DDK Glossary - P


 * palette:A list of colors assigned to various areas on a panel. A user can change the color of these areas.
 * PDD:Physical Device Driver.
 * PDE:PageDirectoryEntry.
 * pel:Picture element.
 * permissible action:In a conceptual schema language, an action conforming to specified rules or constraints that changes a presumably consistent collection of sentences into a consistent one or makes known a consistent one present in the information base or conceptual schema.
 * phase alignment:Aligning source bits with destination bits. Often required in a Bitblt function move operation where byte blocks are moved on bit boundaries.
 * physical address:A 32-bit byte address giving the actual address in physical storage for a data item.
 * physical device driver (PDD):A system interface that handles hardware interrupts and supports a set of input and output functions.
 * pipe:See named pipe, unnamed pipe.
 * picture element (pel, pixel)
 * 1) In computer graphics, the smallest element of a display surface that can be independently assigned color and intensity. (T)
 * 2) The area of the finest detail that can be reproduced effectively on the recording medium.
 * 3) An element of a raster pattern about which a toned area on a photoconductor can appear.
 * PIO:Programmed I/O.
 * pixel:Picture element.
 * polyfillet:A curve based on a sequence of lines. The curve is tangential to the end points of the first and last lines, and tangential also to the midpoints of all other lines.
 * polyline:In computer graphics, a sequence of adjoining lines.
 * pop:To remove an item from the top of a pushdown list. Contrast with push.
 * prefetch:To locate and load a quantity of data in anticipation of a request.
 * presence-check function:A Ring 3 (non-privileged) .EXE program that determines whether a given hardware interface is present on a workstation.
 * PRESENCECHECK:A keyword, interpreted by the DDINSTAL utility, to determine whether to process the device driver profile file, based on the return code from PRESENCECHECK.
 * printer driver:A file that describes the physical characteristics of a printer, plotter, or other peripheral device, and is used to convert graphics and text into device-specific data at the time of printing or plotting.
 * Print Manager:In the Presentation Manager, the part of the spooler that manages the spooling process. It also allows the user to view print queues and to manipulate print jobs.
 * privilege level:A method of protection that allows only certain program instructions to be used by certain programs.
 * program group:Several programs that can be acted upon as a single entity.
 * protect mode:A method of program operation that limits or prevents access to certain instructions or areas of storage. Contrast with real mode.
 * push:To add an item to the top of a pushdown list. Contrast with pop.