Digital Representation, Personal Communications

bit

a single binary digit

byte

eight consecutive bits in computer memory

Binary-Coded Decimal (BCD)

A form of storing very large numbers in a computer where each decimal is stored as a 4-bit binary number

Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code (EBCDID)

the converted form of letters that come in as electronic signals from keyboards in IBM mainframe computers

American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)

the converted form of letters that come in as electronic signals from keyboards in personal computers; uses 7 of the 8 bits

Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)

the graphic digital representation format for pictures; represents up to 16.7 million color variations for each picture element (pixel); best used in photo cases which require smooth transitions, patterns; can compress well for Internet use

Graphic Interchange Format (GIF)

compressed file format used for images with sharp contrast between colors (i.e. graphics, animation, logos)

PNG

file format with a larger color range, better with gradual color change, but does not support animation

pixel

the smallest picture element that an output device can handle; the smallest identifiable element on a computer screen

resolution

picture clarity determined by the amount of pixels

Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)

a picture file format used for scanned photographic images

Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)

a video file format which provides for the compression of digitized videos and animation; higher quality digital video files

Vector Graphics

images generated from mathematical descriptions of where line length, positioning and other shapes should be

bitmaps (BMP)

details of each row and column of pixel produced by raster graphics programs

MP3

file format used when transferring audio from one device to another

Boot Information Files (BIF)

files used to boot a computer from a disc

Document files (DOC)

word processing files

zipping

compressing a file that is too large to send digitally

blog

online journal or webpage

newsgroup

a group of users who get together to discuss a topic, usually unmoderated and free to join and contribute

list server

used by a newsgroup for one person to create a single email, which is sent to the entire group