green bytes

n. (also green words ) 1. 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. The term comes from an IBM user's group
meeting (ca. 1962) at which these two approaches were being debated and the
diagram of the file on the blackboard had the green bytes drawn in green. 2.
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. Compare out-of-band , zigamorph , fence (sense 1).

