GST103 PDF
GST103 PDF
COURSE MANUAL
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MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS
· Basic concepts
· Generations of computers
· Classification of computers
Table of Contents
Characteristics of a computer
1.0 Introduction
Computer is fast becoming the universal machine of the 21st century. Early computers were
large in size and too expensive to be owned by individuals. Thus they were confined to the
laboratories and few research institutes. They could only be programmed by computer
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calculations in science and engineering. Today, computer is no longer confined the laboratory.
Computers and indeed, computing have become embedded in almost every item we use.
communication, space science, aviation, financial institutions, social sciences, humanities, the
military, transportation, manufacturing, extractive industries to mention but a few. This unit
2.0 Objectives
The objective of this unit is to enable students understand the following basic concepts:
3.0 Definitions
Computer: A computer is basically defined as a tool or machine used for processing data to
give required information. It is capable of: a. taking input data through the keyboard (input
unit)
d. giving out the result (output) on the screen or the Visual Display Unit (VDU).
(DATA) (INFORMATION)
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Data: The term data is referred to facts about a person, object or place e.g. name, age,
interview etc.
The following are the three major methods that have been widely used for data
a. Manual method
c. Computer method.
Manual Method
The manual method of data processing involves the use of chalk, wall, pen pencil and the like.
manipulating, sorting and presenting data or information. The manual data processing
operations entail considerable manual efforts. Thus, manual method is cumbersome, tiresome,
boring, frustrating and time consuming. Furthermore, the processing of data by the manual
method is likely to be affected by human errors. When there are errors, then the reliability,
accuracy, neatness, tidiness, and validity of the data would be in doubt. The manual method
does not allow for the processing of large volume of data on a regular and timely basis.
Mechanical Method
The mechanical method of data processing involves the use of machines such as typewriter,
roneo machines, adding machines and the like. These machines facilitate
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human efforts in recording, classifying, manipulating, sorting and presenting data or
information. The mechanical operations are basically routine in nature. There is virtually no
creative thinking. The mechanical operations are noisy, hazardous, error prone and untidy. The
mechanical method does not allow for the processing of large volume of data continuously
and timely.
Computer Method
The computer method of carrying out data processing has the following major
features:
Characteristics of Computer
1. Speed: The computer can manipulate large data at incredible speed and response
time can be very fast.
2. Accuracy: Its accuracy is very high and its consistency can be relied upon. Errors
committed in computing are mostly due to human rather than technological
weakness. There are in-built error detecting schemes in the computer.
3. Storage: It has both internal and external storage facilities for holding data and
instructions. This capacity varies from one machine to the other. Memories are built
up in K(Kilo) modules where K = 1024 memory locations.
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4. Automatic: Once a program is in the computer’s memory, it can run automatically
each time it is opened. The individual has little or no instruction to give again.
5. Reliability: Being a machine, a computer does not suffer human traits of tiredness
and lack of concentration. It will perform the last job with the same speed and
accuracy as the first job every time even if ten million jobs are involved.
6. Flexibility: It can perform any type of task once it can be reduced to logical steps.
Modern computers can be used to perform a variety of functions like on-line
processing, multi-programming, real time processing etc.
The computing system is made up of the computer system, the user and the environment
The Hardware
The computer hardware comprises the input unit, the processing unit and the output unit.
The input unit comprises those media through which data is fed into the computer.
The processing unit is made up of the Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU), the control unit
and the main memory. The main memory also known as the primary memory is made up
of the Read Only Memory (ROM) and the Random Access Memory (RAM).
The output unit is made up of those media through which data, instructions for
processing the data (program), and the result of the processing operation are displayed
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for the user to see. Examples of output unit are the monitor (Visual Display Unit) and the
printer.
