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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><title>handle</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="../../jargon.css" type="text/css"/><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.61.0"/><link rel="home" href="../index.html" title="The Jargon File"/><link rel="up" href="../H.html" title="H"/><link rel="previous" href="hand-roll.html" title="hand-roll"/><link rel="next" href="handshaking.html" title="handshaking"/></head><body><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">handle</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="hand-roll.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">H</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="handshaking.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr/></div><dt><a id="handle"/><dt xmlns="" id="handle"><b>handle</b>: <span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="grammar">n.</span></dt></dt><dd><p> 1. [from CB slang] An electronic pseudonym; a <span class="foreignphrase"><i class="foreignphrase">nom de
guerre</i></span> intended to conceal the user's true identity.
Network and BBS handles function as the same sort of simultaneous
concealment and display one finds on Citizen's Band radio, from which the
term was adopted. Use of grandiose handles is characteristic of
<a href="../W/warez-d00dz.html"><i class="glossterm">warez d00dz</i></a>, <a href="../C/cracker.html"><i class="glossterm">cracker</i></a>s,
<a href="../W/weenie.html"><i class="glossterm">weenie</i></a>s, <a href="../S/spod.html"><i class="glossterm">spod</i></a>s, and other
lower forms of network life; true hackers travel on their own reputations
rather than invented legendry. Compare <a href="../N/nick.html"><i class="glossterm">nick</i></a>,
<a href="../S/screen-name.html"><i class="glossterm">screen name</i></a>. </p></dd><dd><p> 2. A <a href="../M/magic-cookie.html"><i class="glossterm">magic cookie</i></a>, often in the form of a
numeric index into some array somewhere, through which you can manipulate
an object like a file or window. The form <span class="firstterm">file
handle</span> is especially common. </p></dd><dd><p> 3. [Mac] A pointer to a pointer to dynamically-allocated memory; the
extra level of indirection allows on-the-fly memory compaction (to cut down
on fragmentation) or aging out of unused resources, with minimal impact on
the (possibly multiple) parts of the larger program containing references
to the allocated memory. Compare <a href="../S/snap.html"><i class="glossterm">snap</i></a> (to snap a
handle would defeat its purpose); see also
<a href="../A/aliasing-bug.html"><i class="glossterm">aliasing bug</i></a>, <a href="../D/dangling-pointer.html"><i class="glossterm">dangling pointer</i></a>.</p></dd><div class="navfooter"><hr/><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="hand-roll.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="../H.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="handshaking.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">hand-roll </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> handshaking</td></tr></table></div></body></html>