program status word
program status word (PSW) A collection of information that encapsulates the basic execution state of a program at any instant. It permits an interrupted process to resume operation after the interrupt has been handled. The information is held in the program status register, and usually contains the value of the program counter and bits indicating the status of various conditions in the ALU such as overflow and carry, along with the information on supervisor privileged status. The contents of other processor registers may also need to be preserved in memory after an interruption of a process and recovered when the interrupted process is resumed so that the complete process state is reestablished. See also processor status word.
More From encyclopedia.com
Status , status, social status There are two approaches to the concept of status in sociology. In its weak form, it simply means the position which a person o… Social Structure , Until about 1920 the term status was most commonly used to refer to either the legally enforceable capacities and limitations of people or their rela… Status Epilepticus , Definition
Status epilepticus is a term describing a state of continuous seizure activity. In the past, 30 minutes of continuing seizure or frequent… Status Crystallization , status crystallization
status crystallization A term devised by the American sociologist Gerhard Lenski (see ‘Status Crystallization: A Non-Vertical… Master Status , master status Each individual occupies a number of status positions, some ascribed (such as sex or race), and some achieved (such as educational leve… Statue Of Liberty , STATUE OF LIBERTY, originally named "Liberty Enlightening the World," was a gift from France, unveiled on 28 October 1886 at Bedloe's Island (later L…
You Might Also Like
NEARBY TERMS
program status word