The spelling of "client cursor" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet. "Client" is spelled /ˈklaɪənt/ with the stress on the first syllable, followed by a long "i" sound and a schwa sound. "Cursor" is spelled /ˈkɜrsər/ with the stress on the first syllable, followed by an "er" sound and a schwa sound. Together, the two words create a compound noun that refers to a specific type of cursor used in computer programming to identify the position of a user.
A client cursor is a mechanism used in computer programming and database systems to efficiently manage and manipulate a set of data retrieved from a database. It refers to a data structure or a software component that represents a temporary storage area in memory where data records are fetched from a database server and held for processing on a client machine.
This mechanism is commonly utilized in client-server architectures, particularly in applications that involve large datasets and require efficient data management and manipulation. When a client cursor is created, it establishes a connection to the database server and executes a query to retrieve a specific set of data. The retrieved data is then transferred to the client machine and stored in the client cursor.
The client cursor provides functionalities to navigate through the retrieved data, such as scrolling forward or backward, moving to a specific record, or looping through the records. It also allows the client application to perform various operations on the data, including updating, deleting, or inserting new records, which can be synchronized with the database server when necessary.
By utilizing a client cursor, the overhead of constantly fetching data from the database server can be minimized, as the data is temporarily stored in memory on the client machine. This improves the overall performance and responsiveness of client applications that need to work with large datasets and perform multiple operations on the retrieved data.
The word "client cursor" does not have a specific etymology as it is a combination of two terms.
The term "client" in this context refers to a computer program or device that requests services or resources from another computer program or server. It is derived from the Latin word "cliens" meaning "dependent" or "follower".
The term "cursor" refers to a movable indicator on a computer screen that shows the position where data is entered or displayed. It comes from the Latin word "cursor" which means "runner" or "racer".
When these two terms are combined, "client cursor" refers to the cursor or indicator used in a client program or device for data manipulation or display purposes. It signifies the position where data is being fetched, manipulated, or displayed by the client program or device.