Glossary

API

An acronym for Application Programming Interface. The JWAVE wrapper API is a set of PV-WAVE functions used specifically for creating JWAVE applications.

applet (Java)

A Java application that runs inside a Web browser or an application such as an applet viewer. Unlike an application, an applet has no main method and must be referenced in an HTML.

application (Java)

A command-line executable written in Java. Unlike an applet, a Java application does not have to run inside a Web browser or applet viewer, and an application has a main method.

BDK

The JavaBeans^TM Development Kit from Sun Microsystems, Inc.

BeanBox

A tool for testing the functionality of a JavaBean. Available in the Beans Development Kit (BDK version 1.0 March 98, or later) from Sun Microsystems.

Beans

See JavaBeans.

CGI

An acronym Common Gateway Interface. Used to run programs through a Web server.

class

Basic unit of compilation and execution in Java. All Java programs are classes.

client (JWAVE)

In a JWAVE system, a local processor connected to the JWAVE server. The JWAVE client is used to develop Java applications that communicate directly with PV-WAVE running on the JWAVE server. JWAVE classes and JAR files, a Java compiler, and (optional) a BDK reside on the JWAVE Development client.

configuration tool

A graphical user interface used to configure the JWAVE server.

customizer

A graphical user interface used to configure a JWAVE Beans Tool.

Data Manager

JWAVE server software that keeps track of data in a PV-WAVE session. Although usually accessed indirectly by client applications using data proxies, JWAVE wrapper developers can use Data Manager (DM) functions directly in JWAVE wrappers to store and access data.

domain

A named dataspace in which JWAVE client applications can store data on the server.

event

Something important that happens at a specific point in time during runtime of a Java application (such as a mouse click, a condition being met, or new data arriving).

HTML

An acronym for HyperText Markup Language. HTML is the source text for most Web pages.

JAR files

A Java Archive file used for packaging related class files, serialized JavaBeans, and other resources.

Java

An object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. Java programs are architecture neutral, which means that they can run on any machine that implements the Java Virtual Machine. The JWAVE client is certified as 100% Pure Java^TM.

JavaBeans

JavaBeans allow you to write self-contained, reusable software units that can be visually assembled in a visual application builder tool.

The component architecture for Java. components in graphical user environments. JavaBeans are a core capability of the JDK 1.1 from Sun Microsystems.

Javadoc

A tool used to produce reference documentation for Java class files. To use JWAVE "Javadoc", open the following file in a Web browser:

: (UNIX)VNI_DIR/classes/docs/api/packages.html

: (Windows)VNI_DIR\classes\docs\api\packages.html

where VNI_DIR is the main Visual Numerics installation directory.

JavaScript

An object-based scripting language for embedding programming scripts in HTML files. JavaScript can be used with the generic JWAVE applet to create a graphical user interface for a Web page.

JDK

An acronym for Java Development Kit. This is the core software development package for Java from Sun Microsystems.

JWAVE

JWAVE is a visualization and computational environment that allows you to quickly and easily develop cross-platform applications to analyze and visually interpret data. JWAVE is a 100% Pure Java client that lets you deliver applications and solutions across the Internet or your intranet.

JWAVE Beans

JavaBeans that are written specifically to use JWAVE components. Visual Numerics provides a set of JWAVE Beans for JWAVE client developers. Note that JWAVE Beans are supported with BDK version 1.0 (March 98), or a later version.

JWAVE Manager

A process on the JWAVE server that "listens" for client connections. When a connection is made, the JWAVE Manager starts a PV-WAVE session and executes a "JWAVE wrapper function."

JWAVE wrapper

A PV-WAVE function that contains JWAVE-specific functions for passing parameters between JWAVE client and server applications.

keyword

An optional PV-WAVE function or procedure parameter that is of the form: keyword=value. For instance, the PV-WAVE PLOT command has numerous keywords, such as Title, Color, and XRange.

log

Information that is output from a JWAVE program. You can configure the JWAVE Manager to output log information to the terminal or to a file.

Manager

See JWAVE Manager and Data Manager.

method

The term used for a procedure or function that is part of a class in an object-oriented programming language, such as Java.

pack

Parameters and data must be "packed" before being sent between JWAVE client and server programs. Packing simply refers to the formatting of data in a consistent manner so that it can be interpreted (or "unpacked") correctly after being received.

persistence (of data)

This term simply refers to the time during which data is available to a PV-WAVE session. In general, data stored in the JWAVE Data Manager is persistent as long as the PV-WAVE session is active. When the session is closed, the data (which was in memory) is lost, unless it was explicitly saved.

ping

A ping refers to a program that determines whether or not a specified process is running. The JWAVE Manager has several ping options that let you test if the JWAVE Manager is running.

proxy

Generally speaking, a proxy is an object-oriented programming term that refers to an object that represents or refers to another object, such as data. In JWAVE, proxies are used by client applications to refer to data that is stored on the server.

PV-WAVE

PV-WAVE, from Visual Numerics, Inc., provides the fundamental components for developing visual data analysis applications. These components include a highly developed, array oriented 4GL language as well as robust graphical and numerics routines. PV-WAVE is the graphical and numerical "engine" for JWAVE.

PV-WAVE application

A program written in the PV-WAVE language and using PV-WAVE graphics and numerical routines. JWAVE allows client applications, written in Java, to communicate with PV-WAVE applications running on a server machine.

PV-WAVE session

A single PV-WAVE process running on a server. JWAVE client applications can contact a single PV-WAVE session multiple times, or multiple PV-WAVE sessions at once. Any data that is stored by the JWAVE Data Manager is persistent for the life of the PV-WAVE session with which it is associated.

serialize

When "serializable" JavaBeans are linked together to form an application in an visual development environment such as the BeanBox, that application can be saved as a stand-alone Java application.

server (JWAVE)

In a JWAVE system, the remote processor where PV-WAVE, the JWAVE Manager, the configuration files, and class files, JWAVE wrappers, and the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) reside.

Service, Windows NT

The JWAVE Manager can be installed and run as a Service on a Windows NT server. Installing JWAVE Manager as a Windows NT Service allows you to:

run the JWAVE Manager as a background process
keep the JWAVE Manager running when there are no interactively logged-in users
shut down the JWAVE Manager by stopping the JWAVE Service

socket

A specific port, identifiable by a number, for connecting clients and servers on a network. JWAVE can be configured to accept client communications through a socket. See also Web server.

Swing components

The Swing component set is a graphical user interface (GUI) toolkit used for creating menus, text fields, dialog boxes, and so on. Swing consists of 100% Java components, and are completely platform independent. You can download the Swing component toolkit from the Sun Microsystems Web site.

unpack

Parameters and data that are sent between client applications and JWAVE wrappers are sent in as a stream of data objects that must be interpreted, or "unpacked" after they are received.

Web server

Software that listens for and handles requests transmitted from client programs across the Internet or an intranet. JWAVE can be configured to accept client communications through a Web server. See also socket.

wrapper

See JWAVE wrapper.

Copyright © 1999, Visual Numerics, Inc. All rights reserved.