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What Does Recursive Function Mean? A recursive function is a function in code that refers to itself for execution. Recursive functions can be simple or elaborate. They allow for more efficient code writing, for instance, in the listing or compiling of sets of numbers, strings or other variables through a single reiterated process. Techopedia Explains Recursive Function Recursive functions in code often rely on loop setups, where the initial variable is called on multiple times while being altered by the loop....

What Does Sticky Bit Mean? In Unix-like operating systems, a sticky bit is a permission bit which is set on a file or folder, thereby permitting only the owner or root user of the file or folder to modify, rename or delete the concerned directory or file. No other user would be permitted to have these privileges on a file which has a sticky bit. In Unix-like systems, without the sticky bit on, any user can modify, rename or delete the directory or file regardless of the owner of the file or folder....

What Does Transceiver (TRX) Mean? A transceiver (TRX) is a device which can transmit and receive signals. Usually, a transceiver contains both a transmitter and a receiver, both of which share common circuitry. However, if the transmitter and receiver only share a common housing and nothing else, the device is called a transmitter-receiver. Transceivers are extremely important in the history of technology, as they have paved the way for many inventions such as two-way radios, mobile phones and the internet....

What Does Variable Character Field (Varchar) Mean? A variable character field (varchar) is a data type which can contain any type of data: numeric, characters, spaces or punctuation. Depending on the database, the data type is capable of storing values up to its maximum size. Variable character fields are mostly used to act as temporary variables and for string operations. They bring in much-needed versatility for data field types. Techopedia Explains Variable Character Field (Varchar) A variable character field can be defined either in the programming language or on the database level....

What Does Executive Dashboard Mean? An executive dashboard is a visual software tool that helps company executives to handle their daily affairs. In in general, the “dashboard” is a tool that visually represents data for use. Executive dashboards are crafted according to the needs of the typical business executive. Techopedia Explains Executive Dashboard Executive dashboards aggregate data, often from diverse sources, and present it in actionable ways. Core goals may include visibility, inventory control, customer relations and time management....

What Does Expert System Mean? An expert system is a computer program that is designed to emulate and mimic human intelligence, skills or behavior. Techopedia Explains Expert System An expert system is typically designed to provide capabilities similar to those of a human expert when performing a task. Moreover, it can be used to drive vehicles, provide financial forecasts or do things that human experts do.

What Does Extranet Mean? An extranet is a controlled private network allowing customers, partners, vendors, suppliers and other businesses to gain information, typically about a specific company or educational institution, and do so without granting access to the organization’s entire network. An extranet is often a private part of a website. It is restricted to select users through user IDs, passwords and other authentication mechanisms on a login page. Techopedia Explains Extranet An extranet may be viewed as an intranet mapped onto the public Internet or onto some other private network....

What Does Apache Tomcat Mean? Apache Tomcat is an open source Web server tool developed by the Apache Software Foundation (ASF). It is one of many Apache-related open source products used by IT professionals for various tasks and objectives. Techopedia Explains Apache Tomcat Apache Tomcat allows the implementation of Java Servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSP) to promote an effective Java server environment. Users can also access resources for configuration and use extensible markup language (XML) to configure projects....

What Does Branch Coverage Testing Mean? Branch coverage testing is a methodical type of testing which requires that all program branches or conditional states be tested at least once during a testing process. Techopedia Explains Branch Coverage Testing In branch coverage testing, each different outcome from a code module is tested. For example, if the outcomes are binary, developers test both outcomes. Likewise, if there is a code function that tests a range of values, each of those valued outcomes are tested....

What Does Change Mode (chmod) Mean? Change mode (chmod) is a Unix operating system command used by administrators and programmers to set or change the access permissions of a file or directory. These settings determine the level of access to be granted to the given file or directory.The chmod command was first used in ATT Unix 1 and is still in use today by Unix-like operating systems. It is also available as a C language library function in Unix....

