first-in first-out
<algorithm> (FIFO, or "queue") A data structure or hardware buffer from
which items are taken out in the same order they were put in. Also known as a
"shelf" from the analogy with pushing items onto one end of a shelf so that they
fall off the other. A FIFO is useful for buffering a stream of data between a
sender and receiver which are not synchronised - i.e. not sending and receiving
at exactly the same rate. Obviously if the rates differ by too much in one
direction for too long then the FIFO will become either full (blocking the
sender) or empty (blocking the receiver). A Unix pipe is a common example of a
FIFO.
A FIFO might be (but isn't ever?) called a LILO - last-in last-out. The opposite
of a FIFO is a LIFO (last-in first-out) or "stack".
(1999-12-06)
Nearby terms:
First Fit « first generation computer « first
generation language « first-in first-out »
first normal form » first-order » first-order logic
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