B

Bandwidth

A measure of the amount of data a device can transfer in a given time. For example, the amount of data a processor can send to memory every second. In many cases, bandwidth also considers software limitations, such as the estimated bandwidth of an Internet connection.

BBB

Better Business Bureau

Binary

1. A numbering system that only uses two digits: 0 and 1. 2. A method used to store work-sheets, graphic files, and other nontext information. The data store can appear in memory, but most often appears in a file on disk. While you can use the DOS TYPE command to send these files to the display, the contents of the file remain unreadable. Other binary files include programs with extensions of EXE, DLL, or COM.

Boolean

A method of determining whether a statement is true or false using rules of logic. Boolean values are often used to help a computer determine whether it needs to take a certain course of action based on current system or application conditions.

Browser

A special application, such as Internet Explorer, Opera, or Netscape, normally used to display data downloaded from the Internet. The most common form of Internet data is the HTML (HyperText Markup Language) page. However, modern browsers can also display various types of graphics and even standard desktop application files such as Word for Windows documents directly. The actual capabilities provided by a browser vary widely depending on the software vendor and platform.

Browser Plug-in

An external application that a browser calls to help it perform certain tasks . For example, the browser could call on the application to display a specific file type such as a PDF. The browser plug-in can take the form of a library or a stand-alone application. In many cases, browser documentation will also refer to them as helper applications.

Buffer

The area in memory where program variables , data, or executable code is stored. Buffers often act as a means of caching data or code. For example, word processing applications will normally read more than one page from a document to improve performance. The application stores pages in addition to the one currently viewed by the user in the buffer until needed. Buffering is also used in applications where long request delays are anticipated, such as applications based on Web services.