Software
Computer software are the series of instructions that enable the computer to perform a task
programs linked together make up software. Computer programs could be categorized into
Computer Users
Computer users are the different categories of personnel that operates the computer. We have
expert users and casual users. The expert users could be further categorized into computer
The computing environment ranges from the building housing the other elements of the
computing system namely the computer and the users, the furniture, auxiliary devices such
as the voltage stabilizer, the Uninterruptible Power Supply System (UPS), the fans, the air
conditioners etc. The schematic diagram of the computing system is presented in Fig. 1.2a.
to Fig. 1.2e
The Computing
System
Input unit
Processing unit
Output unit
Software
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Computer users
Computing environment
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4.0 Conclusion
The computer is a machine used for a variety of purposes. Its use transcends all areas of
human endeavour owing to the advantages of computer method of data processing over the
5.0 Summary
i. Computer is any electronic device that can accept data, process it and produce an
output.
ii. The computer method of data processing is superior to the manual and
iii. The computing system is made up of the computer system, the users and the
computing environment.
1b. What are the advantages of computer method of data processing over manual and
2. Draw the schematic diagram of a computing system and describe each of the
components.
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
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STUDY UNIT 2: HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE COMPUTER
Table of content
Generations of computer.
1.0 Introduction
The computer as we know it today has evolved over the ages. An attempt is made in this unit
to present in chronological order the various landmarks and milestones in the development of
the computer. Based on the milestone achievement of each era the computer evolution is
categorized into generations. The generational classification however, is not rigid as we may
2.0 Objectives
The objective of this unit is to enable the student to know the processes leading to the
emergence of the modern computer. There can be no present without the past just as the future
depends on the present. By the end of this unit, students should be able to appreciate and
A complete history of computing would include a multitude of diverse devices such as the
ancient Chinese abacus, the Jacquard loom (1805) and Charles Babbage’s “analytical engine”
(1834). It would also include discussion o f mechanical, analog and digital computing
architectures. As late as the 1960s, mechanical devices, such as the Marchant calculator, still
found widespread application in science and engineering. During the early days of electronic
computing devices, there was much discussion about the relative merits of analog vs. digital
computers. In fact, as late as the 1960s, analog computers were routinely used to solve systems
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modeling. In the end, digital computing devices proved to have the power, economics and
scalability necessary to deal with large scale computations. Digital computers now dominate
the computing world in all areas ranging from the hand calculator to the supercomputer and
are pervasive throughout society. Therefore, this brief sketch of the development of scientific
The evolution of digital computing is often divided into generations. Each generation is
characterized by dramatic improvements over the previous generation in the technology used
languages. Although not usually associated with computer generations, there has been a steady
following history has been organized using these widely recognized generations as mileposts.
Three machines have been promoted at various times as the first electronic computers. These
relays. In principle the electronic switches were more reliable, since they would have no
moving parts that would wear out, but technology was still new at that time and the tubes were
comparable to relays in reliability. Electronic components had one major benefit, however:
they could “open” and “close” about 1,000 times faster than mechanical switches.
physics and mathematics at Iowa State, in 1937. Atanasoff set out to build a machine that
would help his graduate students solve systems of partial differential equations. By 1941, he
and graduate student Clifford Berry had succeeded in building a machine that could solve 29
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simultaneous equations with 29 unknowns. However, the machine was not programmable, and
A second early electronic machine was Colossus, designed by Alan Turning for the British
military in 1943. This machine played an important role in breaking codes used by the German
army in World War II. Turning’s main contribution to the field of computer science was the
idea of the Turing Machine, a mathematical formalism widely used in the study of computable
functions. The existence of Colossus was kept secret until long after the war ended, and the
credit due to Turning and his colleagues for designing one of the first working electronic
The first general purpose programmable electronic computer was the Electronic Numerical
Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), built by J. Presper Eckert and John V. Mauchly at the
Department, which needed a way to compute ballistics during World War II. The machine
wasn’t completed until 1945, but then it was used extensively for
calculations during the design of the hydrogen bomb. By the time it was decommissioned in
1955 it had been used for research on the design of wind tunnels, random number generators,
and weather prediction. Eckert, Mauchly, and John Von Neumann, a consultant to the ENIAC
project, began work on a new machine before ENIAC was finished. The main contribution of
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notion of a stored program. There is some controversy over who deserves the credit for this
idea, but no one knows how important the idea was to the future of general purpose computers.
