Automatic data processing
Encyclopedia
In telecommunication
, the term automatic data processing (ADP) has the following meanings:
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
, the term automatic data processing (ADP) has the following meanings:
- An interacting assembly of procedures, processes, methods, personnel, and equipment to perform automatically a series of data processingData processingComputer data processing is any process that a computer program does to enter data and summarise, analyse or otherwise convert data into usable information. The process may be automated and run on a computer. It involves recording, analysing, sorting, summarising, calculating, disseminating and...
operations on data. (The data processing operations may result in a change in the semantic content of the data.) - Data processing by means of one or more devices that use common storage for all or part of a computer programComputer programA computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
, and also for all or part of the data necessary for execution of the program; that execute userUser (telecommunications)In telecommunications, a user is a person, organization, or other entity that employs the services provided by a telecommunication system, or by an information processing system, for transfer of information....
-written or user-designated programs; that perform user-designated symbol manipulation, such as arithmetic operations, logic operationOperation (mathematics)The general operation as explained on this page should not be confused with the more specific operators on vector spaces. For a notion in elementary mathematics, see arithmetic operation....
, or character string manipulations; and that can execute programs that modify themselves during their execution. Automatic data processing may be performed by a stand-alone unit or by several connected units. - Data processing largely performed by automatic means.
- That branch of science and technology concerned with methods and techniques relating to data processing largely performed by automatic means.