(1) In the DCE X/Open Directory Service, a defined data structure that is used to represent an OM attribute type and a single value.
(2) See screen recognition criteria.
(3) A PL/I control block that holds information such as string lengths, array subscript bounds, and area sizes, and is passed from one PL/I routine to another during run time.
(4) A small, unsigned integer that a UNIX system uses to identify an object supported by the kernel. Descriptors can represent files, pipes, sockets, and other I/O streams.
(5) An XML file that describes the content of a component or resource. See also installable unit deployment descriptor, media descriptor.
(6) A skeleton from which an IMS control block is dynamically built. A user descriptor can provide user options and queue names.