ENIAC was controlled by a set of external switches and dials; to change the program required
physically altering the settings on these controls. These controls also limited the speed of the
internal electronic operations. Through the use of a memory that was large enough to hold
both instructions and data, and using the program stored in memory to control the order of
arithmetic operations, EDVAC was able to run orders of magnitude faster than ENIAC. By
storing instructions in the same medium as data, designers could concentrate on improving the
internal structure of the machine without worrying about matching it to the speed of an external
control.
Regardless of who deserves the credit for the stored program idea, the EDVAC project is
for a computer, can be encoded as numbers, the EDVAC group knew the instructions could be
stored in the computer’s memory a long with numerical data. The notion of using numbers to
represent functions was a key step used by Goedel in his incompleteness theorem in 1937,
work which Von Neumann, as a logician, was quite familiar with. Von Neumann’s background
in logic, combined with Eckert and Mauchly’s electrical engineering skills, formed a very
Software technology during this period was very primitive. The first programs were written
out in machine code, i.e. programmers directly wrote down the numbers that corresponded to
the instructions they wanted to store in memory. By the 1950s programmers were using a
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translating the symbolic notation into machine code. Later programs known as assemblers
As primitive as they were, these first electronic machines were quite useful in applied science
and engineering. Atanasoff estimated that it would take eight hours to solve a set of equations
with eight unknowns using a Marchant calculator, and 381 hours to solve 29 equations for 29
unknowns. The Atanasoff-Berry computer was able to complete the task in under an hour. The
first problem run on the ENIAC, a numerical simulation used in the design of the hydrogen
bomb, required 20 seconds, as opposed to forty hours using mechanical calculators. Eckert
and Mauchly later developed what was arguably the first commercially successful computer,
the UNIVAC; in 1952, 45 minutes after the polls closed and with 7% of the vote counted,
UNIVAC predicted Eisenhower would defeat Stevenson with 438 electoral votes (he ended
up with 442).
The second generation saw several important developments at all levels of computer system
design, from the technology used to build the basic circuits to the programming languages
Electronic switches in this era were based on discrete diode and transistor technology with a
switching time of approximately 0.3 microseconds. The first machines to be built with this
technology include TRADIC at Bell Laboratories in 1954 and TX-0 at MIT’s Lincoln
Laboratory. Memory technology was based on magnetic cores which could be accessed in
random order, as opposed to mercury delay lines, in which data was stored as
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an acoustic wave that passed sequentially through the medium and could be accessed only
Important innovations in computer architecture included index registers for controlling loops
and floating point units for calculations based on real numbers. Prior to this accessing
successive elements in an array was quite tedious and often involved writing self-modifying
code (programs which modified themselves as they ran; at the time viewed as a powerful
application of the principle that programs and data were fundamentally the same, this practice
is now frowned upon as extremely hard to debug and is impossible in most high level
languages). Floating point operations were performed by libraries of software routines in early
During this second generation many high level programming languages were introduced,
including FORTRAN (1956), ALGOL (1958), and COBOL (1959). Important commercial
machines of this era include the IBM 704 and 7094. The latter introduced I/O processors for
The second generation also saw the first two supercomputers designed specifically for numeric
machine that is an order of magnitude more powerful than other machines of its era. Two
machines of the 1950s deserve this title. The Livermore Atomic Research Computer (LARC)
and the IBM 7030 (aka Stretch) were early examples of machines that overlapped memory
operations with processor operations and had primitive forms of parallel processing.
