Amiga User Interface Style Guide: Glossary

Revision 1.5 (April 5, 2023)

Original Copyright © 1991 by Commodore Electronics Limited. All rights reserved.
Expanded and maintained by Gregory S. Donner


Legend:

text - Indicates originally listed item in the Style Guide glossary.

[text] - Indicates a usage convention within the Style Guide though unlisted in the official Style Guide glossary.

[text] p. xx - Indicates a usage convention within official Commodore-Amiga documentation other than the Style Guide. The page number immediately to the right indicates where such an example can be found for reference purposes, followed by the italicized name of the Commodore-Amiga document/source; e.g. p. 23, Amiga Release 2: Getting Started.

red text {} - Indicates undefined usage in the AUISG (requiring verification) or other official Commodore-Amiga documentation. If available, the "next best" source is used, such as similar usage conventions, Wikipedia or a dictionary, and referenced to the right in curly brackets {}.


.info file

3-D look

absolute pathname

action gadget

active

[AGA (Advanced Graphics Architecture)]

AmigaDOS

[Amiga Early Startup Control] (see also "boot menu")

AmigaOS

[AmiTCP/IP] (widely used, but the original usage from Commodore was simply "Commodore Amiga TCP/IP")

[animated pointer] p. 30

AppIcon

application gadget

AppMenu

AppWindow

[Agnus (access to Chip RAM)] p. 23, Amiga Release 2: Getting Started

archive

ARexx

argument

argument passing

assign

attributes

autoboot {autoboot}

[AUTOCONFIGTM] p. 2-5, Introducing the Commodore Amiga 3000. "TM" is only required the first time it is used in a document. Note that there's no logical reason for it to be completely in capital letters since it is not an acronym. "AutoConfigTM" makes more sense.

autoconfigures {autoconfigures}

autorequest (needs verification)

autoscroll [auto-scroll] p. 37

back up (verb)

background process

backup (noun)

[bad block] p. 4-16, A4000 Amiga Hard Drive Users Guide

basename

bitmap

block size

boot block

boolean

bootmenu

Bridgeboard

brush

buffer

CDFileSystem {Lacking an official source, uses similar capitalization as "FastFileSystem"}

check box

Chip RAM

chipset {chipset}

choose

clear

CLI (Command Line Interface)

click

close

close gadget

cold reboot

color correction

color selection gadget

command history

command template

Commodities Exchange

condition flag

console window

context cue

contiguous

Control-key combination

cursor

cursor keys

custom icon

cycle gadget

[data type; DataType] p. 4-28, AmigaOS Workbench 3.0/3.1; ?

dead key

default

Default Tool

delete

delimiter

depth gadget

deselect

destination

device

device handler

directory

disk

[Diskdoctor | Disk Doctor | DiskDoctor]

[display bounds] p. 37

display box

[Display Enhancer] p. 1-2, Introducing the Commodore Amiga 3000

[display mode] p. 2-5, Introducing the Commodore Amiga 3000

[DosType] p. 4-28, A4000 Amiga Hard Drive Users Guide Note that this should actually be "DOSType" as "DOS" is an acronym for "Disk Operating System", and as such, is capitalized.

double-click

drag

drag selection

drawer

drive name

dump

ECS (Enhanced Chip Set)

ENV:

ENVARC:

environment variable

error code

Ethernet {reference}

executable

extended selection

Fast RAM

FastFileSystem (FFS)

fatal error

field

filename

file size {file size}

file system or filesystem {reference}

flag

format

function keys

gadget

GadTools

ghosting

gigabyte {GB, one billion bytes gigabyte}

graphic user interface (GUI)

hard disk

HDToolbox or HDToolBox?

high color {High color}

[Hires] (high-resolution screenmode) p. 2-5, Introducing the Commodore Amiga 3000

history buffer

hold down

hot key

icon

icon drop box gadget

[IDE] p. 4-23, A4000 Amiga Hard Drive Users Guide

IFF (Interchange File Format)

