Control
There are several interpretations and definitions of the term control, these include:
(1) Control is used with regards to the management of a computer and its processing capabilities. It is used to maintain proper functioning with respect to tasks and activities that are operated on within the computer. More specifically, control applies to standards designed to promote error-free actions (or at least to minimize errors) so that they are carried out at the correct time and in the correct order relative to software and hardware activities. With regards to software, control pertains to program instructions that manage data-handling tasks. With regards to hardware, control deals with system operations that reside in the pathway that data traverses throughout the computer.
(2) Control is used with reference to a graphical user interface (GUI) object in a window (enclosed, rectangular area on a display screen) or dialog box (a temporary box on a display screen that presents information or requests input) that can be manipulated by the user in order to perform an action. The most common interactive controls are buttons (which allow the user to select specific functions or options), scroll bars (which allow the user to move through a document or position text in a window), and pull-down menus (which allow the user to see a menu of commands that appear when a user selects an item with a pointing device, such as a mouse).
(3) Control is used with regards to the modifier (or control) keys found on modern keyboards. If the control key (often abbreviated "ctrl") is held down while pressing and releasing certain other keys then a "control character" is generated (e.g., holding the ctrl key and pressing "S" generates ctrl-S that saves a document). The control key does not itself generate any character but most keyboards and operating systems allow a program to use control keys to define another set of commands usually for the purpose of making faster inputs. Control characters mostly have some kind of "non-printing" effect on the output such as ringing the bell (Control-G=BEL) or advancing to the next line (Control-J=LF). Most have alternative names suggesting these functions (Bell and Line Feed, respectively).
(4) Control is a type of program module that increases the functionality of a program. In the Windows environment, OLE controls and ActiveX controls are examples. An OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) control is a compound document standard developed by Microsoft Corporation that allows users to create objects with one application and then link them to another application. An ActiveX control, also developed by Microsoft, is an enhancement of two other Microsoft technologies called OLE and COM (Component Object Model). ActiveX is a set of rules about how applications should share information.
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