Software: Tools for Productivity & Creativity

1. Software: Tools for Productivity & Creativity 3 Chapter 3

2. Chapter Topics UNIT 3A: System Software: The Power behind the Power 3.1 The Operating System: What It Does 3.2 Other System Software: Device Drivers & Utility Programs 3.3 Common Features of the User Interface 3.4 Common Operating Systems UNIT 3B: Application Software: Getting Started 3.5 Application Software: Where to Get It, How to Use It 3.6 Data Files & Program Files 3.7 Word Processing Software 3.8 Spreadsheet Programs 3.9 Database Software 3.10 Office Suites & Integrated Packages 3.11 Specialty Application Software

3. UNIT 3A: System Software: The Power behind the Power • Application software is software that has been developed to solve a particular problem for users—to perform useful work on specific tasks or to provide entertainment. Ex. MS Word, Calendar, Facebook • System software runs at the most basic level of your computer and enables the application software to interact with the computer and helps the computer to manage its internal and external resources, as well as manage the hardware. Ex. MS Windows, Linux, Printer driver, Disks Clean up, Screen saver There are three basic components of system software that you need to know about:

4. 1. Operating systems: An operating system is the principal component of system software in any computing system. 2. Device drivers: Device drivers help the computer control peripheral devices. 3. Utility programs: Utility programs are generally used to support, enhance, or expand existing programs in a computer system.

5. 3.1 The Operating System What It Does

6. The operating system manages the entire computer system. • The operating system (OS) consists of the low-level, master system of programs that manage the basic operations of the computer. • Every general-purpose computer must have OS to run other programs. • OS allows users to concentrate on applications rather than on complexities of the computer. • Each application program is written to run on top of a particular OS. • The OS manages: • Booting • CPU management • File management • Task management • Security management

7. Booting • The process of loading an OS into the computer’s main memory • Booting involves four steps: • Turn the computer on. • Diagnostic routines test main memory, CPU, and other hardware. • Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) programs are copied to main memory. • BIOS contains instructions for operating the hardware. • The computer needs those instructions to operate the hardware and find a copy of the OS. • Boot program obtains the OS and loads it into computer’s main memory.

8. Panel 3.2 Page 117

9. Cold boot—turn on computer’s “on” system • Warm boot—restart a computer that is already on • Boot disk—use a CD or flash drive containing all files to launch OS • Boot from the cloud

10. CPU Management • CPU is the central processing unit. • Supervisor(kernel) is the software that manages CPU • Remains in memory while the computer runs • Directs other programs not in memory to perform tasks that support application programs • Memory Management • OS keeps track of memory locations to prevent programs and data from overlapping each other • Swaps portions of programs and data into the same memory but at different times • Keeps track of virtual memory

11. CPU Management (continued) • Queues, Buffers, Spooling • Queue: First-in, first-out (FIFO) sequence of data or programs that waits in line for its turn to be processed • Buffer: The place where the data or programs sit while they are waiting • To spool: The act of placing a print job into a buffer. (Needed because the CPU is faster than printers. The CPU can work on other tasks while the print jobs wait.)

12. File Management • A fileis either a • Data File: a named collection of data • Program File: a program that exists in a computer’s secondary storage • Files are located in many places on secondary storage devices; OS locates files and facilitates access to them • The file system arranges files in a hierarchical manner • Top level is directories (folders) • Subdirectories come below folders • Find files using their pathname. Example: C:/MyDocuments/Termpaper/section1.doc

13. Task Management • Computers are required to perform many different tasks at once—to do task management. • Task: An operation such as storing, printing, or calculating • Multitasking: Handling more than one program concurrently • Example: You do word processing while playing music on your computer. • OS directs processor to alternate time on each program until processing is complete.

14. 3.2 Other System Software Device Drivers & Utility Programs

15. Drivers and utility programs add functionality to your computer and help it perform better. Device Drivers • Specialized software programs that allow input and output devices to communicate with the rest of the computer system. • When you buy a computer, many device drivers come with the system software. • Device drivers also come with new hardware (on CDs/DVDs) or can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website. Utilities • Service programs that perform tasks related to the control and allocation of computer resources. • Examples: Backup, virus protection, data recovery, data compression, file defragmentation, disk cleanup, remove temp files • Some come with the OS, others can be bought separately (e.g., Norton SystemWorks, McAfee Utilities).

16. 3.3 Common Features of the User Interface

17. Graphical User Interface (GUI) • Allows you to use a mouse or keystrokes to select icons and commands from menus. • Three main features of GUI are desktop, icons, and menus. • Desktop: The system’s main interface screen. • Icons: Small pictorial figures that represent programs, data files, or procedures. • Rollover: A small text box that explains the icon when you roll your mouse over it. • Menus: Lists of built-in commands and/or options from which to choose pull-down, cascading, pull-up, pop-up.