What Does Convergence Mean? Convergence is the coming together of two different entities, and in the contexts of computing and technology, is the integration of two or more different technologies in a single device or system. A good example is the convergence of communication and imaging technologies on a mobile device designed to make calls and take pictures - two unrelated technologies that converge on a single device. Techopedia Explains Convergence Convergence is considered a new trend because technological capabilities were only recently established to allow for cheaper and widespread implementation....

What Does Data Center Capacity Management Mean? Data center capacity management is a broad process that includes all the process, tools and methodologies to manage the process of data center capacity planning, design and implementation. It is an IT capacity management process that routinely reviews, analyzes and plans for capacity planning within the data center. Techopedia Explains Data Center Capacity Management Typically, data center capacity management requires a formal design of a data center capacity plan....

What Does Data Cholesterol Mean? Data cholesterol is a slang term that refers to the slowing effect that huge amounts of improperly managed information can have on an organization’s IT infrastructure. Large amounts of data can slow applications, make it difficult to find relevant information and generally impede an organization. Data cholesterol has many causes, including increased regulatory requirements that require more information to be stored for longer amounts of time, and a general increase in data gathering and analytical techniques....

What Does Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) Mean? Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) is a communications protocol that aims to help connect different kinds of messaging platforms or “middleware.” Built on eXtensible Markup Language (XML), this protocol is sometimes called “Jabber,” which is technically a service based on XMPP, and provides an open standard for engineering messaging compatibility. Techopedia Explains Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) XMPP was built to provide full support for cross-platform messaging so that one proprietary system’s users could talk to another’s....

What Does General Telephone and Electronics Corporation (GTE) Mean? General Telephone and Electronics Corporation (GTE) was a U.S.-based telephone company during the days of the bell system. It was the largest independent company providing telephone services to large areas in the United States through their operating companies, and also operated in Canada with the help of its subsidiary companies. It was the holding company for many international and U.S. telephone companies....

What Does Hybrid Routing Protocol (HRP) Mean? Hybrid Routing Protocol (HRP) is a network routing protocol that combines Distance Vector Routing Protocol (DVRP) and Link State Routing Protocol (LSRP) features. HRP is used to determine optimal network destination routes and report network topology data modifications. HRP is also known as Balanced Hybrid Routing (BHR). Techopedia Explains Hybrid Routing Protocol (HRP) HRP features are as follows:

What Does Internationalization (I18N) Mean? Techopedia Explains Internationalization (I18N) Internationalization processes include: Extra components, such as keyboard keys to facilitate languages with large alphabets Support for software and Internet product languages and character groups, or Unicode. Inexpensive tools for translating text or text labels into graphic images Universal symbols Extra space for software applications to facilitate translation without skipped characters

What Does Jukex Mean? JukeX is a multiuser jukebox application scripted entirely in Java. Jukex is object oriented and includes flexible metadata support for tracks together with full application programming interfaces (APIs) for developing custom client software. JukeX is generally built on various open-source technologies. For Jukex to function properly, the system should be installed with JDK 1.4 or later, MySQL 3.2, MySQL JDBC drivers, ShoutCast/IceCast server, ShoutCast/IceCast compatible MP3 player, Apache Tomcat Web server version 3....

What Does Line of Sight (LoS) Mean? Line of sight (LoS) is a type of propagation that can transmit and receive data only where transmit and receive stations are in view of each other without any sort of an obstacle between them. FM radio, microwave and satellite transmission are examples of line-of-sight communication. Techopedia Explains Line of Sight (LoS) Long-distance data communication is more effective through wireless networks but geographical obstacles and the curvature of the earth bring limitations to line-of-sight transmission....

What Does Machine-Generated Data Mean? Machine-generated data is information that is the explicit result of a computer process or application process, created without human intervention. This means that data manually entered by an end user are definitely not considered to be machine generated. These data cross all sectors which make use of computers in any of their daily operations, and humans increasingly generate this data unknowingly, or at least cause it to be generated by the machine....