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3.3 Third Generation (1963 – 1972)
The third generation brought huge gains in computational power. Innovations in this era
include the use of integrated circuits, or ICs (semiconductor devices with several transistors
built into one physical component), semiconductor memories starting to be used instead of
processors, the coming of age of pipelining and other forms of parallel processing , and the
The first ICs were based on small-scale integration (SSI) circuits, which had around 10 devices
per circuit (or “chip”), and evolved to the use of medium-scale integrated (MSI) circuits, which
had up to 100 devices per chip. Multilayered printed circuits were developed and core memory
was replaced by faster, solid state memories. Computer designers began to take advantage of
parallelism by using multiple functional units, overlapping CPU and I/O operations, and
pipelining (internal parallelism) in both the instruction stream and the data stream. In 1964,
Seymour Cray developed the CDC 6600, which was the first architecture to use functional
parallelism. By using 10 separate functional units that could operate simultaneously and 32
independent memory banks, the CDC 6600 was able to attain a computation rate of 1 million
floating point operations per second (1 Mflops). Five years later CDC released the 7600, also
developed by Seymour Cray. The CDC 7600, with its pipelined functional units, is considered
to be the first vector processor and was capable of executing at 10 Mflops. The IBM 360/91,
released during the same period, was roughly twice as fast as the CDC 660. It employed
instruction look ahead, separate floating point and integer functional units and pipelined
instruction stream. The IBM 360-195 was comparable to the CDC 7600, deriving much of its
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developed by Westinghouse Corporation, and the ILLIAC IV, jointly developed by Burroughs,
the Department of Defense and the University of Illinois, was representative of the first parallel
computers. The Texas Instrument Advanced Scientific Computer (T I-ASC) and the STAR-
100 of CDC were pipelined vector processors that demonstrated the viability of that design
Early in this, third generation Cambridge and the University of London cooperated in the
development of CPL (Combined Programming Language, 1963). CPL was, according to its
authors, an attempt to capture only the important features of the complicated and sophisticated
ALGOL. However, the ALGOL, CPL was large with many features that were hard to learn.
The next generation of computer systems saw the use of large scale integration (LSI – 1000
devices per chip) and very large scale integration (VLSI – 100,000 devices per chip) in the
construction of computing elements. At this scale entire processors will fit onto a single chip,
and for simple systems the entire computer (processor, main memory, and I/O controllers) can
fit on one chip. Gate delays dropped to about Ins per gate.
Semiconductor memories replaced core memories as the main memory in most systems; until
this time the use of semiconductor memory in most systems was limited to registers and cache.
During this period, high speed vector processors, such as the CRAY 1, CRAY X-MP and
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Computers with large main memory, such as the CRAY 2, began to emerge. A variety of
parallel architectures began to appear; however, during this period the parallel computing
efforts were of a mostly experimental nature and most computational science was carried out
on vector processors. Microcomputers and workstations were introduced and saw wide use as
programming) and Prolog (programming in logic). These languages tend to use a declarative
computed, leaving many details of how it should be computed to the compiler and/or runtime
system. These languages are not yet in wide use, but are very promising as notations for
programs that will run on massively parallel computers (systems with over 1,000 processors).
improve code, and compilers for vector processors were able to vectorize simple loops (turn
loops into single instructions that would initiate an operation over an entire vector).
Two important events marked the early part of the third generation: the development of the C
programming language and the UNIX operating system, both at Bell Labs. In 1972, Dennis
Ritchie, seeking to meet the design goals of CPL and generalize Thompson’s B, developed the
C language. Thompson and Ritchie then used C to write a version of UNIX for the DEC PDP-
11. This C-based UNIX was soon ported to many different computers, relieving users from
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time they change computer hardware. UNIX or a derivative of UNIX is now a de facto standard
An important event in the development of computational science was the publication of the
Lax report. In 1982, the US Department of Defense (DOD) and National Science Foundation
(NSF) sponsored a panel on Large Scale Computing in Science and Engineering, chaired by
Peter D. Lax. The Lax Report stated that aggressive and focused foreign initiatives in high
coordinated national attention in the United States. The report noted that university researchers
had inadequate access to high performance computers. One of the first and most visible of the
responses to the Lax report was the establishment of the NSF supercomputing centers. Phase
I on this NSF program was designed to encourage the use of high performance computing at
American universities by making cycles and training on three (and later six) existing
supercomputers immediately available. Following this Phase I stage, in 1984 – 1985 NSF
The Phase II centers, located in San Diego (San Diego supercomputing Centre); Illinois
Center); Cornell (Cornell Theory Center); and Princeton (John Von Neumann Center), have
community. In addition they have provided many valuable training programs and have
developed several software packages that are available free of charge. These Phase II centers
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performance computing efforts at the National Laboratories, especially the Department of
The development of the next generation of computer systems is characterized mainly by the
acceptance of parallel processing. Until this time, parallelism was limited to pipelining and
vector processing, or at most to a few processors sharing jobs. The fifth generation saw the
introduction of machines with hundreds of processors that could all be working on different
pace, by 1990 it was possible to build chips with a million components – and semiconductor
Other new developments were the widespread use of computer networks and the increasing
use of single-user workstations. Prior to 1985, large scale parallel processing was viewed as a
research goal, but two systems introduced around this time are typical of the first commercial
processors to a single shared memory module (but each processor had its own local cache).
