Verb

computing

1. Present participle of compute.

Noun

Singular computing

Plural uncountable

computing (uncountable)

1. Action of using a computer.
2. The study of computers and computer programming.

   This course will cover several major fields of computing.

Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and developing computer technology, computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology. Computer science (or computing science) is the study and the science of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems.

Computing Curricula 2005 defined computing:

In a general way, we can define computing to mean any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computers. Thus, computing includes designing and building hardware and software systems for a wide range of purposes; processing, structuring, and managing various kinds of information; doing scientific studies using computers; making computer systems behave intelligently; creating and using communications and entertainment media; finding and gathering information relevant to any particular purpose, and so on. The list is virtually endless, and the possibilities are vast.

A computer is a machine that manipulates data according to a set of instructions called computer programs. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. Computer programs are found either in executable form or as the source code from which executable programs are derived (e.g., compiled). In addition to running in a computer, the source of a program may be used to describe an algorithm to a human reader.

The execution process carries out the instructions of a computer program. The instructions in the program trigger sequences of simple actions on the executing machine. Those actions produce effects according to the semantics of the instructions in the program.

Computer programming is the process of writing, testing, debugging/troubleshooting, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in a programming language, which is a machine-readable artificial language designed to express the computations performed by the computer. The purpose of programming is to create a program that exhibits a certain desired behaviour (customization). The process of writing source code often requires expertise in many different subjects, including knowledge of the application domain, specialized algorithms and formal logic.

A computer is a machine for manipulating data according to a list of instructions. Computers take many forms, from early room-sized complexes to modern personal computers (PCs) and personal digital assistants (PDAs) to tiny embedded systems that add sophisticated capabilities to other devices like toys and appliances.

Contents

• 1 Sourced
  • 1.1 Software
    • 1.1.1 Computer games
    • 1.1.2 Programming
    • 1.1.3 Unix
• 2 Unsourced
• 3 Misattributed
• 4 See also
• 5 External links

Sourced

• Dare to be gorgeous and unique. But don't ever be cryptic or otherwise unfathomable. Make it unforgettably great.
  • Robert J. Mical, Amiga Intuition Reference Manual, 1986, (ISBN 0201110768), p. 231

• Mr. McKitrick, after careful consideration I have come to the conclusion that your defense system sucks.
  • General Beringer (Barry Corbin) in WarGames, unidentified scene

• Trust The Computer. The Computer is your friend.
  • "Computer's Credo", Paranoia

From Wikiquote under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Fri Jul 10 08:52:42 2009