Glossary: E

Ease of Use

The degree of accuracy, speed, and satisfaction with which the user accomplishes a computer task.

ECAT (Electronic Catalog)

MIT's web-based system that allows you to purchase directly from MIT's Partner Vendors. Partner Vendors are five major suppliers who have an agreement with MIT to sell goods and/or services to their employees: Office Depot for office and computer supplies, VWR Scientific for laboratory and scientific supplies, BOC for gas cylinders, Dell for computers and accessories, and GovConnection for computer supplies.

ECAT/SAPweb Test

Tests performed to validate the usability and functionality of the web pages of the Partner Vendors and the SAP Internet Transaction Server (ITS) pages that interface with the SAP application database. See also ECAT and SAPweb.

Effectiveness

The degree to which a computer interface helps a user accomplish the task for which the interface was intended.

Efficiency

The rate or speed at which an interface enables a user to accurately and successfully complete a task.

Endorsement Test

Final test performed by a select group of SAP administrative or support staff from MIT's departments, labs, and centers. It is based on their daily business processes using SAP and new design specifications to determine if the application is working correctly.

Error

The result of an action whose consequences are not what was expected by the person performing the action.

Evaluation

The examination of a system or a process to determine the extent to which specific properties are present.

Event-Driven Interface

The kind of interface common to most modern operating systems where the user can initiate actions at any time; the system responds to user "events," such as typing or mouse movements.

Event Handler

A software routine in graphical user interfaces that processes events as they arrive, primarily user input such as keystrokes and mouse clicks, but also system events such as time-based triggers. The events arrive in a buffer and are processed in a cycle called the "event loop" where the oldest event in the buffer is interpreted and quickly processed, and then the event handler is revisited for the next event.

Execution

The operational process of a computer carrying out the instructions of a computer program.

Exhaustive Test

Executing the program with all possible combinations of values and variants for program variables.

Expected Test Results

Predicted output data and file conditions associated with a particular test case.