The machine was designed to compete with the DEC VAX-780 as a general purpose Unix
system, with each processor working on a different user’s job. However, Sequent provided a
library of subroutines that would allow programmers to write programs that would use more
than one processor, and the machine was widely used to explore parallel algorithms and
programming techniques.
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The Intel iPSC -1, nicknamed “the hypercube”, took a different approach. Instead of using one
memory module, Intel connected each processor to its own memory and used a network
interface to connect processors. This distributed memory architecture meant memory was no
longer a bottleneck and large systems (using more processors) could be built. The largest iPSC-
1 had 128 processors. Toward the end of this period, a third type of parallel processor was
introduced to the market. In this style of machine, known as a data-parallel or SIMD, there
are several thousand very simple processors. All processors work under the direction of a
single control unit; i.e. if the control unit says “add a to b” then all processors find their local
b. Machines in this class include the Connection Machine from Thinking Machines, Inc., and
Scientific computing in this period was still dominated by vector processing. Most
manufacturers of vector processors introduced parallel models, but there were very few (two
to eight) processors in these parallel machines. In the area of computer networking, both wide
area network (WAN) and local area network (LAN) technology developed at a rapid pace,
distributed computing environment in which each user has their own workstation for relatively
simple tasks (editing and compiling programs, reading mail) but sharing large, expensive
resources such as file servers and supercomputers. RISC technology (a style of internal
organization of the CPU) and plummeting costs for RAM brought tremendous gains in
computational power of relatively low cost workstations and servers. This period also saw a
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3.6 Sixth Generation (1990 to date )
Transitions between generations in computer technology are hard to define, especially as they
are taking place. Some changes, such as the switch from vacuum tubes to transistors, are
immediately apparent as fundamental changes, but others are clear only in retrospect. Many
of the developments in computer systems since 1990 reflect gradual improvements over
established systems, and thus it is hard to claim they represent a transition to a new
In this section, we offer some assessments about recent developments and current trends that
This generation is beginning with many gains in parallel computing, both in the hardware area
parallel architectures. Parallel systems now compete with vector processors in terms of total
computing power and most especially parallel systems to dominate the future.
arithmetic operations per second) performance by the middle of the decade, and it is clear this
will be obtained only by a system with a thousand processors or more. Workstation technology
has continued to improve, with processor designs now using a combination of RISC,
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to procure a desktop workstation that has the same overall computing power (100 megaflops)
heterogeneous computing: a program started on one workstation can find idle workstations
One of the most dramatic changes in the sixth generation is the explosive growth of wide area
networking. Network bandwidth has expanded tremendously in the last few years and will
continue to improve for the next several years. T1 transmission rates are now standard for
regional networks, and the national “b ackbone” that interconnects regional networks uses T3.
networking technology is becoming more widespread than its original strong base in
community networks and private industry. A little over a decade after the warning voiced in
the Lax report, the future of a strong computational science infrastructure is bright.
4.0 Conclusion
The development of computer span through many generations with each generations
5.0 Summary
In this unit we have learnt that the development of computer spanned through six generations.
a. Outline the major landmarks of the fourth and the fifth generations of computers.
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7.0 References and Further Reading
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
Tunji and Dokun (1993). Data Processing, Principles and Concepts. Informatics Books,
Lagos.
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STUDY UNIT 3: CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
Table of contents
Categories of computers
- Digital computer
- Analog computer
- Hybrid computer
Classification by purpose
- Special purpose
- General purpose
Classification by capacity
- Main frame
- Mini computers
- Micro computers
1.0 Introduction
The computer has passed through many stages of evolution from the days of the mainframe
computers to the era of microcomputers. Computers have been classified based on different
criteria. In this unit, we shall classify computers based on three popular methods.
2.0 Objectives
ii. Study the features that differentiate one class of the computer from the others.