18. Menus

19. Most operating systems use GUIs with the following: • Title Bar: runs across the top of the display window and shows the name of the folder you are in. • Menu Bar: shows the names of the pull-down menus available. • Toolbar: Displays menus and icons representing frequently used options or commands. • Taskbar: The bar across the bottom of the Windows screen that contains the Start button and icons that show open files/programs. • windows: Rectangular portion of the display screen through which you can view a file of data or an application program.

20. window Page 132 Programs pinned to taskbar

21. Windows 7 and Windows 8 taskbars Minimize, Maximize, Restore Down, and Close

22. 3.6 Data Files & Program Files

23. Data files: Data files contain data, such as words, number, pictures, and sounds—for example (extensions):

24. Program files: Program files contain software instructions that execute, or run, when the program is opened. • Source program files: Source program files contain high-level computer instructions in the original form written by the computer programmer. • Executable files: To be made useful to the computer for processing, a source program file must be translated into an executable file, which contains the instructions that tell the computer how to perform a particular task. You use an executable file by running it, as Microsoft Excel, Calculator .bas .java .exe .dll .drv

25. Exchanging files • Importing: getting data from another source and then converting it into a format compatible with the program in which you are currently working • Exporting: transforming data into a format that can be used in another program and then transmitting it

26. Data compression is a method of removing repetitive elements from a data file so that it requires less storage space and therefore less time to transmit. Later the data is decompressed—the repeated patterns are restored. • Lossless compression uses mathematical techniques to replace repetitive patterns of bits with a kind of coded summary. During decompression, the coded summaries are replaced with the original patterns of bits. Lossless techniques are used when it’s important that nothing be lost. Used for database records, spreadsheets files, ... • Lossy compression techniques permanently discard some data during compression. Lossy data compression involves a certain loss of accuracy in exchange for a high degree of compression. Examples of two lossy compression file formats are .jpeg and .mpeg, used for graphics files and sound files.

27. 3.7 Word Processing Software

28. Word Processing uses computers to create, edit, format, print, and store text. • Microsoft Word best known • Others: Corel WordPerfect, Apple iWork Pages, Google Apps, Zoho Writer • Word processing allows you to delete, insert, and replace text • Additional features: creating, formatting, printing, saving

29. 3.11 Specialty Application Software

30. Some special applications: • Presentation graphics • Financial • Drawing & painting • Video/audio editing • Animation • Web page design/authoring • Project management • Portable Document Format (PDF) • Computer-aided design

31. Presentation Graphics Software • Uses graphics, animation, sound, data, and information to make visual presentations • Some packages: Microsoft PowerPoint, Corel Presentations, Harvard Graphics • Includes design and content templates • Allows presentation to be dressed up with clip art, sound clips, special visual effects, animation, and video clips

32. Financial Software • Ranges from personal-finance managers to accounting programs to business packages • Personal-finance programs include Quicken, Moneydance, YNAB • Common features of financial software • Track income & expenses • Do financial reporting • Offer tax categories to assist with tax recordkeeping • May offer financial planning & portfolio management • Investment software

33. Drawing Programs • Graphics software used to design & illustrate objects & products • Create vector images—created from geometrical formulas • Examples: CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator Painting Programs • Graphics programs that allow users to simulate painting on-screen • Produce bit-mapped or raster images (tiny dots)

34. Video-Editing Software • Allows import to and editing of video footage on computer • Some video editing packages: Adobe Premiere Elements, Corel Video Studio, Sony Pictures Digital Vegas, • Audio-Editing Software • Allows import to and editing of sound files on computer • Sound editing packages: Windows Sound Recorder, GoldWave, & WavePad.

35. Animation Software • Simulates movement by rapidly displaying a series of still pictures, or frames • Computer animation: Creation of moving images by means of computer • GIF animation: First format to be widely used for web pages • Packages: 3D GIF Designer, Easy GIF Animator

36. Web Page Design/Authoring Software • Used to create web pages with sophisticated multimedia features. • Packages: Adobe Dreamweaver, Seamonkey, Coffee Cup, etc.

37. Project Management Software • A program used to plan and schedule the people, costs, and resources required to complete a project on time • Packages: Mindjet MindManager, MatchWare MindView, Microsoft Project, etc.

38. Portable Document Format (PDF) • Multiplatform file format developed by Adobe Systems that allows documents to be used with any operating system. • Captures text, graphic, and formatting information from a variety of applications on different platforms, making it possible to send documents and have them appear on the recipient’s monitor as they were intended to be viewed. • Today, used for virtually any data that needs to be exchanged among applications and users.

39. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) • Programs intended for 2D and 3D design of products, structures, civil engineering drawings, and maps. • Examples include Autodesk, AutoCAD, TurboCAD, Alibre Design, and PowerCADD. • CAD programs help design buildings, cars, planes, electronic devices, roadways, bridges, subdivisions. • CAD/CAM programs: allow CAD programs to be input into computer-aided manufacturing systems that make products.