Definition

Noun 1. (Computing) The process of preparing a storage device or system for use. This involves setting up the necessary structures so that an operating system or application can access and manage it. Specifically, it often refers to formatting sectors on a hard disk drive and establishing a starting reference point. 2. (General) The act of setting something to a starting state or value. This broader meaning refers to assigning initial values to variables, parameters, or systems at the beginning of a process or program.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Computing):

  • The initialisation of the new hard drive took several minutes.
  • During system boot, the initialisation of hardware components is a critical step.
  • The software failed due to an incomplete initialisation of its database.

• Noun (General):

  • The initialisation of the simulation parameters must be done carefully.
  • Programmers must ensure proper initialisation of all variables to avoid runtime errors.

Advanced Usage

• "Lazy initialisation": A programming technique where the creation or setup of an object is delayed until it is first needed.
  • The framework uses lazy initialisation to improve the application's startup time.

Variants and Related Words

• Initialize (verb, chiefly US) / Initialise (verb, chiefly UK): To prepare a system or set a variable to its starting state.
  • You must initialize the device before first use.
• Initializer (noun): In programming, a value or expression used to set the initial value of a variable.
  • The variable declaration includes an initializer.
• Reinitialisation (noun): The process of initializing something again.
  • A system error forced a reinitialisation of the connection.

Synonyms

• Setup (noun): The process of making something ready for use.
• Formatting (noun, specific to storage): Preparing a disk for data storage.
• Bootstrapping (noun, computing): A self-starting process, often involving initialisation.

Related Phrases

• "Initialisation sequence": The specific order of steps performed during an initialisation process.
  • The device follows a strict initialisation sequence when powered on.
• "Initialisation vector" (IV): In cryptography, a random or pseudo-random value used to ensure that identical plaintext encrypts to different ciphertext.
  • A secure initialisation vector is essential for this encryption mode.

Noun

1. (computer science) the format of sectors on the surface of a hard disk drive so that the operating system can access them and setting a starting position