window system

window system

Software which allows a workstation's screen to be dividedinto rectangular areas which act like a separate input/outputdevices under the control of different application programs.This gives the user the ability to see the output of severalprocesses at once and to choose which one will receive inputby selecting its window, usually by pointing at it with amouse.

Examples are the X Window System, and proprietary systems onthe Macintosh and NeXT, NeWS on Suns and RISC OS onthe Archimedes. See also WIMP.

window system

Software that adds a windows capability to an existing system. See X Window and windows environment.