Glossary
Overview
The list below shows a number of terms that are regularly used in the documentation of Polybench. The user of Polybench should be familiar with these terms, to fully understand all possibilities the software offers.Details
ActionAn Action (or Project Action) is an event that in effect controls another object or Polybench Function. Often, an Action is a costly operation in Polybench and is therefore performed only occasionally. Example of Actions: The SHOWPAGE Action takes care that the specified page is displayed. Also, an Action can be used to change Variable Parameters of Operators and Objects, or to call Functions in Objects. Further reading: "Actions - Overview".
Alias
See Stream Alias.
Application
An Application or simply App is a software program that has been designed using Polybench. An Application has a user interface, so that the End-User can control the behavior of the Application. To run an Application, the Polybench framework software is required.
Border Repository
Set of pre-defined borders, which you can edit and extend. Borders are used for all kind of user interface objects. Not every version of Polybench offers user definable borders.
Bus, Channel Bus
A Channel Bus is an ordered collection of Data Channels. Many Operators allow the connection to Channel Buses, so that the same calculation can be performed on all data channels at once. Further reading: "Connectors and connection rules".
Button Repository
Set of pre-defined button templates that you can edit and extend. All Objects that display a button draw their button according to one button template. Further reading: "Button Repository".
Channel, Data Channel
A Data Channel is a channel through which sampled data is transported from one Operator Port to another Operator Port. Further reading: "Connectors and connection rules".
Color Repository
Set of predefined colors that you can edit and extend. Further reading: "Color Repository".
Connector
A Connector is a visible line in the Polybench Editor that represents a Channel Bus. Further reading: "Connectors and connection rules".
Cursor, Data Cursor
A Data Cursor is a time stamp that is shared by a group of objects. That group of objects is then able to align to the same sample time. Further reading: "Data Cursor and the use of SyncID".
Default Patient
A Default Patient is a default and always existing patient entry in the patient and measurements database, which is managed by Polybench Manager. The Default Patient is generally used to perform test and demo measurements in Polybench.
Designer, Polybench Designer
Polybench Designer is a component in the Polybench software that allows a User to design and modify Applications and Measurement Configurations.
Drawing Board
The Drawing Board is the large area in Polybench Designer where you can drag objects from the Toolbox to and design schematics and layouts.
End-User
The End-User is the user of an Application that runs using the Polybench software. The End-User will not be modifying or designing Applications, but rather use them.
Event
An Event is something that happened within the time period of one specific sample in a data stream, or at a precisely defined moment in time. Events can be created or detected by Operators. Events can also be used to trigger an Action, by using special Operators to do so. The visual representation of an Event is an Event Marker. Further reading: "Events and Markers".
Font Repository
Set of predefined text fonts, that you can edit and extend. Further reading: "Font Repository".
Free Variables
See Namespace Variables.
Front-end
A Front-end is a device that is the source of sampled data, such as a data recorder.
Full Screen
Full Screen is a mode of a Polybench Application, in which the Application user interface uses the complete screen of a monitor. No other programs in Windows can be accessed when Polybench is in Full Screen mode. Further reading: "Full Screen Mode".
Functions
A Function is a function of an Operator or Object that can be triggered by a FUNCTION Action. Further reading: "Operator Functions"
Global Variables
Global Variables are value placeholders that are accessible from the entire Project. A number of predefined global variables exist. Further reading: "Free Global and Namespace Variables".
Image Repository
Set of preloaded images that the End-User can edit and extend. All Objects that display an image get their image from this repository. Further reading: "Image Repository"
Language Repository
Table of words and texts translated in several languages. This repository enables you to create multilingual Applications. In some versions of Polybench this feature is not available.
Marker, Event Marker
An Event Marker is the visible representation of an Event. The Event Marker is usually a readable text string. Further reading: "Events and Markers".
Measurement Configuration
A Measurement Configuration (or short: MC) is a data processing program that performs a number of operations on sampled data.
Measurement Session
A Measurement Session is a collection of recorded data files that have come to exist in the same period of time, namely during one measurement that was performed on presumably one patient.
Measurement Repository
The Measurement Repository is a collection of files that is managed by some external program (for example Polybench Manager), to which Polybench has access. Polybench may request files by stating a Stream Alias.
Namespace
A namespace describes a part of a Polybench project where addresses and connection labels are protected from other namespaces. A namespace is bound to a Page. Further reading: "Namespaces in a project".
Namespace Variables
Namespace Variables are value placeholders that are accessible from one entire Namespace. Variables have an arbitrary name that is enclosed by $ characters, for example: $var1$. Further reading: "Free Global and Namespace Variables".
Object
An Object is one of a collection of elements of which an Application is built. In Polybench Designer the User is able to move, change, add and delete every single Object. An Operator is a special kind of Object.
Operator
An Operator is a functional block in a Measurement Configuration that is able to perform processing functions on sampled data. An Operator may have inputs and/or outputs at which sampled data comes in or out of the functional block. Further reading: select an operator symbol on the Drawing Board of Polybench Designer and press F1 (or press the question mark in the Properties Dialog). This opens the help for the selected operator.
Port, Operator Port
An Operator Port is the in or output for sampled data of an Operator. In Polybench Editor, the User can connect Operators to each other, by dragging Connectors from one Port to another Port. Further reading: "Connectors and connection rules".
Post-Process
A Polybench Application that performs calculations on data that comes from a storage medium. A Post-Processing application does not connect to a measurement instrument. Post-processing does not have to be in real-time, but can be performed with a much higher or lower speed.
Project
A Project is the collection of all elements that are required by an Application. The User can load or create a Project in Polybench Designer.
Properties
Properties are settings of an Object that determine the behavior and looks of the Object. For every Object that offers properties to be changed, the properties are listed in the documentation under the heading Properties. See also the Properties dialog: "Properties Viewer".
Stream Alias
A Stream Alias (or Alias) is an invariable name that refers to multiple measurement files that are all recorded with the same parameters. A Post-Processor that refers to an Alias instead of a single file is able to process all measurements that use the same Alias. Further reading: "Stream Alias - concept for naming of data files".
Stream Provider
A Stream Providers is a software module that converts sampled data from an external source to Polybench and vice verse.
Toolbox
The Toolbox is a dialog in Polybench Designer from which you can drag all kinds of Objects onto the Drawing Board. Further reading: "Object Toolbox".
User
A User is a person that uses Polybench and Polybench Designer to create and modify Projects and Applications.
Variable Parameters
Variable Parameters are settings of Objects that can be changed from within a Measurement Configuration, as opposed to Properties that can only be changed by the User. Using Variable Parameters it is possible for one Object to change the behavior of another Object. See also Global Variables. Further reading: "Variable Parameters"; Variable Parameters Dialog: "Variable Parameter Viewer".