Odisha CHSE +2 Vocational Computer Technique key terms

The smallest unit of digital data: a single binary digit that is either 0 or 1. Bits are grouped to represent numbers, characters, colours and instructions inside a computer.

A group of eight bits handled as one unit. One byte commonly stores a single character such as a letter or digit, and larger measures like kilobyte and megabyte are built from bytes.

A base-2 positional number system using only the digits 0 and 1, where each place value is a power of two. Computers use it because electronic circuits have two reliable states, on and off.

American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A character-coding standard that gives numeric codes, 0 to 127 in its basic form, to letters, digits, punctuation and control characters so text can be stored and exchanged.

A finite, ordered set of clear steps that solves a problem or completes a task. It is written before coding so the logic can be checked without depending on any programming language.

System software that manages hardware, memory, files and running programs. It provides a user interface and services so applications can use the machine without dealing directly with hardware details.

A named collection of related data stored on secondary storage, such as a document, image or program. The operating system records its name, extension, size, location and dates.

Also called a folder: a container that holds files and other directories. Directories create a tree-like storage hierarchy so related items can be grouped and located through a path.

The written route to a file or folder, listing the drive and folders in order, for example C:\STUDENT\MARKS.TXT. A path may be absolute, starting from the root, or relative, starting from the current folder.

The suffix after the dot in a filename, such as .docx or .xlsx. It tells the operating system and the user which application and file format are associated with the file.

A word-processor feature that automatically moves text to the next line when the current line is full. The user presses Enter only to end a paragraph, not to force line breaks.

A word-processing feature that combines one main document with a data source, such as a list of names and addresses, to produce many personalised copies for letters, labels or certificates.

The address of a spreadsheet cell, formed by its column letter and row number, such as C5. References let formulas point to values and can be relative, absolute using $, or mixed.

An expression entered in a spreadsheet cell that begins with = and calculates a result from values, cell references and operators, for example =B2*C2. The cell displays the result, not the expression.

A built-in spreadsheet routine such as SUM, AVERAGE or IF. It accepts arguments inside brackets and returns a value, saving the user from writing long manual formulas.

A rectangular block of spreadsheet cells identified by the top-left and bottom-right addresses separated by a colon, for example A1:C10. Ranges are used as single arguments in functions and charts.

Database Management System: software that stores, organises, retrieves and protects data in a database. It lets users and programs share data through queries while controlling access and reducing duplication.

A field or combination of fields whose value uniquely identifies each record in a table. It cannot be empty or duplicated, for example Roll_No in a student table.

One complete row in a database table. It holds all the related field values that describe a single entity, such as one student's roll number, name, class and marks.

A request for data from a database, written in a language such as SQL or built with a graphical tool. It can select, filter, sort or calculate records that meet stated conditions.

In presentation software, the top-level slide that stores the design, fonts, colours and placeholder positions used by all slides built from it, giving a consistent appearance throughout the show.

The visual effect that plays when a slide show moves from one slide to the next. It is different from animation, which affects objects within a single slide.

Content that combines two or more media types, such as text, graphics, audio, video and animation, in one presentation, learning package or interactive application.

Uniform Resource Locator: the address typed into a browser to locate a resource on the web. It includes a protocol, a domain name and often a path, for example https://example.com/page.

Web browser: application software that requests pages from web servers using protocols such as HTTP or HTTPS, interprets HTML, CSS and scripts, and displays the rendered page to the user.

A web service that crawls and indexes pages and then returns ranked links matching the user's keywords. Google and Bing are common examples.

E-mail copy fields. CC, carbon copy, sends a visible copy to additional recipients, while BCC, blind carbon copy, hides those addresses from other recipients, which helps protect privacy in bulk mail.

A diagram that uses standard symbols connected by arrows to show the steps of a process or program: oval for start or stop, parallelogram for input or output, rectangle for process and diamond for decision.

A program that translates a whole source program written in a high-level language such as C into machine code before execution. It reports syntax errors together and produces a separate executable file.

A named storage location in memory whose value can change while a program runs. In C it must be declared with a data type such as int or float before it is used.

A control structure that repeats a block of statements while a condition remains true or for a fixed number of times, such as C's for, while and do-while loops or BASIC's FOR...NEXT.

Random Access Memory: volatile main memory that holds the programs and data currently in use. Its contents are lost when power is switched off, and adding RAM allows more programs to run at once.

Read Only Memory: non-volatile memory that keeps its contents without power and normally cannot be changed by ordinary programs. It stores firmware such as the startup instructions used when a computer is switched on.

Central Processing Unit: the chip that fetches, decodes and executes program instructions. It contains the arithmetic logic unit, control unit and registers, and its speed is measured in gigahertz.

A numeric label assigned to a device on a network, such as 192.168.1.10 in IPv4. It identifies the device so data can be routed to it and may be fixed or supplied automatically by DHCP.

Local Area Network: a network covering a small area such as a room, laboratory or building. It usually uses Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi, runs at high speed and is owned by one organisation.

A copy of files or data kept on separate storage so it can be restored after accidental deletion, corruption or hardware failure. Regular backups are a basic safeguard in practical work.

An oral examination in which a candidate answers the examiner's questions about their project, explaining the aim, tools used, design choices, testing and results, and defending the work.

A written document describing a project's title, objectives, tools, design, testing, results and conclusion. It is submitted with the practical work and usually includes a certificate and bibliography.