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Computer software

Overview

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Computer software:summary/overview/abstract (Part 1)

The following presents an overview of various aspects and types of computer software:

• Computer (disk) operating system(s)

• Graphical user interfaces

• The popular family of Microsoft Windows operating systems in particular

• Utility software packages

• Local area network software

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Computer software:summary/overview/abstract (Part 2)

• Application software packages (excluding software to build presentations with slides, software to create web sites, because these are discussed in more detail in other chapters)

• General evaluation criteria in the case of software packages

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Computer software:summary/overview/abstract (Part 3)

• Computer file formats in general

• Computer file formats for text only

• Computer file formats for graphics/images

• Computer file formats for documents with text and images

• Compression, archiving and conversion of computer files

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Computer software

Computer (disk) operating systems

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Computer operating systems: functions

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• A computer operating system brings many basic functions to a computer:

»Process management

»Memory management

»File input/output

»Device input/output

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Computer operating systems are NOT user interfaces only

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• Do not confuse a user interface with a computer operating system.

• An operating system often comes with a particular interface for the use of many functions, which causes this confusion.

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?? Question ??

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List and discuss widespread computer operating systems

for small, personal microcomputers.

List and discuss widespread computer operating systems

for small, personal microcomputers.

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Computer operating systems for microcomputers

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• For microcomputers with Intel compatible CPU

»DOS; DOS + Windows 3.x; Windows 95; Windows 98; Windows 98 SE; Windows ME,…

»(OS/2)

»Windows NT 4 Workstation; Windows 2000 Professional; Windows XP;…

»Linux,…

• Apple operating systems

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Computer operating systems for server computers

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»Unix (and variants such as Linux and Solaris)

»Windows NT 4 server; Windows 2000 server; Windows 2003 server;…

» ...

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?? Question ??

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Why can multitasking on computers be useful?

(even though people mostly work on 1 activity at the same time)

Why can multitasking on computers be useful?

(even though people mostly work on 1 activity at the same time)

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Multitasking: uses

• Switching among programs

the ability to load several programs and easily and quickly switch among them

• Running tasks in the background

for instance:

»downloading data,

»printing,

»monitoring disk space,

»receiving electronic mail,...

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Computer operating systems: evolution

• More user-friendly interfaces

• Increasing power

• Bigger in size because of more sophistication

• More Web enabled

• (Parallel evolution for application software)

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Computer software

Microsoft Windows: an operating environment

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!! Task - Assignment !!

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Apply copy and paste in the same document

managed by the same program.

Apply copy and paste in the same document

managed by the same program.

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!! Task - Assignment !!

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Apply copy and paste between various documents

managed by the same program.

Apply copy and paste between various documents

managed by the same program.

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!! Task - Assignment !!

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Apply copy and paste between different programs.

For instance: copy a result from Microsoft Windows Calculator

(such as a long number) into a document of Microsoft Word.

Apply copy and paste between different programs.

For instance: copy a result from Microsoft Windows Calculator

(such as a long number) into a document of Microsoft Word.

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Microsoft Windows tutorials

• Computer-assisted learning about Windows is offered by the Windows package itself.

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Evolution of Microsoft operating systems for PC’s from 1995 to…

19951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008

Windows 95

Windows NT 4 (also for servers = multi-user)

Windows 98Windows 98 SEWindows ME Windows 2000 (also for servers = multi-user)

Windows XP (also for servers = multi-user)Windows 2003 (for servers = multi-user)

Windows Vista

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?? Question ??

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How can you rename a collection of files in a folder, in 1 action, with the operating system that you use?

In which case is this useful?

How can you rename a collection of files in a folder, in 1 action, with the operating system that you use?

In which case is this useful?

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Computer software

Utility software packages

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Utility software packages: definition

• Not a well defined term

• One meaning is:Software which helps to run the computer system,but which is not directly useful on the application level.

• Operating systems include utility programs;others can be installed besides these or can replace these.

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Utility software packages: some categories: anti-virus

• Anti-virus shielding and scanning + anti-spyware + local network and Internet firewall (checking incoming and outgoing data)

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?? Question ??

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Which concrete anti-virus software protects your pc?

Which concrete anti-virus software protects your pc?

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?? Question ??

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What is the meaning of: “keeping your anti-virus-software up-to-date”?

