All visitors are logged and counted. Click on this icon to view the visitor-statistics. The grand encyclopedia of computer terminology This encyclopedia is compiled by produkties.uithuizen.net This explains the most common computerterms which you can encounter. This list was compiled from several sources. It does not explain HTML commands in detail because for this purpose another encyclopedia is available.The most recent update of this document can be found at: http://www.uithuizen.net/encyclopedia/terms.php Choose a list of terms you want to see .A-.Z   0-9   A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L    M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z Type a term you want to search for: and You want more information? Well click on these links: Random House Personal Computer Dictionary h      HABRACK   Hz 129 items available in this category HABRACK Known spyware or adware. HACARMY Known spyware or adware. hack (n) An inelegant and usually temporary solution to a problem. See kludge. (v) To modify a program, often in an unauthorized manner, by changing the code itself. hacker A slang term for a computer enthusiast. Among professional programmers, the term hacker implies an amateur or a programmer who lacks formal training. Depending on how it used, the term can be either complimentary or derogatory, although it is developing an increasingly derogatory connotation. The pejorative sense of hacker is becoming more prominent largely because the popular press has coopted the term to refer to individuals who gain unauthorized access to computer systems or networks and once inside, looks around, gets information for hacking further forbidden areas, and leaves without a trace, sometimes for the purpose of stealing and corrupting data. Hackers, in the culture of cyberspace, are perceived as more benevolent than crackers and computer virus creators, criminals using their skills maliciously. HackerWacker Known spyware or adware. half duplex Refers to the transmission of data in just one direction at a time. For example, a walkie-talkie is a half duplex device because only one party can talk at a time. In contrast, a telephone is a full duplex device because both parties can talk simultaneously. Most modems contain a switch that lets you select between half duplex and full duplex modes. The correct choice depends on which program you are using to transmit data through the modem. In half duplex mode, each character transmitted is immediately displayed on your screen. (For this reason, it is sometimes called local echo; characters are echoed by the local device). In full duplex mode, transmitted data is not displayed on your monitor until it has been received and returned (remotely echoed) by the other device. If you are running a communications program and every character appears twice, it probably means that your modem is in half duplex mode when it should be in full duplex mode, and every character is being both locally and remotely echoed. half height PCs support both full-height and half-height bays for disk drives and other mass storage devices. The half-height models take up less space but usually have less storage capacity. halftone In printing, a continuous tone image, such as a photograph, that has been converted into a black-and-white image. Halftones are created through a process called dithering, in which the density and pattern of black and white dots are varied to simulate different shades of gray. In conventional printing, halftones are created by photographing an image through a screen. The screen frequency, measured in lines per inch, determines how many dots are used to make each spot of gray. In theory, the higher the screen frequency (the more lines per inch), the more accurate the halftone will be. However, actual screen frequencies are limited by the technology because higher screen frequencies create smaller, more tightly packed dots. If you are printing on a low resolution device, therefore, you may get better results with a lower screen frequency. Modern desktop publishing systems can create halftones by simulating the conventional photographic process. This is why some programs allow you to specify a screen frequency even when no actual screen is used. hand-held computer A portable computer that is small enough to be held in ones hand. Although extremely convenient to carry, handheld computers have not replaced notebook computers because of their small keyboards and screens. The most popular hand-held computers are those that are specifically designed to provide PIM (personal information manager) functions, such as a calendar and address book. Some manufacturers are trying to solve the small keyboard problem by replacing the keyboard with an electronic pen. However, these pen-based devices rely on handwriting recognition technologies, which are still in their infancy. Handheld PC See HPC. handle (1) In many applications, when you select a graphical object, an outline of the object appears with small boxes. Each box is a handle. By dragging the handles, you can change the shape and size of the object. (2) In programming, a handle is a token, typically a pointer, that enables the program to access a resource, such as a library function. (3) When communicating via an online service, your handle is the name that you use to identify yourself. It could be your real name, a nickname, or a completely fictitious name. handshaking The process by which two devices initiate communications. Handshaking begins when one device sends a message to another device indicating that it wants to establish a communications channel. The two devices then send several messages back and forth that enable them to agree on a communications protocol. For example: Handshaking is used in