multiprogramming
nounUK /ˌmʌltiˈprəʊɡræmɪŋ/
US /ˌmʌltiˈproʊɡræmɪŋ/
A computer way that lets it work on more than one job at a time.
Multiprogramming helps the computer keep busy while it waits for slow tasks like reading a disk.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The practice of running several programs on one computer by switching between them quickly.
Early mainframes used multiprogramming to share expensive processor time among many users.
3. A method where the operating system keeps several jobs in memory and gives the CPU to one when another must wait.
With multiprogramming, the system loads a second job while the first waits for input.
4. The design of software or systems that support running multiple programs at once.
The course covered multiprogramming and how schedulers decide which job runs next.