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The Programmer's Dictionary


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COLUMNS
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YACK
Yet Another Complicated Komment

by Steven K. Hoskin
( STEVE HOSKIN at 1:128/11 )

Episode 3: The Programmer's Dictionary

The orginal version of this that I ever saw was in a
photocopied article from a magazine of some kind. I therefore
have no clue as to whom I should be giving credit for the initial
conception of this collection of fundies, but over the years my
friends and I have added to this, and this is one of the later
versions of...
The Programmer's Dictionary
---------------------------

Algorithm - New type of musical beat, known best for being hard
to dance to.

Analyst - The person who always has an answer. See also,
Son/Daughter.

Argument - Unpleasant encounter with the instructor after mid-
terms.

Array - That which comes out of Buck Roger's gun.

Assumed Decimal Point - Located two postions to the right of a
programmer's current salary in estimating his own worth.

BASIC - 1. Adjective used to describe programs to give to
rookies. 2. Programming language once erroneously thought
to be user-friendly.

Backup - Action taken by a programmer when an accident is about
to happen in front of his/her car.

Batch - A small complaint.

Binary - A program missing two program statements.

Bit - The increment by which programmers slowly go mad.

Board - Most common mental state of most programmers.

Bucket - An item on a table that catches spare data.

Bug - A small German car that runs rampid in your program.

Bus - As in Greyhound or PDP, upon which all data commute to
work.

Byte - 1. What computer science students do to their pencils. 2.
An action that programmers teach their dogs to do to
operators.

C - A lie commonly told by novice programmers; "I see..."

COBOL - Fraternity/Sorority mix party.

CRT - An adjective that describes the way programmers talk to
operators, i.e., "Why are you so curt to me?"

Cable - Pay television for programmers and printers.

Card Punch - Machine known in this day and age for making good
note cards to write memos on.

Card Reader - Woman who tells fortunes.

Chaining - A method of attaching programmers to desks to speed up
output.

Checkpoint - The location from which a programmer draws his
salary.

Close - Description of the constant state of operator's minds.

Comments - See Fixed Word Length.

Common Language - The first thing a programmer must forget in
order to be successful.

Comp Sci Instructor - See also, God.

Compiler - Program that continuously finds fault with your work.
See also, Wife/Husband.

Complex - Adjective used to describe problems to be avoided.

Computer - Scientific Phenomenon; it is probably the only thing
in this world that can understand a programmer.

Computer Bank - Where your computer stores the money it embezzles
when your accounting program has a "bug" in it.

Concantonation - Catholic ritual performed once a year to bless
programmers.

Copyright - 1. A hacker's self-invested authority to duplicate
any software package on the market. 2. Knowledge that such
duplication has been performed properly

Core Storage - A receptacle for the center section of apples.

Counter - A device over which martinis are served.

Cursor - Someone who Batches a lot.

DATA DIVISION - Keypunch section.

DIVISION - Partitions between offices.

Data Base - Phrase commonly heard by the first base coach of a
softball team made up entirely of programmers.

Debugging Aids - 1. Insecticides. 2. Computer Science
instructors.

Decision Gate - What programmers use to choose which computer
language they will use.

Device Driver - Licensed vehicle operator.

Digitizer - Machine that reduces physical objects to computer
memory, just like in the movie TRON.

Directory - Listing showing where everyone works. See also, Dump
List.

Disk - Toy used by programmers with nothing better to do. See
also, Board, Frisbee.

Disk Management - Sensible care of one's back.

Disk Pack - The result of lifting too much weight over your head.

Dummy Arguments - Discussions between operators.

Dump - Slang term for the computer building (i.e., Why do I
spend so much time in this Dump?)

Dump List - List of office branches in the computer building.

ENVIRONMENT DIVISION - The people that scan your office for fire
hazards and unhealthy deposits of smoke.

Error - What someone else has made when he disagrees with your
computer output.

Execution - Punishment for programmers who do not follow the
Standards Manual. See also, Network.

External Storage - Wastebasket.

FORTRAN - Model train set up on the floor, usually HO scale.

Fixed Word Length - Four-letter words used by programmers in a
state of confusion.

Flippy Disk - Side two of an LP record.

Floating Control - A characteristic exhibited when you have to go
to the restroom but can't leave the computer.

Floating Point - The absolute limit before floating control is
lost.

Floppy Disk - The result of driving a Floppy Drive.

Floppy Drive - A car with a flat tire.

Flow Chart - A graphic representation of the fastest route to the
restroom.

Format - What you wipe your feet on before entering the computer
building.

Free - Obsolete expression.

Function - What a program never does on the first run, seldom
does on subsequent runs, and when it finally does, is a good
indication that the program is obsolete.

Function Key - Tool required to make a program work. Commonly
hidden in Bugs.

GOSUB - Polite way for programmers to tell operators where to go.
See also, Go To.

Gigabyte - The little laugh that comes out of an operator's mouth
when he/she bites his/her tongue.

Global Variable - Internationally known Variable, such as Anita
Bryant. See also, Variable.

Go To - Often used in conjunction with Biblical locations. See
also, fixed word length.

Hacker - Someone who coughs a lot.

Hard Disk - The result of much muscle-building work on one's
back.

Hard Drive - A car with solid rubber wheels.

Hardware - Something that, if you play with it long enough, it
breaks. See also, Software.

Head Crash - Last step before a computer Go To, usually executed
by a programmer crashing his head against the nearest wall.

Head Thrashing - What programmers do when upset at operators. See
also, Head Crash.

Hexadecimal - High resolution trick, using a six-sided dot for a
decimal point.

