Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms: Visio
Visio
a widely used software package for creating business and technical diagrams. Unlike earlier graphics software, Visio recognizes the ways in which symbols interact with their environment. Each symbol, or "SmartShape," can be programmed to behave in specific ways as it is moved or resized. For example, in an electronic circuit diagram, when you stretch the symbol for a resistor, the stretching affects only the connecting lines on the ends; the symbol itself remains the proper shape. Thus, drafting can be done quickly, and Visio helps keep a complex diagram properly connected together as parts of it are rearranged. In 2000, Visio Corporation was purchased by Microsoft. Their web address is www.microsoft.com/office/visio.
