.AI
Adobe
Illustrator graphics file format (v5.0 or
later).
ARA
Apple's AppleTalk Remote Access application which allows a
remote PC to function as if it were local on the network.
. ARC
Arc file compression application developed by SEA. Compressed files have a filename extension of ARC. Use the same application to decompress archived files under DOS/Windows. Use MacArc, by Leo Laporte and Ray Terry, or Aladdin's free StuffIt Expander to decompress ARC files under MacOS.
ART
ART Press authoring system. A proprietary image-compression engine and image editor, developed by Johnson-Grace Co. for fast image downloads from the Internet and online services. MacOS and Windows compatible, images can be marked with a HTML tag to enable access by browsers on the World Wide Web. It uses fuzzy-logic to automatically apply the best-suited compression method to any combination of photographs, graphics, and text. Images can be compressed to as much as one-third the size that GIF or JPEG can yield.
ASCII
American Standard Code for Information Interchange is a "universal" standard data-format which uses a 7-bit string of 1s and 0s to represent alphabetic, numeric and special characters. An ASCII file contains only printable characters; it does not contain command or control codes such as a bold print enhancement. Typically, these files are created by the "print to disk" feature of an application such as a full feature word processor so that the file can be edited by another, otherwise incompatible application.
They may also be sent to a simple printing device, such as a Telex machine. A printer can accurately print documents created in an ASCII with Backspacing Format, only if it has this feature. If so, any word processor's print enhancements that are based on a backspace code, e.g., boldface and underlining, may appear on the printed page. MacOs systems use Apple's SimpleText application for creating ASCII-compatible (and HTTP-compatible) text.
Aspect Ratio
The relationship of width to height onscreen as supported by the operating system. When converting an image for use under a different operating system, the aspect ratio may have to be adjusted to prevent the converted image from appearing stretched or distorted. The ideal ratio is 1-to-1 (1:1) as on a MacOS monitor's screen
ASF
ActiveMovie Streaming Format from Microsoft is an internet distribution format which adds video to selected portions of an audio file. An alternative to the larger data storage requirements and longer download time of the AVI movie format.
. ATR
A SpDE text file describing computer circuitry design attributes. It can be use by SCS Navagator's Back Annotate feature.
. AU
Voice-grade 8KHz *law ("mulaw" or "µLaw") sound format used on Sun, NextStep and other workstations. The compact 8-bit sound files can be directly converted for use on a MacOS system using versions of System 7 starting with its Sound Manager 3.1 extension and Sound 8.0.4 control panel.
AU files can be created by QuickTime 2.1x with Apple's MoviePlayer 2.1 or Macromedia's SoundEdit. Player utilities: WPLANY (Windows), Sox (DOS, Unix, Amiga).
To play AU files after downloading, most Web browsers need to launch an audio-helper application such as Norman Franke's freeware SoundApp. To hear AU files while they are downloading, use a streaming utility, such as Progressive Network's RealAudio.
Audio Codec '97
A specification for audio-codec ICs which also defines support for 18- and 20-bit audio, 4- or 6-channel output, loudness and tone control, etc., and options including 3-D sound, accelerators, multiplayer gaming and synthesizers or digitally-driven sound enhancements. The AC '97 specification splits the codec function into two ICs with a standardized interface between them to optimize analog design and different sources for the ICs.
. AVI
Audio Video Interleaved is Midrosoft's 11-KHz motion-video format under their Video for Windows. Similar formats include IBM's Ultimedia and Intel's Indeo. Player utilities: VFWRUN (Windows). VDOLive delivers postage-stamp-size streaming video images at 2 fps (frames per second) over a 14.4-Kbps modem, 10 fps with a 28.8 Kbps modem and 20 fps through an ISDN modem and line.
References are samples only. Each one is presented in greater detail in the Technical Research Assistant 2001
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