Glossary - B

 B    

 background color - The color assigned to a background image. 

 background mix - An attribute that determines how the background of a 
    graphic primitive is combined with the existing color of the graphics 
    presentation space. 

 base device driver - An OS/2 device driver that performs I/O during the 
    OS/2 kernel boot sequence to provide IPL support. Base device drivers 
    are loaded by way of the CONFIG.SYS BASEDEV keyword, rather than the 
    DEVICE keyword. See BASEDEV keyword, adapter device driver, and device 
    manager. 

 BASEDEV keyword - New CONFIG.SYS keyword; loads a base device driver into 
    the operating system. 

 Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) - Code that controls basic hardware 
    operations, such as interactions with diskette drives, hard disk 
    drives, and the keyboard. 

 Bezier curve - A mathematical technique of specifying a smooth, 
    continuous line or surface, requiring a starting point and an ending 
    point, with several intermediate points that influence or control the 
    path of the linking curve. 

 BIOS - Basic Input/Output System. 

 bit-block transfer (bitblt) - Transfer of a rectangular array of bit-map 
    data. 

 bitblt - Bit-block transfer. 

 bit map - A representation of an image by an array of bits. 

 block - (1) In programming languages, a compound statement that coincides 
    with the scope of at least one of the declarations contained within 
    it. A block may also specify storage allocation or segment programs 
    for other purposes. (I)   (2) A string of data elements recorded or 
    transmitted as a unit. The elements may be characters, words or 
    physical records. (T)   (3) A collection of contiguous records 
    recorded as a unit. Blocks are separated by interblock gaps and each 
    block may contain one or more records. (A)   

 Bit block transfer (bitblt) - The process of transferring one or more 
    blocks of data. 

 border - A visual indicator of a window's boundaries. 

 BPB - BIOS Parameter Block. 

 breakpoint - (1) A point in a computer program where execution may be 
    halted. A breakpoint is usually at the beginning of an instruction 
    where halts, caused by external intervention, are convenient for 
    resuming execution. (T)   (2) An instruction in a program for halting 
    execution.  Breakpoints are usually established at positions in a 
    program where halts, caused by external intervention, are convenient 
    for restarting. (T)   (3) A place in a program, specified by a command 
    or a condition, where the system halts execution and gives control to 
    the workstation user or to a specified program. 

 Bus Master adapter - An adapter capable of performing Reads and Writes to 
    physical storage by communicating directly with the storage subsystem 
    (memory) rather than depending on a host DMA channel or host CPU. 
    Synonymous with first-party DMA adapter.