Glossary N
name decoration
The process during compilation of a C++ function definition or prototype in which the compiler creates a string that uniquely identifies a function. Name decoration is necessary for the compiler and linker to distinguish between several functions that may have the same name. See also decorated name.
named pipe
A connection-oriented protocol, based on Server Message Blocks (SMBs) and NetBIOS, used for communicating between a server process and one or more client processes. See also pipe.
National Center for Supercomputer Applications
A research center at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign for developing and implementing a strategy to create, use, and transfer advanced computing and communication tools and information technologies. NCSA developed Mosaic.
native
An adjective describing a programming element that is specific to and supported by the particular platform on which it is running.
An adjective describing a programming element that is specific to a particular country.
In OLE, an adjective describing data that originated in the container document. See also presentation data.
native data
The format of data used internally by an OLE server application when editing an embedded object. See also presentation data.
NCSA
A research center at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign for developing and implementing a strategy to create, use, and transfer advanced computing and communication tools and information technologies. NCSA developed Mosaic.
nest
To embed one construct (for example, a function) completely within another.
nested class
A class that is declared within the scope of another class. A nested class is available for use within the scope of the enclosing class. To refer to a nested class from a scope other than its immediate enclosing scope, a fully qualified name must be used.
Network Service Provider
A company that provides connectivity to the Internet for ISPs and others requiring high speed connections between their LANs and the Internet.
New Technology file system
A fixed-disk file system that offers security features, including execute-only files and permissions for individual files, support for Unicode and long filenames, and the ability to handle large storage media. See also high-performance file system (HPFS).
newline character (\n)
The character used to mark the end of a line in a text file, or the escape sequence (\n) used to represent this character.
NMAKE
The Microsoft Program Maintenance Utility. NMAKE reads a description file that specifies project-file dependencies and automatically executes the commands needed to update the project when any project file has changed.
nonclient area
The parts of a window that an application does not use when displaying output such as text or graphics. A window's nonclient area consists of the border, menu bar, title bar, scroll bar, Control menu, Minimize button, and Maximize button. See also client area.
nonintegral expression
An expression that evaluates to a data type other than a char, short, int, long, or enumerated type.
nonscalar value
A value whose type is a complex data structure such as a structure, class, or array. See also aggregate type.
nonstatic member function
A function declared within a class definition, and that must be associated with an instance of the class. Called instance methods in Java.
nonsystem key
A keyboard key that is pressed when the ALT key is not pressed or a keyboard key that is pressed when a window has the keyboard focus.
notification message
A message that a control sends to its parent window when events, such as input from the user, occur.
NSP
A company that provides connectivity to the Internet for ISPs and others requiring high speed connections between their LANs and the Internet.
NT-1
In ISDN, a network terminator composed of a connector that attaches a two-wire ISDN line to a four-wire line so that it can be connected to PCs and terminals.
NTFS
A fixed-disk file system that offers security features, including execute-only files and permissions for individual files, support for Unicode and long filenames, and the ability to handle large storage media. See also high-performance file system (HPFS).
null brush
Or hollow brush. A logical brush created from a bitmap whose color matches the current window background color. See also bitmap.
null pointer
A pointer to nothing, expressed in C++ as the value 0.
null statement
A statement that performs no action, declares nothing, and can be used wherever a statement is expected. In C/C++, a statement that contains only a semicolon (;).
null string
Or empty string, zero-length string. In C/C++, a string that contains no characters. A null string is explicitly initialized with a pair of double quotation marks ("").
null terminator
Or string terminator. In C/C++, the null character '\0" at the end of a string.
null-terminated character string
Or ASCIIZ string. A string of characters terminated by a single character, '\0', whose integer value is 0.