icon
<graphics> A small picture intended to represent something (a file,
directory, or action) in a graphical user interface. When an icon is clicked on,
some action is performed such as opening a directory or aborting a file
transfer.
Icons are usually stored as bitmap images. Microsoft Windows uses a special
bitmap format with file name extension ".ico" as well as embedding icons in
executable (".exe") and Dynamically Linked Library (DLL) files.
The term originates from Alan Kay's theory for designing interfaces which was
primarily based on the work of Jerome Bruner. Bruner's second developmental
stage, iconic, uses a system of representation that depends on visual or other
sensory organization and upon the use of summarising images.
IEEE publication.
[What MS tool can create .ico files?]
(2003-08-01)
Nearby terms:
I-Comm « iCOMP « Icon « icon » Icon-Based
Parser Generation System 2 » Iconicode » ICONIX
Software Engineering, Inc.
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