BATCH PROCESSING
\bˈat͡ʃ pɹˈə͡ʊsɛsɪŋ], \bˈatʃ pɹˈəʊsɛsɪŋ], \b_ˈa_tʃ p_ɹ_ˈəʊ_s_ɛ_s_ɪ_ŋ]\
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By DataStellar Co., Ltd
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Data, instructions, or materials not processed in real time. It is used when time is not critical. They are gathered over time and sent together in one big batch.
By Henry Campbell Black
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A system that takes a sequence (a "batch") ofcommands or jobs, executes them and returns the results, allwithout human intervention. This contrasts with aninteractive system where the user's commands and thecomputer's responses are interleaved during a single run.A batch system typically takes its commands from a disk file(or a set of punched cards or magnetic tape in themainframe days) and returns the results to a file (or printsthem). Often there is a queue of jobs which the systemprocesses as resources become available.Since the advent of the personal computer, the term "batch"has come to mean automating frequently performed tasks thatwould otherwise be done interactively by storing thosecommands in a "batch file" or "script". Usually this fileis read by some kind of command interpreter but batchprocessing is sometimes used with GUI-based applications thatdefine script equivalents for menu selections and other mouseactions. Such a recorded sequence of GUI actions is sometimescalled a "macro". This may only exist in memory and may notbe saved to disk whereas a batch normally implies somethingstored on disk.Unix cron jobs and Windows scheduled tasks are batchprocessing started at a predefined time by the system whereasmainframe batch jobs were typically initiated by an operatorloading them into a queue.
By Denis Howe