Information window

Inter-Process Communications (IPC)

Internal command

Intuition

kB {Kilobytes, denotes 1000 bytes, reference}

K (or KB; denotes 1024 bytes)

keymap

keystrokes

keyword

Kickstart

[kilobytes] p. 4-22, A4000 Amiga Hard Drive Users Guide

library

link

[LUN (Logical Unit Number)] p. 4-3, A4000 Amiga Hard Drive Users Guide

macro

[MaxTransfer] p. 4-26, A4000 Amiga Hard Drive Users Guide

MB

[megabytes] p. 4-22, A4000 Amiga Hard Drive Users Guide

memory

menu

menu bar

menu button

menu item

modified project requester

monospaced font

MountList

multiscan

[multi-serial port] p. 38

multitasking

mutually exclusive

notification

null string

offset

[OldFileSystem] p. 13, Amiga Release 2 Getting Started

open

OS (Operating System)

overscan area

overwrite

parallel

parent

parsing

partition

path

pattern matching

peripheral

PIPE:

pitch

pixels

pointer

Preferences (Prefs)

press

priority

[private custom screen] p. 35

process

[Productivity (screenmode)] p. 1-2, Introducing the Commodore Amiga 3000

[progress requester] p. 29

project

prompt

protection bits (use "attributes" instead)

pseudo-icon

[public custom screen] p. 35

public screen

pure

qualifier

radio buttons

RAM (Random Access Memory)

Ram Disk

ramlib

RC

read

Read Only

Read/Write

reboot

redirect

relative pathname

Release 2

Release 3

requester

[reopens] p. 41

resident

resolution

RESULT

return code

RGB (Red-Green-Blue)

[RigidDiskBlock (RDB)] p. 16, Amiga Release 2 Getting Started; however, I suggest "Rigid Disk Block" since there appears to be no specific logic behind eliminating the spaces between each word.

ROM (Read Only Memory)

root directory

SANA-II (Standard Amiga Network Architecture)

save

screen

[screenmode] p. 1-2, Introducing the Commodore Amiga 3000

[screen depth gadget] p. 35

script

scroll

scroll arrows

scroll bar

scroll box

scroll gadget

scrolling list

SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)

select

selection button

[separator bar] p. 75, Amiga User Interface Style Guide

serial

set

Shell

[Shell-startup] p. 28, Amiga Release 2 Getting Started, "Startup-sequence and User-startup"

Shell-seg (Capitalization is assumed to follow "Startup-sequence" for the sake of consistency)

sizing gadget

slider gadget

slider value

snapshot

source

stack

Startup-sequence

[Startup-sequence.HD] p. 28, Amiga Release 2 Getting Started, "Startup-sequence and User-startup"

Startup-failsafe (Capitalization is assumed to follow "Startup-sequence" for the sake of consistency)

streaming tape

string

subdirectory

submenu

SuperFloppy or SuperFloppies {no reference per se}

[SuperHires (screenmode)] p. 2, Amiga Release 2 Getting Started

[SuperKickstart] p. 3-2, A4000 Amiga Hard Drive Users Guide

switch

syntax

Syslog (Capitalization is assumed to follow "Startup-sequence" for the sake of consistency)

System-startup (Capitalization is assumed to follow "Startup-sequence" for the sake of consistency)

task

text gadget

title bar (see also "drag bar")

tool

Tool Type / Tool Types

Trashcan

True color {reference}

type

[User-startup] p. 28, Amiga Release 2 Getting Started, "Startup-sequence and User-startup"

version

virtual screen

volume

volume name

wait pointer

wildcard

window

Workbench

[Workbench screen] p. 35

write

write-enable

[write-inhibit] p. 3-3, Introducing the Commodore Amiga 3000

write-protect

[ZIP RAM] p. 4-15, Introducing the Commodore Amiga 3000

zoom gadget

Zorro

Zorro II

Zorro III