1.1 Glossary

This document uses the following terms:

alias: An alternate name that can be used to reference an object or element.

Boolean: An operation or expression that can be evaluated only as either true or false.

calculated column: A column in a table that contains a formula that is copied automatically to each record in the column.

caption: One or more characters that can be used as a label for display purposes or as an identifier.

column: See field.

control: A graphical user interface object that users interact with when working with applications, forms, documents, webpages, and other types of files.

data macro: A component that implements application logic and enables recognition of built-in actions and tasks for list items.

data source: A database, web service, disk, file, or other collection of information from which data is queried or submitted. Supported data sources vary based on application and data provider.

data type: A property of a field that defines the kind of data that is stored in the field, or defines the kind of data returned by an expression when the expression is evaluated.

database application: A set of objects, including tables, queries, forms, reports, macros, and code modules, that are stored in a database structure.

database object: An object such as a table, query, form, report, macro, or module that can be referenced by name in a database, database application, or database project.

display name: A text string that is used to identify a principal or other object in the user interface. Also referred to as title.

email address: A string that identifies a user and enables the user to receive Internet messages.

expression: A combination of operators, symbols, constants, literal values, functions, names of fields or columns, controls, and properties that evaluates to a single value.

field: A discrete unit of a record that has a name, a data type, and a value.

filter: A mechanism by which a set of data is scoped to display only those entries that meet specified logical criteria.

floating-point number: A number that is represented by a mantissa and an exponent according to a given base. The mantissa is typically a value between "0" and "1". To find the value of a floating-point number, the base is raised to the power of the exponent, and the mantissa is multiplied by the result.

form: A structured document with controls and spaces that are reserved for entering and displaying information. Forms can contain special coding for actions such as submitting and querying data.

hyperlink: A relationship between two anchors, as described in [RFC1866].

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML): An application of the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) that uses tags to mark elements in a document, as described in [HTML].

input source: A table, view, query, or schema diagram that is used as a data source for a query.

lookup field: A field of the Lookup type that enables users to select an item from another data source.

query: A formalized instruction to a data source to either extract data or perform a specified action. A query can be in the form of a query expression, a method-based query, or a combination of the two. The data source can be in different forms, such as a relational database, XML document, or in-memory object. See also search query.

record: A group of related fields, which are sometimes referred to as columns, of information that are treated as a unit. Also referred to as row.

row: A collection of columns that contains property values that describe a single item in a set of items that match the restriction specified in a query.

session: A representation of application data in system memory. It is used to maintain state for application data that is being manipulated or monitored on a protocol server by a user.

site: A group of related webpages that is hosted by a server on the World Wide Web or an intranet. Each website has its own entry points, metadata, administration settings, and workflows. Also referred to as web site.

sort order: The order in which the rows in a Table object are requested to appear. This can involve sorting on multiple properties and sorting of categories.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL): A string of characters in a standardized format that identifies a document or resource on the World Wide Web. The format is as specified in [RFC1738].

XML: The Extensible Markup Language, as described in [XML1.0].

MAY, SHOULD, MUST, SHOULD NOT, MUST NOT: These terms (in all caps) are used as defined in [RFC2119]. All statements of optional behavior use either MAY, SHOULD, or SHOULD NOT.