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Everything about Spooling

Form of multitasking in computers

In computing, spooling is a specialized form of multi-programming for the purpose of copying data between different devices. In contemporary systems, it is usually used for mediating between a computer application and a slow peripheral, such as a printer. Spooling allows programs to "hand off" work to be done by the peripheral and then proceed to other tasks, or to not begin until input has been transcribed. A dedicated program, the spooler, maintains an orderly sequence of jobs for the peripheral and feeds it data at its own rate. Conversely, for slow input peripherals, such as a card reader, a spooler can maintain a sequence of computational jobs waiting for data, starting each job when all of the relevant input is available; see batch processing. The spool itself refers to the sequence of jobs, or the storage area where they are held. In many cases, the spooler is able to drive devices at their full rated speed with minimal impact on other processing. Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: SpoolingA 5-minute orientation
  2. Skim a recent paper: In-drop capillary spooling and shape-memory behavior of microfiber made from self-healing thermoplastic polyurethane with supramolecular interactions and dynamic covalent bondsInfluential work since 2022
  3. Pick up a classic book: Spool knittingThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  4. Read the landmark paper: In-drop capillary spooling of spider capture thread inspires hybrid fibers with mixed solid–liquid mechanical propertiesCited 101 times
  5. Go sideways: Attached Support ProcessorA closely related topic
  6. Go sideways: Houston Automatic Spooling PriorityA closely related topic

đź“– Definitions

Verb present participle and gerund of spool

Noun The operation of placing something in temporary storage, i.e. a spool.

🗂️ The subject at a glance

  1. Print spooling
  2. Other applications
  3. History
  4. List of spooling systems

🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

🆕 Influential since 2022

đź“š Books worth reading

Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.

đź”— Related topics