What is the meaning of: “keeping your anti-virus-software up-to-date”?

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?? Question ??

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How do YOU concretely keep YOUR anti-virus software up-to-date on YOUR specific computer system?

How do YOU concretely keep YOUR anti-virus software up-to-date on YOUR specific computer system?

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?? Question ??

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How do you search for a particular file on your pc?How do you search for a particular file on your pc?

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Utility software packages: some categories: file management

• Making space by searching and deleting files that are not used or that are not useful

• Compression / decompression of files

• Archiving / de-archiving of files

• Checking disk integrity/quality

• Backing up data

• Transferring files and settings to another computer

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?? Question ??

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How do YOU concretely maintain your data backing-up system?

How do YOU concretely maintain your data backing-up system?

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Computer software

Application software packages

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Categories of application software packages

• Text editing...Word processing...Desktop publishing

• Spreadsheet

• Presentation creation

• Graphics (bitmap/pixels and vector/object or mixed)

• Multimedia authoring + distribution

• Data communications (basic layers + applications)

• Portable document software

• Database management systems

• ...

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Software for text editing: categories

• Simple text editors

• Simple word processing software

• Powerful word processing software

• Page-layout software / Desktop publishing software

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Design of documents on paper: a brief checklist (Part 1)

• Is the general appearance attractive (not messy)?

• Does the text look well (not squashed up)?

• Do the pages have a basic shape?

• Is there adequate white space?

• Is the line length short enough?

• Are letters in CAPITALS avoided?

• Is underlining of letters avoided?

• Are fonts chosen well?

• Is the character size OK?

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Design of documents on paper: a brief checklist (Part 2)

• Is the typography consistent throughout the document?

• Are colours used well?

• Are illustrations/graphics/pictures used well?

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Design of documents on paper: a brief checklist (Part 3)

• Is it easy to see the main points?

• Are there a sufficient number of chapter and sub-chapter headings?

• Are the headings informative?

• Is the number of heading levels not too high?

• Are the differences in heading levels well supported by differences in formatting of chapter numbers and characters?

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?? Question ??

What are the benefits of using styles for all types of paragraphs in word processing?Give 2.

What are the benefits of using styles for all types of paragraphs in word processing?Give 2.

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?? Question ??

Besides the general benefits of using styles, what are the more specific benefits of using heading styles for heading paragraphs in word processing?Give 4.

Besides the general benefits of using styles, what are the more specific benefits of using heading styles for heading paragraphs in word processing?Give 4.

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Software for word processing: the advantages of paragraph styles

• In comparison with more manual formatting, styles offer a way to format paragraphs that is easier, faster and more consistent.

• Using heading styles allows

»outlining = outline view

»automatic sorting of paragraphs

»automatic creation of a table of contents

»saving a document as a file in HTML format, which is formatted automatically according to the heading levels in the original document

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?? Question ??

What is the relation in word processing between paragraph styles and outline view?

What is the relation in word processing between paragraph styles and outline view?

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!! Task - Assignment !!

Learn about styles in the program that you use for word processing.

Learn about styles in the program that you use for word processing.

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!! Task - Assignment - Exercise !!

Create a document with chapters, using heading styles.For instance, select some document that you have to write anyway,

or that you have already written; take the chapter titles (that is: the headings),

and format these with heading 1, 2, 3…styles; assign different fonts and sizes and colours to the styles.

In case that you do not have a text available, then use the file that should be available from the WWW through

http://www.vub.ac.be/BIBLIO/nieuwenhuysen/courses/chapters/software-exercise-styles.doc

(note: BIBLIO and not biblio)

Create a document with chapters, using heading styles.For instance, select some document that you have to write anyway,

or that you have already written; take the chapter titles (that is: the headings),

and format these with heading 1, 2, 3…styles; assign different fonts and sizes and colours to the styles.

In case that you do not have a text available, then use the file that should be available from the WWW through

http://www.vub.ac.be/BIBLIO/nieuwenhuysen/courses/chapters/software-exercise-styles.doc

(note: BIBLIO and not biblio)

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!! Task - Assignment - Exercise !!

Choose a document with heading styles,and apply outlining.

Choose a document with heading styles,and apply outlining.

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!! Task - Assignment !!

