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Glossary of Computer Terms
Terms starting with alphabet 'P'
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Packet | A packet is a unit of computer data sent over a network. |
| Parallel Port | Parallel port is an interface on the back of a PC for connecting printer of scanner. It is a 25-pin connector and is rather large compared to most new interfaces like USB. |
| Partition | A partition is a section of a hard disk. Number of partitions can be chosen at the time of formatting a hard drive. The computer will recognize each partition as a separate disk. Partitions allow to have multiple operating systems on the same computer. Multiple partitions may also improve the efficiency of hard disk. |
| Paste | The paste function is used to paste copied data in desired file or folder or drive. |
| Patch | It is a software fix for a bug in a program. A patch addresses the problem area of the program without requiring reinstallation of entire program. |
| Payload | When data is sent over the Internet, each unit transmitted includes both header information and the actual data being sent. The header identifies the source and destination of the packet, while the actual data is referred to as the payload. When the packet reaches its destination, the header is stripped off and payload remains. |
| PCB | PCB is acronym for "Printed Circuit Board." A PCB is a thin board made of fiberglass or other similar material with electrical wires printed on it for connecting the processor, chips, ICs, diodes etc. on the board. Some examples of PCBs are motherboards, RAM chips, internal modem cards etc. |
| PCI | PCI is acronym for "Peripheral Component Interconnect." It is a hardware bus designed by Intel. PCI slots are available on motherboards for add-on cards. Most add-on cards such as SCSI, Firewire, and USB controllers use a PCI connection. Some graphics cards also use PCI slots, but most new graphics cards connect to the AGP slot on the motherboard. |
| PCI Express | PCI Express does not use a parallel bus structure like PCI, but use a network of serial connections controlled by a hub on the computer's motherboard. This makes PCI Express cards much faster than PCI cards. |
| PDA | PDA is acronym for 'Personal Digital Assistant'. PDA is a small, totally portable device that combines computing, telephone/fax, and networking features. |
| PDF is acronym for "Portable Document Format." PDF is a multi-platform file format developed by Adobe Systems. Adobe Reader, a free application program distributed by Adobe Systems, is required to view a PDF (.pdf) file. | |
| Peripheral | Any external device that provides input and/or output for the computer is termed as computer peripheral. |
| Perl | Perl is a scripting language and is used to create scripts for web servers. |
| Phishing | Phishing is trying to illegally obtain someone's password by false representation. Phishers usually send e-mails that appear to have come from legitimate websites like ebay, financial institutions, banks etc. The e-mails may state that your information needs to be updated or validated and ask you to enter your username and password, after clicking a link included in the e-mail. Some e-mails may ask to enter even more information, such as your full name, address, phone number, and credit card number etc. However, even if you visit the false website and just enter your username and password, the phisher may be able to gain access to more information by just logging in to you account and use the information for his benefit at your loss. |
| PHP | Personal Home Page is a server-side HTML embedded scripting language used to create dynamic Web pages. |
| Ping | A ping is a test to see if a system on the Internet is working. "Pinging" a server tests and records the response time of the server. |
| Pixel | A pixel is the smallest unit of space on a computer screen that can be manipulated by the computer. |
| Plain text | A plain text is text without any formatting like bold, italic, underlining, font types, font sizes, and colored text. |
| Plug and Play or PnP | Plug and Play or PnP describes devices that work with a computer system as soon as they are connected. Manual installation of drivers for the device is not required. The computer automatically recognizes the added device, loads new drivers if needed, and begins to work with the newly connected device. |
| Plug-in | A software plug-in is an add-on for a program that adds more functionality to it. |
| PNG | Stands for "Portable Network Graphic." This image format was designed as an alternative to the GIF format. |
| POP3 | POP 3 is acronym for "Post Office Protocol 3". POP3 is a mail server that receives e-mails and filters them into the appropriate user folders. When a user connects to the mail server, the messages are downloaded from mail server to the user's hard disk. |
| Port | A hardware port refers to ports that are on the back of a computer where devices like keyboard, mouse, printer, digital camera, etc. can be connected. |
| PPI | PPI is acronym for "Pixels per Inch". |
| PPP | PPP is acronym for "Point to Point Protocol." PPP is the Internet standard for dial-up modem connections. PPP is a set of rules that defines how a modem exchanges packets of data with other systems on the Internet. |
| Process | A process is a program running on a computer. |
| Protocol | A set of rules that govern how information is to be exchanged between computer systems. |
| Proxy server | It is a server that is between a client application, such as a Web browser, and a real server. It intercepts all or designated requests to the real server, to see if it can fulfill the requests itself. If not, it forwards the request to the real server. It also acts as a first line for privacy. |