C
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cabinet file
- A self-contained file with a .cab extension used for application installation and setup. In a cabinet file, multiple files are compressed into one file. They are commonly found on Microsoft software distribution disks.
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cache
- A special memory subsystem in which frequently used data values are duplicated for quick access. A memory cache stores the contents of frequently accessed RAM locations and the addresses where this data is stored. When the processor references an address in memory, the cache checks to see whether it holds that address. If it does hold the address, the data is returned to the processor; if it does not hold the address, a regular memory access occurs. A cache is useful when RAM accesses are slow compared with the microprocessor speed, because cache memory is always faster than main RAM memory.
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callback function
- A function that receives messages from the operating system. Callback functions are application-defined.
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caret
- A flashing line, block, or bitmap that marks the location of the insertion point in a window's client area.
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cascading menu
- A hierarchical graphical menu system in which a side menu of subcategories is displayed when the pointer is placed on the main category.
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CDF
- See Channel Definition Format.
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central processing unit (CPU)
- The computational and control unit of a computer. The CPU is the device that interprets and executes instructions. It has the ability to fetch, decode, and execute instructions and to transfer information to and from other resources over the computer's main data-transfer path, the bus. By definition, the CPU is the chip that functions as the "brain" of a computer. In some instances, however, the term encompasses both the processor and the computer's memory or, even more broadly, the main computer console, as opposed to peripheral equipment.
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Certificate Authority (CA)
- An entity that attests to the identity of a person or an organization. The Certificate Authority's chief function is to verify the identity of entities and issue digital certificates attesting to that identity.
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channel
- A subscription to a Web site that conforms to the Channel Definition Format.
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Channel Definition Format (CDF)
- A specification developed by Microsoft and presented to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that allows applications to send Web pages to users. Once a user subscribes to a CDF channel, any software that supports the CDF format automatically receives any new content posted on the channel's Web server. The default client subscription application for Internet channel broadcasting in Broadcast Architecture stores subscription information as CDF files.
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channel script
- A program written in HTML and Visual Basic Script, JScript, Java Script, and other scripting languages to specify the layout and behavior of a channel.
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channel synchronization
- The process of first downloading Mobile Channels content into a cache using the standard Internet Explorer 4.0 channel retrieval mechanism and then transferring it onto a Windows CE-based device. Channel synchronization makes it possible for users to access Mobile Channels using either a Windows CE-based device without a radio module or a Windows-based desktop computer when the device is not readily available.
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check box
- An interactive control found in graphical user interfaces. Check boxes are used to enable or disable one or more features or options from a set. When an option is selected, an X or a check mark appears in the box.
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child window
- A window that has the WS_CHILD style. A child window always appears within the client area of its parent window.
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CIFS
- See Common Internet File System.
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CIFS redirector
- A module through which one computer gains access to another. Its function is to reestablish disrupted connections and to package and send remote file-system requests to host targets.
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class identifier (CLSID)
- A universally unique identifier (UUID) that identifies a type of Component Object Model (COM) object. Each type of COM object item has its CLSID in the registry so that it can be loaded and used by other applications. For example, a spreadsheet may create worksheet items, chart items, and macrosheet items. Each of these item types has its own CLSID that uniquely identifies it to the system.
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client
- 1. In object-oriented programming, a member of a class (group) that uses the services of another class to which it is not related. 2. A process, such as a program or task, that requests a service provided by another program— for example, a word processor that calls on a sort routine built into another program. The client process uses the requested service without having to know any working details about the other program or the service itself. 3. On a local area network or the Internet, a computer that accesses shared network resources provided by another computer, called a server.
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client area
- The client area is the portion of a window where the application displays output, such as text or graphics. Also called a client rectangle.
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client coordinate
- A coordinate that is relative to the upper-left corner of a window's client area.
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Client Device Driver
- See Installable Device Driver.
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clipping region
- A subregion of the client area to which output is restricted. Clipping is used in Windows CE in a variety of ways. For example, word processing and spreadsheet applications clip keyboard input to keep it from appearing in the margins of a page or spreadsheet.
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CLSID
- See class identifier.
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cold boot
- A startup process that begins with turning on the computer's power. Typically, a cold boot involves some basic hardware checking by the system, after which the operating system is loaded from disk into memory. Compare warm boot.
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COM
- See Component Object Model.
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COM class
- The definition of an object in code. In COM, class refers to the general object definition, whereas in C++, the class of an object is a data type.
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COM object
- A programming structure that includes both data and functionality. A COM object is defined and allocated as a single unit. The only public access to a COM object is through the programming structure's interfaces. At a minimum, a COM object must support the IUnknown interface, which maintains the object's existence while it is being used and provides access to the object's other interfaces.
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COM port
- Short for communications port, the logical address assigned by MS-DOS (versions 3.3 and later), and Microsoft Windows to each of the four serial ports on an IBM personal computer or a PC-compatible. COM ports also have come to be known as the actual serial ports on a computer's CPU where peripherals, such as printers, scanners, and external modems, are plugged in.
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combo box
- A control that combines an edit control with a list box. This allows the user to type in an entry or choose one from the list.
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command band
- A rebar control with a fixed band at the top that contains a toolbar with a Close (X) button, an OK button, and optionally, a Help (?) button in the upper-right corner.
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command bar
- A control window that can contain buttons, combo boxes, and menu bars. Windows CE-based applications can use a command bar rather than a separate menu and toolbar to efficiently utilize available screen space.
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command prompt window
- A development workstation command prompt window from which the OAK user has run the Wince.bat tool. Also called build window.
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common control
- A standardized child window that an application uses in conjunction with another window to perform input/output tasks. A common control enables users to view and organize information and to set or change attributes and properties. Most common controls send the WM_NOTIFY message.
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Common Internet File System (CIFS)
- A standard proposed by Microsoft that would compete directly with Sun Microsystems' Web Network File System.
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component
A subset of the Windows CE operating system. Windows CE is structured as a collection of modules that are subdivided into smaller components. Each module and component is a self-contained subset of the Windows CE operating system that can be used to construct a customized operating system for a particular device.
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Component Object Model (COM)
- An open architecture for cross-platform development of client/server applications. It is based on object-oriented technology as agreed upon by Digital Equipment Corporation and Microsoft Corporation. COM defines the interface (similar to an abstract base class), IUnknown, from which all COM-compatible classes are derived.
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compound file
- A number of individual files bound together in one physical file where each individual file can be accessed as if it were a single physical file.
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contacts database
- A collection of names, addresses, telephone numbers, and other information stored on a Handheld PC (H/PC) by the Contacts application. The database is divided into a set of records called address cards. The database contains any number of address cards, limited only by the amount of memory available on the H/PC.
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continuous resistive touch panel
- See touch screen.
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control
- A standardized child window on the screen that can be manipulated by the user to perform an action or display information. The most common controls are buttons, which allow the user to select options, and scroll bars, which allow the user to move through a document or position text in a window.
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control identifier
- A value that uniquely identifies a control.
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control style
- A value, similar to a window style, that specifies the appearance and behavior of a control. The window procedure for the control uses the style to determine how to draw the control and process input.
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CPU
- See central processing unit.
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critical section object
- A segment of code that is not reentrant and therefore does not support concurrent access by multiple threads. Often, a critical section object is used to protect shared resources.
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cursor
- A small bitmap whose location on the screen is controlled by a pointing device, such as a mouse, pen, or trackball. Some Windows CE-based platforms only support the wait cursor (the spinning hourglass).