Glossary » sprite
sprite
an operating system capability that allows programmers to easily create independent graphical objects (“sprites”) that can move around the screen. A sprite automatically handles redrawing areas of the screen that it crosses over, saving the programmer from worrying about updating all the other graphical elements that it crosses, much like a window manager helps a programmer to develop within a window without worrying about other window updates. Sprites are used for animation, especially in games, but can also be helpful for providing drag-and-drop style interfaces.