the communication between two modems whereby the server identifies the client. handwriting recognition The technique by which a computer system can recognize characters and other symbols written by hand. In theory, handwriting recognition should free us from our keyboards, allowing us to write and draw in a more natural way. It is considered one of the key technologies that will determine the ultimate success or failure of PDAs and other hand-held devices. To date, however, the technology has had only limited success. This is partly because it is still a young technology and is not as fast or accurate as it needs to be. Another reason for its slow acceptance, however, is that the keyboard is in fact more convenient in many situations. Many people can write much faster with a keyboard than they can by hand. hang To crash in such a way that the computer does not respond to input from the keyboard or mouse. If your computer is hung, you usually need to reboot it, although sometimes hitting the correct sequence of control characters will free it up. Sometimes the computer has actually stopped processing data. hanging indent In word processing, a paragraph that has all lines but the first indented. A hanging indent is also known as a hanging paragraph. With many word processors, you can create hanging indents by specifying a negative indentation for the first line of each paragraph. hanging paragraph Same as hanging indent. HAPPYLOW Known spyware or adware. hard The term hard is used to describe anything that is permanent or physically exists. In contrast, the term soft refers to concepts, symbols and other intangible and changeable objects. hard card A hard disk drive and controller on an expansion card. Unlike most disk drives that are either external to the computer or fit in one of the disk drive bays, a hard card slips into an expansion slot. Hard cards are often faster than conventional disk drives, and easier to install. Their storage capacities, however, are more limited. hard coded Unchangeable. Hard-coded features are built into the hardware or software in such a way that they cannot be modified. hard copy A printout of data stored in a computer. It is considered hard because it exists physically on paper, whereas a soft copy exists only electronically. hard disk A magnetic disk on which you can store computer data. The term hard is used to distinguish it from a soft, or floppy, disk. Hard disks hold more data and are faster than floppy disks. A hard disk, for example, can store anywhere from 10 megabytes to over several hundreds of gigabytes, whereas most floppies have a maximum storage capacity of 1.4 megabytes. A single hard disk usually consists of several platters. Each platter requires two read/write heads, one for each side. All the read/write heads are attached to a single access arm so that they cannot move independently. Each platter has the same number of tracks, and a track location that cuts across all platters is called a cylinder. For example, a typical 84 megabyte hard disk for a PC might have two platters (four sides) and 1,053 cylinders. In general, hard disks are less portable than floppies, although it is possible to buy removable hard disks. There are two types of removable hard disks: disk packs and removable cartridges. hard disk drive The mechanism that reads and writes data on a hard disk. Hard disk drives for PCs generally have access times of about 15 milliseconds or less. Many disk drives improve their performance through a technique called caching. The disk drives for hard disks are called hard disk drives or Winchester drives, Winchester being the name of one of the first popular hard disk drive technologies developed by IBM in 1973. There are several interface standards for passing data between a hard disk and a computer. The most common are: ST-506: The standard interface on all PC/XT and PC/AT computers. The ST-506 standard supports both MFM and RLL encoding formats. SCSI (Small Computer System Interface): The standard interface for Apple Macintoshes, SCSI is also popular on UNIX systems and is available on many PC compatibles. IDE (Integrated Drive Interface): Not as fast as SCSI, but faster than ST-506. Enhanced IDE: A new version of the IDE interface that supports data transfer rates comparable to SCSI. hard disk type A number that indicates important features of a hard disk, such as the number of platters and cylinders. Hard disk manufacturers have agreed on a numbering scheme so that it is possible to install and configure a new hard disk simply by entering the disks type number into the BIOS setup. Currently the numbering system is obsolete since BIOSes are capable of detecting the vital data of the hard disk automatically. hard drive Same as hard disk drive. hard hyphen See under hyphenation. hard return A return is the process of jumping from the end of one line of text to the beginning of the next line. Word processors utilize two types of returns: hard returns and soft returns. A hard return is an actual symbol inserted into the text. The hard-return symbol is usually invisible, but most word processors support a mode that lets you see them. Whenever you press the Return or Enter key while editing a document, the word processor inserts a hard return. Hard returns cause the word processor to start a new line regardless of how margins are set. Therefore, if a document contains hard returns, the lines will end at the same place even if you change the margins. In contrast, soft returns, inserted by the program rather than the user, depend on how the margins are set. hardware Refers to objects that you can actually touch, like disks, disk drives, display screens, keyboards, printers, boards, and chips. In contrast, software is untouchable. software