What is a Computer

• An electronic, digital device that stores and

processes information.

• A machine that accepts input, processes it

according to specified rules, and produces output
• A programmable machine that inputs, processes
and outputs data
 Computer Consist of
• Hardware
• Software
 Hardware
• The physical equipment of a computer system,
including the monitor, keyboard, central
processing unit, and storage devices.

• Physical equipment used to perform computing

tasks (ie, machinery and equipment such as CPU,
disks, tapes, modem, cables, etc.); in operation, a
computer is both hardware and software.
 Software
• A program or set of instructions that controls the
operation of a computer. Distinguished from the
actual hardware of the computer.

• A series of instructions for the computer that

perform a particular task, called a program; the
two major categories of software are system
software and application software.
 Categories of Software
• Application Software
• Operating System Software
 Application Software
• Applications software is designed to
perform specific tasks.
• There are three main types of
application software:
– Applications packages
– Tailor-made software
– General purpose packages
 Applications packages
• Examples of applications packages
include:

– Word processing software – MS Word,

WordPerfect
– Spreadsheet software – MS Excel, Lotus 1-2-
3
– Database software – MS Access
– Presentation software
 Internet and E-Mail Software
• Software used on the internet
 Integrated software

• A common type of applications

software found on home personal
computers is integrated software.
• This is a software package that
includes a collection of application
software that shares a common set
of commands.
 Integrated software
Advantages: Disadvantages:
• Tend to have weak
• Easier to use areas (e.g. better at
• Moving data word processing
than spreadsheets)
between
• Data is not easily
programs within moved to programs
the package is that are not part of
easy the package
• Cheaper than • Cheap is not always
best!
separate
programs
 Tailor-made software

• Tailor-made software is very

expensive because it is designed
for a specific purpose.
• It is software that is not available
‘off the shelf’ and is usually written
or developed for large
organisations (e.g. government,
banks, insurance companies,
manufacturers).
 General purpose software
• General purpose software is not specific
to a particular user (e.g. MS Word), and
may be capable of development into
tailor-made software (e.g. MS Access).
• It is very popular because it is usually
relatively cheap, well tested, and has
wide support (e.g. easy to use manuals
and tutorials).
 Programming languages
• A program is a set of instructions that
the computer can understand.
• Programs are written in programming
languages, and there are several
different languages that can be used.
• The choice of programming language
depends upon who is writing the
program and what they want it to do.
 Programming languages

• There are two levels of

programming language. These are:
– Low-level languages (including
machine language/machine code and
assembly language)
– High-level languages
 Low-level languages

• Low-level languages are easy for

the computer to understand but
are more difficult for the
programmer to write.
 Internet and email software
• Are softwares uses on the world wide web.
• Documents can be sent by email.
• The documents are protected by
encryption.
• Electronic signatures are sometimes used as
part of signatures (digital signatures)
 Working of a Digital Signature
• Sender includes a message(signature) that si
encrypted.
• Signature is decoded when the message
gets to the recipient.
• If makes sense the signature was encrypted
properly the message has come from the
right source.
 Low-level languages
• The lowest-level is machine language or
machine code.
• This consists of series of 1s and 0s and
is often machine specific (i.e. it will only
work on one type of computer).
• All other programming languages have
to be translated into machine code in
order to work.
 Low-level languages
• Assembly language is not as low-
level a programming language as
machine code.
• It uses simple instructions such as
ADD, SUB, and LDA.
• Assembly language needs an
assembler to translate it into
machine code.
 High-level languages
• High-level languages are easier to use
because they are designed with the
programmer in mind.
• They are not machine-dependent and
allow a program to be written so that it
can be used on many different
computers.
• Many of the instructions in high-level
languages are in American English.
 High-level languages
• Examples of high- • COBOL – is used
level languages mainly for
are: business data
processing.
• BASIC – is mainly
used as an
introductory
programming
language in
schools.
 High-level languages
• Examples of high- • C++ - is a popular
level languages language for
are: developing
commercial
software.
• LOGO – is mainly
used in schools to
teach pupils how
to write simple
control programs.
 High-level languages
• Examples of high- • JAVA – is particularly
level languages suited to writing
programs that will
are:
search the Internet.
• HTML – Hyper Text
Mark up Language is
used to develop
websites.
 Translation languages
• Translation languages convert
program commands into machine
code.
• There are two main types of
translation languages.
• These are:
– Interpreters
– Compilers
 Translation languages

• Interpreters convert each

instruction into machine code, and
then carry them out.
• Compilers convert the whole
program into machine code before
carrying the instructions out.
 Translation languages
Assembly High-level High-level
language language language

Assembler Compiler Interpreter

Machine
code
 Data Handling Software
• Ability of the computer to store,search and
find data.
• Ex dbase, Access,Spreadsheet
 CAD/CAM
• Computer Aided Design
• Used for designing things like circuit boards
and other electronic circuits.
Advantages of using CAD/CAM
• Design can be tested before it is actually
produced.
• Image can be viewed in a 3D view.
• Accurate design
• Portable
• The image can be sent to computer-controlled
machine which can make the product
automatically from the design.(CAM)
 Data Logging
• A system that uses a computer automatically to
collect and store data over a period of time.
• Data logging is when the computer
records information about its surrounding
environment. This could be the
temperature, or the amount of light or
sound. To do this, you will need to attach
data logging equipment to your computer.
 QUESTIONS
• An engineer is using a CAD software to
produce a new design for a table
• A> State 3 suitable input devices other
than a keyboard and a mouse
• B>State 3 features of the CAD s/w that
makes it suitable for designing tables
 Questions

• What is an assembler?
• What is a systems software
• Explain Software Integration
• State the purpose of a compiler
• State one difference between a compiler and
an assembler
 Data and Information
• Data : are values stored in the computer by
itself they do not make sense.
• Information : is basically processed data
• Ex 50 90 is data but 50 marks and 90
marks are information. Hence when data
has been used in some context it is
information.
 Data collection and preparation
• Analogue data (physical data)
• Digital data
 Data Verification
• Verification means checking the input data with
the original data to make sure that there have been
no transcription errors. The standard way to do
this is to input the data twice to the computer
system. The computer then checks the two sets of
data (which should be the same) and if there is a
difference between the two sets of data the
computer knows that one of the inputs is wrong
 Data Validation
• Validation is a check on DATA INPUT to
the system by comparing the data input with
a set of rules that the computer has been
told the data must follow. If the data does
not match up with the rules then there must
be an error
 File Organisation
• Serial
• Sequential
• Direct Access
 Serial File Organisation
• The file is not in any particular order.
• Data reterival becomes difficult.
• Kept when a file is not to be used for a long
time
 Sequential File Organisation
• Records are in a particular order
• Data reterival is easy.
• Records are often stored either numerically
or alphabetically.
 Direct Access
• Any record can be found by just looking at
the index
• Data reterival is faster.