Hierarchy - Chain of command.

High Memory - State of mind a programmer is in when his/her
program finally works properly. See also, Function.

High Order Language - See Fixed Word Length.

IC - Lie commonly uttered by Computer Science students.

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION - The security guards for your company's
parking lot.

Infinite Loop - See Loop.

Initialize - First visual input devices appearing on infant
programs.

Input - Food, whiskey, beer, aspirin, etc.

Interrupt - Usually the result of a Keypunch. See also, Head
Crash.

Jump - 1. Dangerous move commonly made by programmers to get to
conclusions easier. 2. Something programmers do when a
program works. See also, High Memory

Jumper - 1. Programmer with a working program. 2. Suit worn by
female programmers.

Keyboard - A random series of keystrokes, usually either "asdf"
or "l;kj", used when programmers are bored.

Keypunch - Error solving technique used by many programmers,
consisting of applying his fist to the teletype terminal.

Laser Printer - Machine dedicated to producing blueprints for new
and better Lasers.

Last Pointer - Used by the Computer Science Instructor as
deterence. See also, Next Pointer.

Light Pen - A pen commonly used by programmers because it is
easier to use, due to its reduced weight.

Line Printer - Machine that prints lines on blank paper. Also
known as Paper Shredder.

Local Variable - Closet Variable. See also, Variable.

Logical Operator - Extinct Species.

Logo - The way a survivalist programmer goes past a window when
someone is shooting at him through it.

Logorithm - Old kind of musical beat, best known for its lack of
motion.

Loop - See Infinite Loop.

Low Memory - 1. The characteristic a calculator exhibits when
the battery is out of energy. 2. Adjectival phrase
describing most programmer's ability to remember.

Machine Language - Grunts, groans, squeaks, shudders, etc.

Macro - The last half of an expression of surprise; "Holy
Macrol".

Mag Tape - New scientific metallic adhesive strip that can be
applied to the hubcaps of your car to make them look "cool".

Mainframe - The portion of a film used to focus the projector.

Mass Bus - A very large bus, sometimes a GMC motor coach. See
also, Bus.

Memory Dump - Amnesia.

Memory Extension Board - Review of a programmer's ability to
remember.

Mouse - Small creature that leaves tracks on a screen.

Network - Punishment for programmers who do not write efficient
code, where they are sent out to tie terminals together as
hard labor.

Next Pointer - The pointer designated by the Comp Sci instructor
to be used when the Current Pointer breaks. See also,
Pointer, Pointer Stack.

Open - Description of the constant state of operator's mouths.

Operator - The person who always rips your program in half when
removing it from the line printer. See also, Inefficient.

Output - See Floating Control.

Overflow - That condition resulting from exceeding the Floating
Point.

Owner - The person who tells you when you can and cannot use the
computer.

PASCAL - Frantic shout by quarterback when throwing the football
to an unaware reciever.

PINBOL - Most widely used language. Terminals often found in
pool halls.

PROCEDURE DIVISION - The office that tries to tell you how to do
your job. See also, Wife, Husband.

Pointer - Used by computer science instructors to encourage
students to behave.

Pointer Stack - Arsenal. See also, Pointer.

Post Mortem Dump - Place for dead programmers. See also, Dump.

Programmer - Red-eyed mumbling mammal capable of conversing with
inanimate objects.

RAM - 1. A mountain animal. 2. Usual speed at which a
headcrash is performed.

RETURN - 1. What some programmers never do when they "lose" it.
2. What some programs never do when they "Go West".

RPG II - Artoo's little cousin.

Run - Ritual feared greatly by programmers.

Runaway Subscript - Delinquint member of your program's family.

SNOBOL - What programmers throw at operators in the winter time.

Scope - 1. Thing programmers do to a new dump (See Dump). 2.
Mouthwash for operators.

Screen - Used in futile by programmers to try and keep bugs out
of their programs.

Significant Digit - Middle finger of either hand, commonly used
by programmers while talking to operators.

Sin - Not attending Concantonation services.

Software - Something where, if you play with it long enough, it
works. See also, Hardware.

Software Piracy - The act of stealing a programmer's bed.

Squash Routine - Pre-planned execution of agile moves in an old
British game.

Stack - Favourite part on a female computer for male programmers.

Standards Book - Instructions for driving stick-shift cars.

String - Used to tie data together.

Structured Programming - Contradiction of terms.

TROFF - What pigs eat out of.

TRON - What your mother or wife says when she's found a new suit
for you, "Here's something I want you to TRON."

TURBO PASCAL - New and powerful car, requiring a special diskette
in order to legally drive it. Commonly seen breaking speed
limits when traversing Mass Buses.

Tape - Sometimes used to chain programmers.

Tape Drive - Best known for its ability to have lunch in the
middle of reading the only copy of a source tape.

Terminal - Status of most programmers, especially after the user
sees the programs he/she has written.

Text Editor - Employee of a local newspaper.

Top-Down Structure - Impressive accidental coincidence when
found. See also, Structured Programming.

Trapezoidal Rule - Country ruled completely by trapezoids.

Underflow - Symptom of an impotent programmer.

User - The person who never seems to be able to tell you what
he/she wants from the computer.

User-Friendly - Synonym for anti-programmer.

Variable - Bi-sexual programmer.

Vector - The first name of the lowest part of your operating
system's memory.

Voice Synthesizer - Device used by programmers to communicate
with human beings.

WATFOR - Statement frequently uttered by computer science
students.

WRITE Statement - Opposite of Wrong Statement.

Word Processor - Machine that makes food out of old computer
listings.
 
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