The physical device that allows the computer to read from and write to a disk. A diskette drive has a disk slot into which you insert a diskette. A hard disk is permanently fixed inside the main unit.
DisketteA flat piece of flexible plastic coated with magnetic material and used to store data permanently. Also called floppy disk.
DOSThe Disk Operating System that controls the computer’s input and output functions. See Operating system.
A type of diskette format that allows you to store twice as much data as the
A suffix of up to three characters that can be added to a file name to better identify it.
FileA group of related pieces of information called records, or entries, stored together on disk. Text files consist of words and sentences. Program files consist of code and are used by computers to interpret and carry out instructions.
File nameA name of up to eight characters that
See Diskette.
FormatTo prepare a new disk (or erase an old one) so that it can store information. Formatting a disk divides it into tracks and sectors and creates addressable locations on it.
GraphicsLines, angles, curves, and other nonalphanumeric data.
Glossary |