Appendix Glossary J

In the left margin you will find links to the glossary categorised alphabetically. Some of the pages are quite long and may take a few moments to load if you use a modem. This glossary is always being updated.

Glossary - J

Jabbering - The 10BASE-T standard sets limits on how long a node may transmit before it has to stop to allow other nodes an opportunity to transmit. Transmissions longer than the standard limit usually indicate adapter problems.

Jaggies - Thin diagonal lines on computer screens betray the graphics system's limited resolution by showing a "stair step" effect. These jagged lines are known as jaggies and can be solved by means of Anti Aliasing.

Java - A computer language invented by Sun Microsystems. Java is used to write programs (applets) that run on a wide range of computers, and are safe and easy to download through the Internet. Using Java, Web pages can feature things like animations, calculations, and games. Java is an object-oriented programming language created by Sun Microsystems. Java has been adopted for widespread use on the Internet, and playback support for programs created in Java is currently included in the most popular web browsers. What this means is that if a developer creates a program in Java and embeds it in an Internet site, we regular old web users actually get to run that program in real time when we connect to the site.

JavaBean - A Java application component developed by Sun Microsystems written to serve the development of Java programs and determine how Java objects interact.

JavaScript - Contrary to popular belief, JavaScript and Java are not at all the same thing. JavaScript could be viewed as a cousin to the Java programming language, but with a different role in the content delivery process. JavaScript was introduced by Netscape to allow web developers to embed Java-like functionality directly into HTML documents. Unlike Java, which is compiled prior to delivery, JavaScript is interpreted on the fly by the web browser as it reads the page. If nuances like this don't seem important to you, then I'd be willing to bet you don't wear a pocket protector.

Jaz - Jaz is a removable disk technology, introduced by Iomega, capable of storing approximately one gigabyte of information on a single disk. The disks themselves are a little over four inches square and about half an inch tall. If the idea of putting the entire contents of your hard drive into your pocket sounds like a good time, then Jaz is the medium for you.

JEDEC - (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) - An Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) body that sets semiconductor engineering standards.

Joystick - A joystick is a gaming device used to control some interactive games.

JPEG - "Joint Photographic Experts Group" JPEG is a common image file format, particularly useful in efficient storage of pictures for delivery on web pages. Built into the JPEG file format is a compression scheme that maintains an inverse relationship between image quality and file size. What this means is that the content creator has the option of delivering high quality images that will take a virtual eternity to download, delivering compact files that contain little or no intelligible content, or anything in between. A graphic file format developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group. JPEG images have better picture quality than GIFs, but at the expense of larger file sizes. JPEG files have the extension .jpg.

JPG - A JPEG (pronounced Jay-peg) is an image file that is useful for storing photographs in a compressed format. JPEGs end with the characters .JPEG, .jpeg, .JPG, or .jpg. They can contain up to 24 million colours and all browsers can display them.

Jumper - A tiny connector box that slips over two pins that protrude from a circuit board. The jumper can be moved to change electrical connectors. When in place, the jumper connects the pins electrically. Some board manufacturers use dual in-line package (DIP) switches instead of jumpers.

Justify - To arrange text on a page so it conforms to a standard such as a consistent margin on one or both sides of the page.