Choose a document with chapters, using heading styles,

and create a table of contents on 1 page,using styles.

Choose a document with chapters, using heading styles,

and create a table of contents on 1 page,using styles.

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Portable document software: What is it? (Part 1)

Ideally, this type of programs

• allows the distribution of a formatted document, while maintaining the visual integrity of the document

• is independent of computer platform, (computer, operating system, application software, or fonts) that is used

»to create the document, and

»to view (read, search, ...) the document

• compresses the document

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Portable document software: What is it? (Part 2)

• allows printing the document

• allows searching for character strings in the document

• allows zooming in, without loss of details in the characters

• allows copying text fragments

• allows integration with a WWW browser

• allows hyperlinks / WWW links in the document

• ...

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Portable document software: some programs

• Adobe Acrobat !»Viewer software is available free of charge

»Software to create PDF files is NOT free of charge.A free trial has been possible through the WWW at http://www.adobe.com/

• (Catchword RealPage)

***-Examples

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Portable document software: applications

• On-line help documents coming with software.

• Electronic publications on CD-ROM and on-line, in particular when a version printed on paper also exists!

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Database systems: definition

A database (management) system is a program or set of programs, providing a means by which a user can easily store and retrieve data in the form of “databases”.

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Information retrieval software: related terms

• Software for information storage and retrieval

(ISR software)

• Text(-oriented) database management systems

(Text-DBMS)

• Text information management systems

(TIMS)

• Document retrieval systems

• Document management systems

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Information retrieval software: applications (Part 1)

Archived documents

Documents

Books / Documents

Objects / Books / ...

Patient’s histories

Clients / Potential clients

Courses / Teachers

Publications / ...

• Archives

• Documentation centres

• Libraries

• Musea

• Medical files

• Marketing departments

• Schools

• Bibliographic databases

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Information retrieval software: applications (Part 2)

• Meeting calendars

• Product information

• Laboratories

• Personal documentation

• Patent office

• Co-operating information networks

• ...

Meetings = conferences

Product descriptions

Recipes

Documents

Patents

Documents / Persons / Institutes / Events / ...

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Text-information management systems: characteristics and definition

The information in the database is text oriented.Therefore, several features are required:

»ability to store relatively long blocks of texts

»ability to retrieve items in which specific words or terms occur anywhere

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Text-information management: from free-form to structure

Free form text information without structure

Text database with information (each record) is further structured in fields, sub-fields,

with links/relations among records...(Ideally, each fields is repeatable

= can be multi-valued, = can occur more than once in each record.)

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Functions of database management software

• Input / edit using keyboard or batch input

• Indexing of the database(s)

• Browse or Search data from database

• Output (Sort / Display / Print to file / Print to paper)

+

• Export / Import

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Hierarchy in the use of a database

Database structure

Input / Editing

Searching / Output

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Computer software

File formats for text only

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File formats for text only: examples

Type

• Files containing unformatted ASCII text

• Files with text coded by the Hypertext Markup Language

Normal file name extension

.TXT

.HTML or .HTM

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Computer software

File formats for documents with text and images

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Documents with text and images: available file formats (Part 1)

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• Many! Too many?

• Examples:

»formats of the various programs for word processing and page design, in their various versions (DOC,…)

»Rich Text Format (RTF)

»PostScript (PS)

»Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)

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Documents with text and images: available file formats (Part 2)

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»bitmap-related format, primarily for graphics, but they can also show characters: BMP, GIF, JPG/JPEG, PCX, PNG, TIFF...

»SGML, HTML, XML... considered here together with the graphics files that they link to

»…

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Computer software

File compression, archiving and conversion

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File compression, archiving and conversion

• Compressionto make files smaller

• Archiving to keep related files together

• Conversion for transfer via computer networks

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?? Question ??

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Which benefits are offered by compression of files?

Which benefits are offered by compression of files?

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Data compression: benefits

Storage capacity required on magnetic or optical disks is smaller

In data communication:

»transmission times are shorter

»transfer of less bits less network congestion

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Essential skills in computer use

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Task

• File management

• Finding files on a computer

• Text editing and formatting

• “Copy and paste” from one document to the same or to another document

• Printing

Software used

• Operating system

• Operating system

• Word processing software(e.g. Word for Windows)

• Operating system + applications software

• Operating system + applications software

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