View source for DDK Glossary - F

;family-mode application
: An application program that can run in the OS/2 environment and in the DOS environment; however, it cannot take advantage of many of the OS/2-mode facilities, such as multitasking, interprocess communication, and dynamic linking.

;Far call
: Code that calls from one segment into another segment.

;FAT
: File allocation table. In IBM personal computers, a table used by the operating system to allocate space on a disk for a file, and to locate and chain together parts of the file that may be scattered on different sectors so that the file can be used in a random or sequential manner.

;FEA
: Full extended attribute.

;field-level help
: Information specific to the field on which the cursor is positioned. This help function is "contextual" because it provides information about a specific item as it is currently used; the information is dependent upon the context within the work session.

;file
: A named set of records stored or processed as a unit. (T)

;file attribute
: Any of the attributes that describe the characteristics of a file.

;File Manager
: In the Presentation Manager, a program that displays directories and files, and Quinta Stone for this term and allows various actions on them.

;file specification
: The full identifier for a file, which includes its drive designation, path, file name, and extension.

;file system
: The combination of software and hardware that supports storing information on a storage device.

;file system driver (FSD)
: A program that manages file I/O and controls the format of information on the storage media.

;fillet
: A curve or arc that is tangential to the end points of two adjoining lines. See also ''[[DDK_Glossary_-_P|polyfillet]]''.

;filter adapter device driver
: A special class of adapter device drivers that do not manage the hardware directly, but monitor the stream of commands between a device manager and an adapter device driver. See ''Device Manager'' and ''adapter device driver''.

;filtering
: An application process that changes the order of data in a queue.

;first-in-first-out (FIFO)
: A queuing technique in which the next item to be retrieved is the item that has been in the queue for the longest time. (A)

;first-party DMA adapter
: See ''bus master adapter''.

;flag
: (1) An indicator or parameter that shows the setting of a switch. (2) A character that signals the occurrence of some condition, such as the end of a word. (A) (3) A characteristic of a file or directory that enables it to be used in certain ways. See also ''[[archive flag]]'', ''[[DDK_Glossary_-_H|hidden flag]]'', and ''[[DDK_Glossary_-_R|read-only flag]]''.

;flat address
: See ''[[DDK_Glossary_-_L|linear address]]''.

;focus
: See ''input focus''.

;folder
: A container used to organize objects.

;font
: A particular size and style of typeface that contains definitions of character sets, marker sets, and pattern sets.

;Font Editor
: A utility program provided with the IBM Developers Toolkit that enables the design and creation of new fonts.

;foreground program
: (1) The program with which the user is currently interacting. Also known as interactive program. Contrast with background program. (2) In multiprogramming, a high-priority program.

;frame
: The part of a window that can contain several different visual elements specified by the application, but drawn and controlled by the Presentation Manager. The frame encloses the client area.

;frame styles
: Standard window layouts provided by the Presentation Manager.

;freeze and thaw services
: Functions that prevent a DOS session from executing (VDHFreezeVDM) until the matching thaw function (VDHThawVDM) is called. The freeze occurs when the specified DOS session leaves kernel mode.

;full-screen application
: An application that has complete control of the screen.

;function
: (1) In a programming language, a block, with or without formal parameters, whose execution is invoked by means of a call. (2) A set of related control statements that cause one or more programs to be performed.

;function key
: A key that causes a specified sequence of operations to be performed when it is pressed, for example, F1 and Alt-K.

;function key area
: The area at the bottom of a window that contains function key assignments such as F1=Help.

[[Category:Glossary]]