A Brief Glossary

The reader may find the definitions that follow of assistance in fully understanding this report.

The definitions are quoted from http://www.computerwords.com/

API

Application Program Interface. A language and message format used by an application program to communicate with the operating system. APIs are implemented by writing function calls in the program, which provide the linkage to the required subroutine for execution.

AWT

Abstract Window Toolkit. A class library from Sun that provides an application framework and graphical user interface (GUI) routines for Java programmers. AWT was the first user interface development system included in the Java Foundation Classes (JFC).

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. A communications protocol developed under contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to internetwork dissimilar systems. TCP provides transport functions, which ensures the total bytes sent is received correctly at the other end. UDP is an alternative transport that does not guarantee delivery. IP provides the routing mechanism. TCP/IP is a routable protocol, which means that all messages contain not only the address of the destination station, but the address of a destination network. This allows TCP/IP messages to be sent to multiple networks within an organisation or around the world.