exists as ideas, concepts, and symbols, but it has no substance. Books provide a useful analogy for describing the difference between software and hardware. The pages and the ink are the hardware, while the words, sentences, paragraphs, and the overall meaning are the software. A computer without software is like a book full of blank pages; you need software to make the computer useful just as you need words to make a book meaningful. hardwired Refers to elements of a program or device that cannot be changed. Originally, the term was used to describe functionality that was built into the circuitry (i.e., the wires) of a device. Nowadays, however, the term is also used to describe constants built into software. HAWAWI Known spyware or adware. Hayes compatible Hayes Microcomputer Products is one of the leading manufacturers of modems and has developed a language for controlling modems that has become the de facto standard. Any modem that recognizes Hayes modem commands is said to be Hayes-compatible. This is very useful because many communications programs use Hayes modem commands. HD High Density. HDD Acronym for Hard Disk Drive or Hard Drive HDR HeaDeR label. HDTV High Definition TeleVision. HDX Half DupleX. head The mechanism that reads data from or writes data to a magnetic disk or tape. If the head becomes dirty, it will not work properly. This is one of the first things to check if your disk drive or tape drive begins to malfunction. The head is sometimes called a read/write head. Double-sided floppy disk drives have two heads, one for each side of the disk. Hard disk drives have many heads, two for each platter. head crash A serious disk drive malfunction. A head crash usually means that the head has scratched or burned the disk. In a hard disk drive, the head normally hovers a few microinches from the disk. If the head becomes misaligned or if dust particles come between it and the disk, it can touch the disk. When this happens, you usually lose much of the data on the hard disk and will need to replace both the head and the disk. For this reason, it is important to operate disk drives, particularly hard disk drives, in as clean an environment as possible. Even smoke particles can cause a head crash. Head crashes are less common for floppy disks because the head touches the disk anyway under normal operation. Another term for head crash is disk crash. header (1) In word processing, a line of text that appears at the top of each page of a document. Once you specify the text that should appear in the header, the word processor automatically inserts it. Most word processors allow you to use special symbols in the header that represent changing values. For example, you can enter a symbol for the page number, and the word processor will automatically replace the symbol with the correct number on each page. If you enter the date symbol, the word processor will insert the current date, which will change if necessary each time you print the document. Most word processors allow you to specify different headers, for example, one for odd-numbered pages (odd headers) and another for even-numbered pages (even headers). Headers are also called running heads. (2) In many disciplines of computer science, a header is a unit of information that precedes a data object. In file management, for example, a header is a region at the beginning of each file where bookkeeping information is kept. The file header may contain the date the file was created, the date it was last updated, and the file´s size. The header can be accessed only by the operating system or by specialized programs. E-mail messages too contain a header. helical-scan cartridge A type of magnetic tape that uses the same technology as VCR tapes. The term helical scan usually refers to 8 mm tapes, although 4 mm tapes (called DAT tapes) use the same technology. The 8 mm helical-scan tapes have data capacities from 2.5GB to 5GB. HELIOS.B Known spyware or adware. Help Online documentation. Many programs come with the instruction manual, or a portion of the manual, integrated into the program. If you encounter a problem or forget a command while running the program, you can summon the documentation by pressing a designated Help key or entering a HELP command. In Windows, the Help key is the function key labeled F1. Once you summon the Help system, the program often displays a menu of Help topics. You can choose the appropriate topic for whatever problem you are currently encountering. The program will then display a help screen that contains the desired documentation. Some programs are more sophisticated, displaying different Help messages depending on where you are in the program. Such systems are said to be context sensitive. The Macintosh Help system is often referred to as Balloon Help because the help messages appear in a cartoon-like balloon. Newer Macs (starting with System 7.5) also have something called Interactive Help, which contains tutorials that show you how to perform different operations. Help2Go Known spyware or adware. HelpExpress Known spyware or adware. HERC HERCules. See Hercules graphics. Hercules graphics A graphics display system for PCs developed by Van Suwannukul, founder of Hercules Computer Technology. Suwannukul developed the system so that he could produce his doctoral thesis on PC equipment using his native Thai alphabet. First offered in 1982, the original Hercules system filled a void left by IBM´s MDA (monochrome display adapter) system. MDA produces high-resolution monochrome text but cannot generate graphics. Hercules systems generate both high-resolution text and graphics for monochrome monitors. The resolution is 720 by 348. In fact Hercules was the first non-IBM video adapter for the IBM PC. See also CGA, MDA. heterogeneous network A network that includes computers and other devices from different manufacturers. For example, local-area networks (LANs) that connect PCs with Apple Macintosh computers are heterogeneous. Heuristic A way of resolving an issue by discovering or experimenting instead of following specific instructions, formulas or procedures. Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language See HPGL. hex Short for hexadecimal. hexadecimal Refers to the base-16 number system, which consists of 16 unique symbols: the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to F. For example, the decimal number 15 is represented as F in the hexadecimal numbering system. The hexadecimal system is useful because it can represent every byte (8 bits) as two consecutive hexadecimal digits. It is easier for humans to read hexadecimal numbers than binary numbers. To convert a value from hexadecimal to binary , you merely translate each hexadecimal digit into its 4-bit binary equivalent. For example, the hexadecimal number 3F7A translates to the following binary number: 0011 1111 0111 1010 HGA Hercules Graphics Adapter. See Hercules graphics. HGC Hercules Graphics Controller. See Hercules graphics. HH Hour. hidden file A file with a special hidden attribute turned on, so that the file is not normally visible to users. For example, hidden files are not listed when you execute the DOS DIR command. However, most file management utilities allow you to view hidden files. DOS hides some files, such as MSDOS.SYS and IO.SYS, so that you will not accidentally corrupt them. You can also turn on the hidden attribute for any normal file, thereby making it invisible to casual snoopers. On a Macintosh, you can hide files with the ResEdit utility. hierarchical Refers to systems that are organized in the shape of a pyramid, with each row of objects linked to objects directly beneath it. Hierarchical systems pervade everyday life. The army, for example, which has generals at the top of the pyramid and privates at the bottom, is a hierarchical system. Similarly, the system for classifying plants and animals according to species, family, genus, and so on, is also hierarchical. Hierarchical systems are as popular in computer systems as they are in other walks of life. The most obvious example of a hierarchical system in computers is a file system, in which directories have files and subdirectories beneath them. Such a file organization is, in fact, called a hierarchical file system. In addition to file systems, many data structures for storing information are hierarchical in form. Menu-driven programs are also hierarchical, because they contain a root menu at the top of the pyramid and submenus below it. high ASCII Same as extended ASCII. High Color Color display in 65536 colors. high memory In DOS-based systems, high memory refers to the memory area between the first 640K and 1 megabyte. It is also called the upper memory area. high memory area In DOS-based systems, The first 65520 bytes (64K less 16 bytes) of extended memory. This area is accessible from real mode on the 80286 and higher processors because these processors do not wrap addresses at one megabyte as the 8088 and 8086 do. In this area devicedrivers can be loaded (see also UMB & EMS). High Performance Computing A branch of computer science that concentrates on developing supercomputers and software to run on supercomputers. A main area of this discipline is developing parallel processing algorithms and software: programs that can be divided into little pieces so that each piece can be executed simultaneously by separate processors. High Performance Computing and Communications See HPCC. high resolution See under resolution. high-density disk A high-quality floppy disk capable of holding more data than a double-density disk. High-density 5¼-inch disks for PCs can hold 1.2MB ( megabytes) of data. High-density 3½-inch disks can store 1.44MB. high-level language A programming language such as C, FORTRAN, or Pascal that enables a programmer to write programs that are more or less independent of a particular type of computer. Such languages are considered high-level because they are closer to human languages and further from machine languages. In contrast, assembly languages are considered low-level because they are very close to machine languages. The main advantage of high-level languages over low-level languages is that they are easier to read, write, and maintain. Ultimately, programs written in a high-level language must be translated into machine language by a compiler or interpreter. The first high-level programming languages were designed in the 1950s. Now there are dozens of different languages, including Ada, Algol, BASIC, COBOL, C, C++, FORTRAN, LISP, Pascal, and Prolog. highlight To make an object on a display screen stand out by displaying it in a different mode from other objects. Typical highlighted objects include menu options, command buttons, and selected blocks of text. HighTraffic Known spyware or adware. Hijacker.TaskManager Known spyware or adware. Hijacking An attack whereby an active session is intercepted and used by someone else. HIMEM HIgh MEMory. HitHopper Known spyware or adware. Hiva Known spyware or adware. HLS Hue, Luminance, Saturation. Color model. HMA High Memory Area. HMD Head Mounted Display. HOBBIT.C Known spyware or adware. HOBBIT.F Known spyware or adware. HOGLE Known spyware or adware. HOLAR.A Known spyware or adware. HOLAR.C Known spyware or adware. Holystic Known spyware or adware. home computer A personal computer specially configured for use in a home rather than an office. Typically, home computers have only medium-power microprocessors, but are equipped with a full complement of multimedia devices. In