programming A system that takes a set (a "batch") of
commands or jobs, executes them and returns the results, all
without human intervention. This contrasts with an
computer's responses are interleaved during a single run.
A batch system typically takes its commands from a disk file
days) and returns the results to a file (or prints them).
Often there is a queue of jobs which the system processes as
resources become available.
has come to mean automating frequently performed tasks that
would otherwise be done interactively by storing those
processing is sometimes used with GUI-based applications that
define script equivalents for menu selections and other mouse
actions. Such a recorded sequence of GUI actions is sometimes
called a "
macro". This may only exist in memory and may not
be saved to disk whereas a batch normally implies something
stored on disk.
(1998-06-26)