FAT:File Allocation Table. A table or list that contains the status of various segments of disk space used for file storage. Also, the file system that maintains the table.
file:A named, ordered collection of information, such as a program, a set of data used by a program, or a user-created document. A file is the basic unit of storage that enables a computer to distinguish one set of information from another.
file element:An complete file contained in a RIFF compound file.
file handle:A unique identifier that Win32 assigns to a file when the file is opened or created. A file handle is valid until the file is closed.
file mapping object:An object whose handle can be used to create a view to a file or piece of memory. The CreateFileMapping function creates file mapping objects.
file pointer:Pointer to the next byte to be read or written in a file.
file system:A part of the operating system that enables you to store, access, and organize files on storage devices, such as a hard or floppy disks or tape drives. FAT, HPFS, and NTFS are examples of file systems.
File Time:A 64-bit value representing the number of 100-nanosecond intervals that have elapsed since January 1st, 1601.
file view:A copy of a file or piece of memory that appears in a process' virtual address space. The MapViewOfFile function creates a file view in the process' address space and returns a pointer to the file view.
first chance notification:The first time the kernel notifies the debugger of an exception.
floating pop-up menu:A pop-up menu that is not attached to a menu bar.
FM synthesizer:(Frequency Modulation synthesizer) A synthesizer that creates sounds by combining the output of digital oscillators using a frequency modulation technique.
form type:A four-character code (FOURCC) identifying the type of data contained in a RIFF chunk. For example, a RIFF chunk with a form type of WAVE contains waveform audio data.
FOURCC:(Four-Character Code) A code used to identify RIFF chunks. A FOURCC is a 32-bit quantity represented as a sequence of one to four ASCII alphanumeric characters, padded on the right with blank characters.
frequency:With respect to the high-resolution performance counter, this is the number of counts per second. This value is processor dependent.