The time period designates a way of processing knowledge or managing assets the place the primary merchandise to enter a system is the primary merchandise to exit. It operates on a precept akin to a queue, guaranteeing that parts are dealt with within the order they arrive. For instance, in a printing queue, paperwork are printed within the sequence they had been submitted; the primary doc despatched to the printer is the primary to be printed.
This strategy gives the benefit of equity and predictability. It prevents conditions the place assets are monopolized by sure parts, offering a constant and orderly processing circulate. Its adoption dates again to early computing, the place environment friendly useful resource allocation was paramount, and continues to be beneficial in trendy programs requiring deterministic habits and minimal latency.