Token - Computing

Computing

There are two classes of meaning of 'token' in computing:

• An object which represents the (often exclusive) right to perform some operation:
  • Token (Petri Net), an object used in Petri net theory
  • Session token, a unique identifier which is generated and sent from a server to a software client to identify an interaction session and which the client usually stores as an HTTP cookie
  • Security token (also known as a hardware token, authentication token or cryptographic token), a physical device that an authorized user of computer services is given to aid in authentication
  • Access token, a system object representing the subject of access control operations
  • Token ring, a local area network technology in which a virtual object known as a token is passed between devices on the network, authorizing them to communicate
  • Invitation token, sometimes called a "code", sometimes used as a method of curbing website registration for a number of purposes

• An atomic object in parsing:
  • Token (parser), usually a word or other atomic parse element
  • Tokenizing, the operation of splitting a string of characters into a set of tokens in lexical analysis