John Cletheroe's
PC And Internet Hints

PC And Internet Glossary - Including File Extensions - H

HAL

Hardware Abstraction Layer.
  1. Part of the internal workings of DirectX. See also HEL.

  2. A feature of Windows XP (and possibly some other versions of Windows).

  3. The computer on board the "Discovery" space ship in "2001: A Space Odyssey". More specifically, it was a HAL-9000, and HAL stood for Heuristic-Algorithmic.

HAM

Host Assisted Modem or Host Accelerated Modem. See WinModem.

Handshaking

The process by which two devices determine the method of transmission that will be used between them. The most common example is the handshaking that takes place between your modem and your ISP's modem each time you connect to the Internet, which determines the protocols which will be used (the choice of transmission speed, error correction system, compression system, etc).

Hash sign

# (see that entry).

HCL

Hardware Compatibility List. A list of hardware devices with which an operating system is compatible.

HD, HDD

Hard disk, hard disk drive.

Heap

  1. In programming, a heap is an area of memory which reserved for data that is created as the program runs and whose size is not known until then. See also stack.

  2. A method of sorting data.

HEL

Hardware Emulation Layer. Part of the internal workings of DirectX. See also HAL.

Hex, Hexadecimal

Base 16. The digits are 0 to 9, then A (=10), B (=11), C (=12), D (=13), E (=14) and F (=15). 10 hex is 16 (one sixteen and no ones). FF hex is 255 (15 x 16 + 15).

In HTML, colours are specified as hex numbers, two hex digits for each of the three components, red, green and blue, written RRGGBB. This allows for 16,777,216 possible colours to be specified.

HID

Human Interface Device. A standard design for mice (and possibly similar devices such as trackballs) for use with Windows ME and later. Possibly restricted to devices with a USB interface.

High Color

16-bit colour (65,536 colours).

HighMAT

In April 2004 Woody's Windows Watch described HighMAT thus: "HighMAT is a way to easily display pictures and movies on either a computer or a stand-alone player. Your pictures can move in an automated slide-show or when you press buttons on a remote control. There’s been various proprietary ways to do this depending on the CD burning software that you have, but HighMAT is an attempt at a broader standard. Ideally you can make a HighMAT CD, send it to someone and they can pop the disc into a compatible player and it’ll play with a nice looking menu and controls. A solution for sending photos etc to family members." Woody's went on to conclude: "HighMAT is a good idea but needs more work to make it truly practical and useful. The current limitations of formats and numbers of files are unrealistic given the abilities of existing and upcoming digital cameras (still and video). It is primarily a Microsoft-centric standard and so the absence of support for QuickTime video (used in many digital cameras) is a major obstacle. Even within the Microsoft family, the lack of support for WMA formats like the Lossless option is a great pity. In short, the HighMAT group needs to make a large leap so that the standard hard-coded into DVD players doesn't become obsolete too soon. Keep an eye on HighMAT but it has a ways to go before being truly useful."

HIPS

Host-based Intrusion Prevention System - i.e. a Firewall.

Hit

  1. A visit to a web page on a server by a user. As well as one hit for the HTM file, each graphical image file (GIF or JPG) on the page also results in a hit. See also Page Impression.

  2. A matching web page listed by a search engine in response to a query.

Hit Points (HP)

A system often used in RPG's (role-playing games) to record a character's state of health. As the character is wounded in combat, or by magical spells, they lose hit points and eventually dying run out of hit points. A character's maximum possible number of hit points (when fully healed) is usually increased when they are promoted to a higher level. (Also occasionally "Health Points", with the same meaning.)

Hive

Any of the top-level branches of the Registry.

HLP

File extension. Conventional Windows V3.1/95 Help file. See also CHM. HLP files can contain instructions which could perform undesirable operations on a computer.

HLSL

High-Level Shader Language. A feature associated with Microsoft DirectX 9.

Hoax

An apparently plausible email message which in fact is a work of fiction. Naive and gullible users may forward hoaxes on to their friends. Hoaxes vary from the harmless and humorous to the sick and dangerous.

Home Highway

BT's trade name for their domestic ISDN service.

Home Page

  1. The starting page of a web site, usually in the top directory and with a filename of index.htm (or very similar) so that it loads by default if the visitor only specifies the domain name and does not specify a directory or filename in the URL.

  2. A personal web site. Somewhat is of misnomer when a personal site has more than one page, but still frequently used.

  3. The page which loads when a browser is opened on your PC. This can be specified in the browser's configuration settings.

Hook

"Off hook" means that the modem is currently making a phone call. It has performed the electronic equivalent of lifting the receiver.

"On hook" is the opposite, the modem has performed the electronic equivalent of replacing the receiver so as to terminate the call.

