Related:

• filter: [orig. {{UNIX}}, now also in {{MS-DOS}}] n.
  A program that processes an input data stream into an output data stream in some well-defined way, and does no I/O to anywhere else except possibly on error conditio...
• ponge n. [Unix] A special case of a filter that reads its entire input before writing any outpu
  he canonical example is a sort utility. Unlike most filters, a sponge can conveniently overwrite the input file with the output data stream....
• ponge: [UNIX] n. A special case of a {filter} that reads its entire input before writing any outpu
  he canonical example is a sort utility. Unlike most filters, a sponge can conveniently overwrite the input file with the output data stream....
• ool: 1. n. A program used primarily to create, manipulate, modify, or analyze other programs, such as a compiler or an editor or a cross-referencing program.
  Oppose {app}, {operating system}. 2. [UNIX] An application program with a simple, `transparent' (typically text-stream) interface designed specifically to be used in programmed combination with other tools (see {filter}, {plumbing})....
• magic cookie n. [Unix; common] 1. Something passed between routines or programs that enables the receiver to perform some operatio
  a capability ticket or opaque identifier. Especially used of small data objects that contain data encoded in a strange or intrinsically machine-dependent way....
• magic cookie: [UNIX] n. 1. Something passed between routines or programs that enables the receiver to perform some operatio
  a capability ticket or opaque identifier. Especially used of small data objects that contain data encoded in a strange or intrinsically machine-dependent way....
• anity check n. [very common] 1. The act of checking a piece of code (or anything else, e.
  g., a Usenet posting) for completely stupid mistakes....
• ill-behaved adj. 1. [numerical analysis] Said of an algorithm or computational method that tends to blow up because of accumulated roundoff error or poor convergence properties.
  2. Software that bypasses the defined OS interfaces to do things (like screen, keyboard, and disk I/O) itself, often in a way that depends on the hardware of the machine it is running on or which is nonportable or incompatible with other pieces of software....
• plumbing: [UNIX] n. Term used for {shell} code, so called because of the prevalence of `pipelines' that feed the output of one program to the input of another.
  Under UNIX, user utilities can often be implemented or at least prototyped by a suitable collection of pipelines and temp-file grinding encapsulated in a shell scrip...