Glossary of computer science

Most of the terms listed in Wikipedia glossaries are already defined and explained within Wikipedia itself. However, glossaries like this one are useful for looking up, comparing and reviewing large numbers of terms together. You can help enhance this page by adding new terms or writing definitions for existing ones.

This glossary of computer science terms is a list of definitions about computer science, its sub-disciplines, and related fields.

A

• Abstract data type –
• Abstract method –
• Abstraction –
• Agent architecture –
• Agent-based model –
• Aggregate function –
• Agile software development –
• Algorithm –
• Algorithm design –
• Algorithmic efficiency –
• American Standard Code for Information Interchange –
• API – application programming interface.
• Application programming interface –
• Application software –
• Array data structure –
• Artifact –
• Artificial intelligence –
• ASCII – American Standard Code for Information Exchange.
• Assertion –
• Associative array –
• Automata theory –
• Automated reasoning –

B

• Bandwidth –
• Bayesian programming –
• Benchmark –
• Best, worst and average case –
• Big data –
• Big O notation –
• Binary number –
• Binary search algorithm –
• Binary tree –
• Bioinformatics –
• Bit –
• Bit rate –
• Blacklist –
• BMP file format –
• Boolean data type –
• Boolean expression –
• Boolean logic –
• Byte –
• boot-
• booting

C

• Callback –
• Central processing unit –
• Character –
• Cipher –
• Class –
• Class-based programming –
• Class-orientation –
• Client –
• Cleanroom software engineering –
• Closure –
• Cloud computing –
• Code library –
• Coding –
• Coding theory –
• Cognitive science –
• Comma-separated values –
• Compiler –
• Compiler theory –
• Computability theory –
• Computation –
• Computational biology –
• Computational chemistry –
• Computational complexity theory –
• Computational model –
• Computational neuroscience –
• Computational physics –
• Computational science –
• Computational steering –
• Computer –
• Computer architecture –
• Computer data storage –
• Computer ethics –
• Computer graphics –
• Computer network –
• Computer programming –
• Computer science –
• Computer scientist –
• Computer security –
• Computer vision –
• Concatenation –
• Concurrency –
• Continuation-passing style –
• Conditional –
• Control flow –
• Creative Commons –
• Cryptography –
• CSV – comma-separated values.
• Cyberbullying –
• Cyberspace –

D

• Data center –
• Database –
• Data mining –
• Data science –
• Data structure –
• Data type –
• Debugging –
• Declaration –
• Digital data –
• Digital signal processing –
• Discrete event simulation –
• Disk storage –
• Distributed computing –
• Divide and conquer algorithm –
• DNS – Domain Name System.
• Documentation –
• Domain Name System –
• Double-precision floating-point format –
• Download –

E

• Edge device –
• Encryption –
• Event –
• Event-driven programming –
• Evolutionary computing –
• Executable –
• External documentation –
• Exception handling –
• Executable module –
• Expression –
• External library –

F

• Fault-tolerant computer system –
• Feasibility study –
• Filename extension –
• Filter (software) –
• Floating point arithmetic –
• For loop –
• Formal methods –
• Formal verification –
• Functional programming –

G

• Game theory –
• Garbage in, garbage out –
• GIGO – Garbage in, garbage out.
• GIF – Graphics Interchange Format.
• Gigabyte –
• Global variable –
• Graph theory –

H

• Hard problem –
• Hash function –
• Hash table –
• Heap –
• Heap sort –
• Human-computer interaction –
• hyper -
• hypo -

I

• IDE – integrated development environment.
• Image processing –
• Imperative programming –
• Incremental build model –
• Information space analysis –
• Information visualization –
• Inheritance –
• Input/output –
• Insertion sort –
• Instruction cycle –
• Integer –
• Integrated development environment –
• Integration testing –
• Intellectual property –
• Intelligent agent –
• Interface –
• Internal documentation –
• Internet –
• Internet bot –
• Interpreter –
• Invariant –
• Iteration –

J

• Java –

K

L

• Library (computing) –
• Linear search –
• Linked list –
• Linker –
• List –
• Loader –
• Logic error –
• Logic programming –

M

• Machine learning –
• Machine vision –
• Mathematical logic –
• Matrix –
• Memory –
• Merge sort –
• Method –
• Methodology –
• Modem-

N

• Natural language processing –
• Number theory –
• Numerical analysis –

O

• Object –
• Object code –
• Object-oriented analysis and design –
• Object oriented programming –
• Open-source software –
• Operating system –
• Optical fiber –

P

• Pair programming –
• Parallel computing –
• Parameter –
• Peripheral –
• Postcondition –
• Precondition –
• Primary storage –
• Primitive data type –
• Priority queue –
• Procedural programming –
• Program lifecycle phase –
• Programming language –
• Programming language implementation –
• Programming language theory –
• Prolog –
• Python –

Q

• Quantum computing –
• Queue –
• Quicksort –

R

• R programming language –
• Radix –
• Recursion –
• Reference counting –
• Relational database –
• Reliability engineering –
• Regression testing –
• Requirements analysis –
• Robotics –
• Round-off error –
• Router –
• Routing table –
• Run time –
• Run time error –

S

• Search algorithm –
• Secondary storage –
• Selection sort –
• Semantics –
• Sequence –
• Set –
• Soft computing –
• Software –
• Software agent –
• Software construction –
• Software deployment –
• Software design –
• Software development –
• Software development process –
• Software engineering –
• Software maintenance –
• Software prototyping –
• Software requirements specification –
• Software testing –
• Sorting algorithm –
• Source code –
• Spiral model –
• Stack –
• Storage –
• String –
• Structured storage –
• Subroutine –
• Symbolic computation –
• Syntax –
• Syntax error –
• System console –

T

• Technical documentation –
• Third-generation programming language –
• Top-down and bottom-up design –
• Tree –
• Type theory –

U

• Upload –
• Uniform Resource Locator –
• URL – Uniform Resource Locator.
• User agent –
• User interface –
• User interface design –

V

• Variable –
• Virtual machine –
• V-Model –

W

• WAV – Waveform Audio File Format.
• Waterfall model –
• Waveform Audio File Format –
• Web crawler –
• Wi-Fi –

Z

See also

• Computer science

References