Host

  1. A server.

  2. Any computer which you access from another computer.

Hot Spot

A public or commercial location where users can access the Internet using wireless network (Wi-Fi) enabled devices such as laptop computers. Access may be provided free or for a fee. Typical sites include restaurants, airport departure lounges, etc. Also called a public access location.

HotBot

A well known search engine.

http://www.hotbot.com

Hotfix

Patch. Microsoft KnowledgeBase article 824684 includes the following definition of this term as used by Microsoft: "A hotfix is a single, cumulative package that includes one or more files that are used to address a problem in a product. Hotfixes address a specific customer situation and may not be distributed outside the customer organisation."

HotMail

Probably the best known web-based email service (see that entry).

HTML is a completely unrelated term, NOT a contracted form of the name of HotMail.

HOTU

Home Of The Underdogs, a software repository web site for old abandoned games. Possible URL's (all with highly intermittant operation as at Apr-06): http://209.120.136.195 or http://www.the-underdogs.info or http://www.the-underdogs.org

HP

  1. Hewlett Packard, a manufacturer of computers and computer related equipment, especially inkjet printers.

  2. See "Hit Points".

HPFS

High Performance Filing System. The hard disk filing system used with Windows NT versions 3.1, 3.5, and 3.51.

HQX

File extension. BinHex file (see that entry). I do not know whether HQX files can contain viruses or not.

HSDPA

High-Speed Downlink Packet Access. One of several possible protocols used to implement a mobile broadband connection between a computer and an ISP over a 3G mobile phone network. HSDPA and HSUPA appear to be the most common choices of mobile broadband protocol in Britain.

HSUPA

High-Speed Uplink Packet Access. One of several possible protocols used to implement a mobile broadband connection between a computer and an ISP over a 3G mobile phone network. HSDPA and HSUPA appear to be the most common choices of mobile broadband protocol in Britain.

HTA

File extension. HTML program. HTA files can contain instructions which could perform undesirable operations on a computer.

HTC

HTML Component File. The information for the help facility in Windows ME appears to be held in HTC files. I do not know whether HQX files can contain viruses or not.

HTM/HTML

  1. Hypertext Markup Language.

  2. File extension. A Hypertext Markup Language file, i.e. a web page file. Web sites created on Microsoft Windows computers tend to use HTM as the extension, those created on Apple Macintosh computers tend to use HTML. HTML files can contain JavaScript and Visual BASIC script programs which could include viruses - although browsers should prevent such programs from performing inappropriate actions.
HTML is NOT a contracted form of the name of HotMail, Microsoft's web-based email service. The two are completely unrelated terms.

HTML Editor

A program for editing HTML files, in other words for creating and editing web pages.

A simple text editor such as Notepad can be used to edit HTML files and many people, myself included, prefer this choice.

Other people prefer to use an HTML Editor.

Some HTML editors produce voluminous low quality HTML which can only be viewed in modern browsers and in some cases only by modern versions of Internet Explorer.

HTML Help

See CHM.

HTML Mail

A method of formatting email messages using HTML tags. Only users with an appropriate browser will see the formatting - others will see the tags.

Opinion: In my opinion, adding formatting to email messages is a ridiculous concept - formatted documents are far better transmitted as attachments.

HTMLib

A shareware guide to the HTML language, published by Stephen le Hunte. The original version, in the form of a traditional Windows Help File, was simple, effective and extremely useful.

Opinion: The modern version, in the form of an HTML file, is sadly nowhere near as good, in my opinion.

HTTP (http://)

Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The protocol used for transferring web pages over the Internet.

HTTPS

Hypertext Transfer Protocol - Secure. The protocol used to transmit sensitive information such as credit card numbers on the Internet, in a supposedly secure manner. HTTPS uses the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) system, which in turn uses (I think) the RSA public/private key system.

Hydravision

Software published by ATI for use with their video boards, to enable two or more adjacent monitors to display a single combined very wide image.

HyperTerminal

A program supplied with Windows, used to emulate a VDU. HyperTerminal can be used to conduct a terminal session on a remote computer. For most users, the sole use of HyperTerminal will be to send AT commands to the modem, to obtain information on its configuration.

HyperThreading

A feature of some modern Intel Pentium processors. HyperThreading makes a processor appear to software as two virtual processors. This can speed up some programs by up to 30% but it also slows down others to as much as half their normal speed. Linux and Windows XP are compatible with HyperThreading but Windows 95, 98 and ME are not. Presumably only the latest versions of application programs are likely to be compatible.

Hyphen

- (see that entry).
Introduction

Punctuation A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

PC and Internet Hints

Overall Site Home Page

About this personal web site JohnCletheroe

EMail me

Most recently modified 26-Aug-08