Descriptor

<operating system> An integer, string or other small data value which refers to one of several objects allocated to a program by the operating system, usually the kernel.

A common example is a Unix file descriptor which is a small integer that identifies an I/O channel.

Another example is a reference to an area of memory (e.g. shared memory).

Compare capability.

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DES descender descent function Descriptive Intermediate Attributed Notation for A Descriptive Top-Level Specification	Big bag of pages data hierarchy descriptor extended memory fd leak	design Design In Real Time design pattern design recovery Design System language