Meaning – The term handle, in the Advanced DOS and OS/2 operating systems, a binary value created by the system that identifies a drive, directory, and file so that the file can be found and opened.
In the AIX operating system, a data structure is a temporary local identifier for an object. Allocating a handle creates it. Binding a handle makes it identify an object at a specific location.
The term handle also refers to another word for a username. It can refer to the name you use in chat rooms, web forums, and social media services like Twitter.
While handle and username are often used synonymously, they do not always mean the same thing.
Example of usage – “When you set a username for a secure website, it is not necessarily your handle. This is because the username is intended to be private and used in combination with a password to create your login. Handles, on the other hand, are public usernames that can be used to identify people online.”
