registry

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

registry
    n 1: an official written record of names or events or
         transactions [syn: {register}, {registry}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Registry \Reg"is*try\ (r?j"?s*tr?), n.
   1. The act of recording or writing in a register; enrollment;
      registration.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The place where a register is kept.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A record; an account; a register. --Sir W. Temple.
      [1913 Webster]

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

Windows Registry
registry

   <operating system> The database used by {Microsoft} {Windows
   95} and later to store all sorts of configuration information
   such as which program should be used to open a .doc file,
   {DLL} registration information, application-specific settings
   and much more.

   The Registry is stored in .dat files, one in the user's
   profile containing their per-user settings and one in the
   Windows directory containing settings that are global to all
   users.  These are loaded into memory at login.

   The loaded data appears as a tree with five main branches:
   HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, HKEY_CURRENT_USER, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,
   HKEY_USERS, HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG.  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT defines
   file types and actions, HKEY_CURRENT_USER is an alias for one
   of the sub-trees of HKEY_USERS and contains user settings that
   override the global defaults in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

   The branches of the tree are called "keys" and are identified
   by paths like
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion.
   Any node in the tree can have zero or more "values" which are
   actually bindings of a name and a value, e.g. "Logon User
   Name" = "Denis".  The value can be of type string, binary,
   dword (long integer), multi-string value or expandable string
   value.

   Windows includes a Registry Editor (regedit.exe).

   (2008-01-20)

from Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

REGISTRY. A book authorized by law, in which writings are registered or 
recorded. Vide To Record; Register.

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