used for user interface elements. The range of colors is determined by the bit-per-pixel rate squared.
bitmap
A data structure in memory that represents information as a collection of individual bits. A bitmap represents a bit image. A bit map is also used in some systems to represent the blocks of storage on a disk, indicating whether each block is free (0) or in use (1).
bitmap image
A graphic image stored as a specific arrangement of screen dots, or pixels. Web graphics are bitmap images. A graphic which is defined by specifying the colors of dots or pixels which make up the picture. Also known as raster graphics. Common types of bitmap graphics are GIF, JPEG, Photoshop, PCX, TIFF, Macintosh Paint, Microsoft Paint, BMP, PNG, FAX formats, and TGA.
bitmap server
A module that takes bitmap resource information from a chip object, loads the bitmap into video memory if possible, and returns an HDC with the chip's bitmap selected into it.
blend factor
The description of how each color component is blended in texture blending.
blend mode
The algorithm used to determine how a texture is blended with the colors of the surface to which the texture is applied.
blending stage
One step in a texture cascade. A blending stage includes one texture and a set of texture blending operations that are used when blending multiple textures.
blink time
The elapsed time, in milliseconds, required to invert the caret display. This value is half of the flash time.
block
A group of statements in a file that are treated as a unit. For example, a component file (.cec) contains component blocks, implementation blocks, and build method blocks.
block cipher mode
An encryption scheme in which data is encrypted one block at a time.
block mode
A synchronous method of calling the CeRapiInvoke function by storing input parameters and output data in a single buffer.
bluetooth
A communications specification designed to enable PDAs, mobile phones, computers, and other devices to share information and synchronize data. This technology requires a transceiver chip in each device. Bluetooth products should enter the market in 2000-2001. Devices will operate in the 2.4Ghz band, sending data at 720 Kbps within a 30 foot range.
board support package (BSP)
The software that implements and supports the OEM adaptation layer (OAL) and device drivers for a standard development board (SDB). A BSP contains source files, binary files, or both and is the main part of the platform.
bookmark
A marker used to locate lines in a source file. A bookmark can be either named or unnamed.
boot loader
An application that is automatically run when a device is switched on (booted) and allows a system to initialize itself and enables hardware to load a new OS image in ROM. More specifically, after first performing a few basic hardware tests, the boot loader loads and passes control to a larger loader application, which then typically loads to a larger loader application, which then typically loads the operating system. The boot loader normally resides in the computer's read-only memory (ROM).
boot loader image
The executable file that loads and starts an operating system image on a target device.
bootstrap loader
An application that is automatically run when a computer is switched on (booted). After first performing a few basic hardware tests, the boot loader loads and passes control to a larger loader application, which then typically loads the operating system. The boot loader normally resides in the computer's read-only memory (ROM).
bound command
A command that has a key combination assigned to it.
bounding rectangle
The smallest rectangle that completely surrounds an ellipse.
bounds checking
The process of checking that an on-screen image is displayed within the bounds of the screen.
BRIEF
A text editor by Borland.
browser
The software used to view, manage, and access web pages by interpreting hypertext and hyperlinks. The two most common browsers are Netscape and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Web pages often appear differently depending on the brand and version of the browser intended to view them in.
brush
A tool used in painting applications to sketch or fill in areas of a drawing with the color and pattern currently in use. Painting applications that offer a variety of brush shapes can produce brushstrokes of varying width and, in some cases, shadowing or calligraphic effects.
brush origin
The coordinates of a mapped pixel.
BSP File
The board support package file lists all the components that are needed to support a specific target device.
build environment
The state of the development workstation, including the directory structure and environment variables. The build release directory is the command-line build environment for your platform and projects.
built in memory
Memory stores the addresses, appointments and other information that you store in your digital assistant. The more memory, the greater the amount of information that you can store. Many digital assistants can be expanded to hold even more information.
button content list control
An invisible control that manages an array of button controls. A button content list control is used to populate list items in a graphical list with content.
button control
A graphical element that displays information to the user. A button can be pressed, either by pushing the graphical element directly on the device screen or by pressing a faceplate key that is mapped to it, in order to perform an operation in an automotive application.