Glossary
- icon
- A small pictorial representation of an object.
- icon gadget
- A VisualAge part that implements behavior and a public interface for an
icon. Icon gadgets can be created only from within a container
part.
- image
- A Smalltalk file that provides a development environment on an individual
workstation. An image contains object instances, classes, and
methods. It must be loaded into the Smalltalk virtual machine in order
to run.
- image and library controls
- Access controls that protect the integrity of major system
components. For example, such controls can bind the ownership of an
image to a specific user with password protection. See also
application controls.
- immediate object
- A Smalltalk object whose value is represented directly in the object
pointer, with no data associated. Examples are true, false,
and nil.
- implementer
- For any given message selector, a method that implements that
selector.
- indexed variable
- A variable that is referred to by an index number. An indexed
variable contains a reference to a Smalltalk object.
- inheritance
- A relationship among classes in which one class shares the structure and
behavior of another. A subclass inherits from a
superclass.
- Inspect
- A Smalltalk command that opens an Inspector window on the result of
executed code. The window shows additional information about the
result.
- Inspector
- A Smalltalk tool for viewing the data of any Smalltalk object.
- instance
- An object that is a single occurrence of a particular class. An
instance exists in memory or external media in persistent form. Compare
to persistent object.
- instance method
- In Smalltalk, a method that provides behavior for particular instances of
a class. Messages that invoke instance methods are sent to particular
instances, rather than to the class as a whole. Contrast with
class method.
- instance variable
- Private data that belongs to an instance of a class and is hidden from
direct access by all other objects. Instance variables can be accessed
only by the instance methods of the defining class and its subclasses.
- interface
- In Java, an aggregate specification of one or more methods.
Interfaces differ from classes in that they do not encapsulate data or define
method implementations. Like classes, they follow standard rules of
inheritance and can be used as types. A class is said to have
implemented a specific interface when it implements all methods specified by
the interface and states its support in its class declaration.
- interface aids
- In VisualAge, the software used together with the RecordStructure classes
to convert existing C or COBOL definitions into Smalltalk objects.
- Internet Connection API
- A high-performance interface for running programs on a Web server.
ICAPI is an alternative to CGI for servers running the IBM Internet
Connection Server software.
- Internet Server API (ISAPI)
- A high-performance interface for running programs on a Web server.
ISAPI is an alternative to CGI for servers running the Microsoft
Windows NT software.
- I/O-bound
- Having its (a process's) rate of progress limited by the speed of
input/output devices, such as CD-ROM drives or hard disks.
- iterative development
- A software development process that enables progress in stages. At
the end of each stage, the result is verified by end users. Through
such verification, requirements are dynamically identified and refined while
the product is under development.
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