import

import

1. 

a. goods (visible imports) or services (invisible imports) that are bought from foreign countries

b. (as modifier): an import licence

2. Canadian Informal a sportsman or -woman who is not native to the country in which he or she plays

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

import

(data)

To read data that is not in the native format of the application. For example, a web browser will have its own way of storing bookmarks but it will usually provide a function to import bookmarks from Internet Explorer. The alternative is to provide an independent external conversion utility but this is usually less convenient for the user.

This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)

import

(1) To convert a file into the format required by the application being used. Many applications are capable of importing a variety of popular formats, converting them into the native format of the application for display, printing or editing. If an application can import a format, it can usually export to the format (convert it back). For example, most word processing programs can import documents created in other word processors. After editing, they can be saved in the native format or saved in (exported to) the document's original format.

Computer-aided design (CAD) and drawing programs are used to manipulate graphics objects in their proprietary, native format. In order to modify an illustration created in another application, it must be imported. After making changes, the drawing can be saved in (exported to) the drawing's original format.

Ripping Is Importing Too
When a music CD is imported into jukebox software such as iTunes and converted to MP3, AAC or some other compressed audio format, it is also called "ripping." Contrast with export. See import filter and ripping.

(2) To scan an image into an application. For example, the import function in Photoshop is used to activate the scanner. In this context, import means to convert the paper image to a digital image.

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