addition, manufacturers often bundle recreational and educational software with home computers. Home key A key on PC and newer Macintosh keyboards that controls cursor movement. Usually, the Home key moves the cursor to the top left corner of the screen or to the beginning of the file, but it can have other meanings depending on which program is running. home page Originally, the web page that your browser is set to use when it starts up. The more common meaning refers to the main page of a web site. Typically, the home page serves as an index or table of contents to other documents stored at the site. home PC Same as home computer. Honey pot Term used to describe a computer or network setup with the purpose of attracting a computer hacker. These computers allow a system administrator or security expert to analyze how a computer hacker may attempt to hack a network without risking the threat to their own network. By analyzing this, the system administrator or security expert can then implement the needed security into their network, making it more secure. host (n) Originally, the central computer in a time-sharing system. Currently, any computer on a network that is a repository for services available to other computers on the network and that can be accessed by a user working at a remote location. Typically, the term is used when there are two computer systems connected by modems and telephone lines. The system that contains the data is called the host, while the computer at which the user sits is called the remote terminal. (v) To provide the infrastructure for a computer service. For example, there are many companies that host Web servers. This means that they provide the hardware, software, and communciations lines required by the server, but the content on the server may be controlled by someone else. Host Control Known spyware or adware. host-based Refers to any device that relies on the host computer (that is, the computer the device is attached to) to handle some operations. Two common examples are host-based printers and host-based modems. host-based modem A modem that uses the computer´s processor to handle some operations. Because host-based modems require less processing power of their own, they should be less expensive than conventional modems. There are also software modems, in which there´s no modem device at all. Instead, all of the modem´s functions are handled by the computer´s processor. host-based printer A printer that relies on the host computer´s processor to generate printable pages. Most host-based printers on the market today use the GDI interface built into Windows. Because they don´t need a powerful processor of their own, host-based printers tend to be less expensive than conventional printers. But because they share your computer´s processor, they may be slow and they may slow down your other computer work. How fast these printers operate depends on how powerful the host computer is and how occupied it is with other operations. hot link (n) A link between two applications such that changes in one affect the other. For example, some desktop publishing systems let you establish hot links between documents and databases or spreadsheets. When data in the spreadsheet changes, the corresponding charts and graphs in the document change accordingly. (v) To establish a link between two applications. hot plugging The ability to add and remove devices to a computer while the computer is running and have the operating system automatically recognize the change. Two new external bus standards: Universal Serial Bus (USB) and FireWire support hot plugging. This is also a feature of PCMCIA. hot spot An area of a graphics object, or a section of text, that activates a function when selected. Hot spots are particularly common in multimedia applications, where selecting a hot spot can make the application display a picture, run a video, or open a new window of information. Hotbar Known spyware or adware. HotJava A set of products developed by Sun Microsystems that utilize Java technology. Currently, HotJava products include a set of libraries for building Java-aware applications, and a Java-enabled Web browser. Other Java-enabled Web browsers include the newest versions of Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. hotkey A user-defined key sequence that executes a command or causes the operating system to switch to another program. In DOS systems, for example, you can use hotkeys to open memory-resident programs (TSRs). In Windows environments, you can often press a hotkey to execute common commands. For example, Ctrl+C usually copies the selected objects. Hotra Known spyware or adware. HotSearchBox Known spyware or adware. HotVideo Known spyware or adware. HP-compatible printer Hewlett-Packard was one of the first companies to produce a laser printer for PCs, and most software products include drivers for HP printers. The drivers control the printers through a language called PCL (printer control language). Other manufacturers of laser printers design their printers so that they, too, understand PCL, making them able to emulate HP printers. In this way, their printers are HP-compatible and are thus automatically supported by many software products. No non-HP printer, however, is 100 percent HP-compatible. Manufacturers claim HP compatibility even if their printers only recognize a subset of PCL commands. Note also that there are different versions of PCL. A printer may be able to emulate an HP LaserJet Plus but not a LaserJet II. Finally, HP laser printers support font cartridges, and not all HP-compatible printers can accept the same cartridges. HPC (1) Short for High Performance Computing. (2) Short for Handheld PC, Microsoft´s moniker for a personal digital assistant (PDA). HPCC The U.S. government´s term for High Performance Computing. There are a number of U.S. agencies conducting HPCC research. HPG Hewlett-Packard Graphics. HPGL Abbreviation of Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language, a set of commands for controlling plotters and printers. HPGL is part of Hewlett-Packards PCL Level 5 page description language. HSP High Speed Printer. HTML Short for Hypertext Markup Language, the authoring language used to create documents on the World Wide Web. HTML is similar to SGML, although it is not a strict subset (in fact it is a DTD). In practical terms HTML is a collection of styles (indicated by markup tags) that define the various components of a WWW document. HTMLEdit Known spyware or adware. HTTP Short for HyperText Transfer protocol. Httper Known spyware or adware. hub A common connection point for all devices conntected to a star network. A passive hub serves simply as a conduit for the data, enabling it to go from one device to another. So-called intelligent hubs include additional features that enable them to act as a bridge, transferring data between different types of networks. Some hubs are full-fledged computers that also act as network servers. Hue Hue describes the relative amounts of red, green, or blue in a color. For example, both pink and crimson have a red hue. Hugesearch Known spyware or adware. human engineering Same as ergonomics. Hungry Hands Known spyware or adware. HuntBar Known spyware or adware. HuntBar variant Known spyware or adware. Huntbar.Stoolbar Known spyware or adware. HUNTOCX Known spyware or adware. HXDL Known spyware or adware. HYD Known spyware or adware. HyperBar Known spyware or adware. HyperCard A hypertext programming environment for the Macintosh introduced by Apple in 1987. The HyperCard model consists of cards, and collections of cards, called stacks. You can connect the cards in various ways, and leaf through them the way you would with a set of Rolodex cards. In addition to data, each card can contain graphics and buttons that trigger other events, such as sound or video. Each object in a HyperCard system; stack, card, text field, button, or background; can have a script associated with it. A script is a set of instructions that specify what actions should take place when a user selects an object with the mouse or when some other event occurs. Writing HyperCard applications is known as authoring. hyperlink Highlighted word or (part of a) sentence that when clicked upon, jumps to another html-document. hypertext A special type of database system, invented by Ted Nelson in the 1960s, in which objects (text, pictures, music, programs, and so on) can be creatively linked to each other. When you select an object, you can see all the other objects that are linked to it. You can move from one object to another even though they might have very different forms. For example, while reading a document about Mozart, you might click on the phrase Violin Concerto in A Major, which could display the written score or perhaps even invoke a recording of the concerto. Clicking on the name Mozart might cause various illustrations of Mozart to appear on the screen. The icons that you select to view associated objects are called Hypertext links or buttons. Hypertext systems are particularly useful for organizing and browsing through large databases that consist of disparate types of information. There are several Hypertext systems available for Apple Macintosh computers and PCs that enable you to develop your own databases. Such systems are often called authoring systems. HyperCard software from Apple Computer is the most famous. Currently a more general meaning is used namely, any text that contains hyperlinks to other documents. Hypertext Markup Language See HTML. HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) The underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web. It tells the browser that the found information consists of hypertext. HTTP defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands. For example, when you enter a URL in your browser, this actually sends an HTTP command to the Web server directing it to fetch and transmit the requested Web page. The other main standard that controls how the World Wide Web works is HTML, which covers how Web pages are formatted and displayed. hyphenation In word processing, hyphenation refers to splitting a word that would otherwise extend beyond the right margin. Not all word processors support hyphenation, and of those that do support it, not all perform it correctly. Word processors use two basic techniques to perform hyphenation. The first employs an internal dictionary of words that indicates where hyphens may be inserted. The second uses a set of logical formulas to make hyphenation decisions. The dictionary method is more accurate but is usually slower. The most sophisticated programs use a combination of both methods. Most word processors allow you to override their own hyphenation rules and define yourself where a word should be divided. Hyphens inserted automatically by a hyphenation utility are called discretionary or soft hyphens. Hyphens that you add explicitly by entering the dash character are called hard hyphens. Hz Hertz. Frequency in cycles per second of a musical note or ratio wave. One cycle equals one Hertz. Average human range is from 20 Hz to 20000 Hz. Also a frequency measurement unit used internationally to indicate one cycle per second. This encyclopedia is for informational purposes only. All (registered) trademarks mentioned are property of their respective owners. No infringement of third party rights intended. The author cannot garantuee that the information presented is complete or that it contains no errors.