batch processing

noun, Computers.
1.
a form of data processing in which a number of input jobs are grouped for processing during the same machine run.
Origin
1970-75
Examples from the web for batch processing
  • National holidays also affect the timing of batch processing by the banking industry.
  • During this peak period, batch processing may take longer.
  • With scripts or other programs, the library functions can preform batch processing on many files.
  • batch processing provides a means to rapidly process numerous input files.
British Dictionary definitions for batch processing

batch processing

noun
1.
manufacturing products or treating materials in batches, by passing the output of one process to subsequent processes Compare continuous processing
2.
a system by which the computer programs of a number of individual users are submitted to the computer as a single batch Compare time sharing (sense 2)
batch processing in Technology

programming
A system that takes a sequence (a "batch") of commands or jobs, executes them and returns the results, all without human intervention. This contrasts with an interactive system where the user's commands and the computer's responses are interleaved during a single run.
A batch system typically takes its commands from a disk file (or a set of punched cards or magnetic tape in the mainframe days) and returns the results to a file (or prints them). Often there is a queue of jobs which the system processes as resources become available.
Since the advent of the personal computer, the term "batch" has come to mean automating frequently performed tasks that would otherwise be done interactively by storing those commands in a "batch file" or "script". Usually this file is read by some kind of command interpreter but batch processing is sometimes used with GUI-based applications that define script equivalents for menu selections and other mouse actions. Such a recorded sequence of GUI actions is sometimes called a "macro". This may only exist in memory and may not be saved to disk whereas a batch normally implies something stored on disk.
Unix cron jobs and Windows scheduled tasks are batch processing started at a predefined time by the system whereas mainframe batch jobs were typically initiated by an operator loading them into a queue.
(2009-09-14)