The second edition of this elemental handbook reviews the theory and practice essential to the field of computer science while emphasizing a more practical/applied approach to IT topics such as information management, net-centric computing, and human/computer interaction. Including many crucial sections on software engineering, architecture, and operating systems, this invaluable manual serves readers by addressing the field essentials they absolutely must know. The Computer Science Handbook, Second Edition contains information on web-based software, speech recognition, data mining, cryptography, and distributed-objects computing, as well as references and sources for further information.