Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
3,591,639,636 visitors served.
forum Join the Word of the Day Mailing List For webmasters
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

transparent

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
transparent
(1) Refers to a change in hardware or software that, after installation, causes no noticeable change in operation. Also known as "feature transparency." Contrast with "seamless integration," which means that an additional component to the system can be added without incurring any problems.

(2) A part of an image or application window that takes on the color of whatever is beneath such as the desktop background. See transparency.
transparent
(of a substance or object) permitting the free passage of electromagnetic radiation

transparent [tranz′parĀ·ənt]
(computer science)
Pertaining to a device or system that processes data without the user being aware of or needing to understand its operation.
(physics)
Permitting passage of radiation or particles.

1.(jargon)transparent - Not visible, hidden; said of a system which functions in a manner not evident to the user. For example, the Domain Name System transparently resolves a fully qualified domain name into an IP address without the user being aware of it.

Compare this to what Donald Norman calls "invisibility", which he illustrates from the user's point of view:

"You use computers when you use many modern automobiles, microwave ovens, games, CD players and calculators. You don't notice the computer because you think of yourself as doing the task, not as using the computer." ["The Design of Everyday Things", New York, Doubleday, 1989, p. 185].
2.(theory)transparent - Fully defined, known, predictable; said of a sub-system in which matters generally subject to volition or stochastic state change have been chosen, measured, or determined by the environment. Thus for transparent systems, output is a known function of the inputs, and users can both predict the behaviour and depend upon it.


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Feedback
Mentioned in?  References in classic literature?   Encyclopedia browser?   Full browser?
No references found
 
The general tuckermanities are arrant Bubbles - ephemeral and so transparent - But this is, now, - you may depend upon it - Stable, opaque, immortal - all by dint Of the dear names that lie concealed within 't.
True, from the unmarred dead body of the whale, you may scrape off with your hand an infinitely thin, transparent substance, somewhat resembling the thinnest shreds of isinglass, only it is almost as flexible and soft as satin; that is, previous to being dried, when it not only contracts and thickens, but becomes rather hard and brittle.
On a large transparent sheet, compass and square in hand, he was copying what appeared to be a scale of some sort or other.
 
 
transparency
transparency
Transparency (disambiguation)
Transparency (disambiguation)
Transparency (disambiguation)
Transparency (disambiguation)
Transparency (Guatemala)
Transparency (optics)
Transparency (optics)
Transparency (optics)
Transparency (photography)
Transparency (photography)
Transparency (photography)
Transparency (referential)
transparency adapter
Transparency and Confidence-Building Measure
Transparency and Responsibility for United States Trade Health
Transparency Community Quality Privacy
Transparency In Armaments agreement
Transparency in Pharmaceutical Purchasing Solutions
Transparency Integrated Product Team
Transparency International
Transparency International Australia
Transparency International Corruption Index
Transparency International Papua New Guinea
Transparency International Zimbabwe
Transparency of a Medium
Transparency Profile Unit
Transparency projector
transparency range
transparent
Transparent Access to Multiple Bioinformatics Information Sources
Transparent alumina
Transparent alumina
Transparent alumina
Transparent alumina
Transparent Application Failover
Transparent Approach to Costing
Transparent Armor Gun Shields
Transparent Asynchronous Transceiver Interface
Transparent Asynchronous Transmitter/Receiver Interface
transparent audio coding
Transparent Auto-Compilation
Transparent Auto-Switch Quality
transparent bitmap
Transparent bridge
Transparent Burst Switching
transparent cache
Transparent Cache Switching
Transparent Circuit Handling
transparent coating
Transparent Common Channel Signaling
Transparent computing
Transparent Conductive Oxide
transparent content negotiation
transparent context
Transparent Cryptographic File System
Transparent Data Channel
 
Encyclopedia
?

Terms of Use | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2012 Farlex, Inc.
Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.