<jargon> (Or "green words") Meta-information embedded in a
file, such as the length of the file or its name; as opposed
to keeping such information in a separate description file or
record.
By extension, the non-data bits in any self-describing format.
"A GIF file contains, among other things, green bytes
describing the packing method for the image".
At a meeting of the SHARE Systems Division, November 22, 1964,
in Washington, DC, George Mealy of IBM described the new
block tape format for FORTRAN in which unformatted binary
records had a Control Word. George used green chalk to
describe it. No one liked the contents of the Green Word (not
information, wrong location, etc.) so Conrad Weisert and
Channing Jackson made badges saying "Stamp out Green Words".
This was the first computer badge.
Compare out-of-band, zigamorph, fence.
Button 251.
[Jargon File]
(1994-11-02)
Nearby terms:
Green « Green Book « Green Book CD-ROM « green bytes » green card » green lightning » green machine