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3.0 Categories of Computers
Although there are no industry standards, computers are generally classified in the following
ways:
There are basically three types of electronic computers. These are the Digital, Analog and
Hybrid computers.
Digital Computer
Represent its variable in the form of digits. It counts the data it deals with, whether representing
numbers, letters or other symbols, are converted into binary form on input to the computer.
The data undergoes a processing after which the binary digits are converted back to alpha
numeric form for output for human use. Because of the fact that business applications like
inventory control, invoicing and payroll deal with discrete values (separate, disunited,
discontinuous); they are beset processed with digital computers. As a result of this, digital
Analog Computer
It measures rather than counts. This type of computer sets up a model of a system. Common
type represents it variables in terms of electrical voltage and sets up circuit analog to the
equation connecting the variables. The answer can be either by using a voltmeter to read the
value of the variable required, or by feeding the voltage into a plotting device. They hold data
in the form of physical variables rather than numerical quantities. In theory, analog computers
been approximated to the nearest digit. Whereas, when we try to obtain the answers using a
digital voltmeter, we often find that the accuracy is less than that which could have been
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It is almost never used in business systems. It is used by the scientist and engineer to solve
systems in such areas as hydrodynamics and rocketry; in production. There are two useful
1. It is simple to change the value of a constant or coefficient and study the effect of
such changes.
2. It is possible to link certain variables to a time pulse to study changes with time as
Hybrid Computer
In some cases, the user may wish to obtain the output from an analog computer as processed
by a digital computer or vice versa. To achieve this, he set up a hybrid machine where the two
are connected and the analog computer may be regarded as a peripheral of the digital computer.
In such a situation, a hybrid system attempts to gain the advantage of both the digital and the
analog elements in the same machine. This kind of machine is usually a special-purpose device
which is built for a specific task. It needs a conversion element which accepts analog inputs,
and output digital value. Such converters are called digitizers. There is need for a converter
from analog to digital also. It has the advantage of giving real-time response on a continuous
basis. Complex calculations can be dealt with by the digital elements, thereby requiring a large
memory, and giving accurate results after programming. They are mainly used in aerospace
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3.2 Classification by Purpose
A special purpose computer is one that is designed to solve a restricted class of problems. Such
computers may even be designed and built to handle only one job. In such machines, the steps
or operations that the computer follows may be built into the hardware. Most of the computers
used for military purposes fall into this class. Other example of special purpose computers
include:
Computers used for process control applications in industries such as oil refinery,
Computers used as robots in factories like vehicles assembly plants and glass industries.
Special purpose computer are usually very efficient for the tasks for which they are specially
designed.
They are very much less complex than the General-Purpose Computers. The simplicity of the
circuiting stems from the fact that provision is made only for limited facilities.
They are very much cheaper than the General-Purpose type since they involve less
General-Purpose Computers
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alterable instructions to handle any problems that can be solved by computation. In practice
however, there are limitations imposed by memory size, speed and the type of input/output
devices. Examples of areas where the general purpose are employed include the following:
· Payroll
· Banking
· Billing
· Sales analysis
· Cost accounting
· Manufacturing scheduling
· Inventory control
General-Purpose computers are more flexible than special purpose computers. They
They are less efficient than the special-purpose computers due to such problems as;
Inadequate storage;
General Purpose Computers are more complex than the special purpose ones.
In the past, the capacity of computers was measured in terms of physical size. Today, however,
the physical size is not a good measure of capacity because the modern technology has made
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A better measure of capacity today is the volume of work that computer can handle. The
volume of work that a given computer handles is closely tied to the cost and to the memory
size of computer. Therefore, most authorities today accept the price of rental price as the
Here, both memory size and cost shall be used to rank (classify) computer into three
(a)Microcomputers
(b)Medium/Mini/Small Computers
Micro Computers
Microcomputers, also known as single board computers, are the cheapest class of computers.
In the microcomputer, we do not have a Central Processing Unit (CPU) as we have in the
larger computers rather we have a microprocessor chip as the main data processing unit. They
are the cheapest smallest and can operate under normal office condition. Examples are IBM,
Normally, personal computers are placed on table desk hence they are referred to as desktop
personal computers. Still other types are available under the categories of personal computers.
They are:
Laptop Computers are small size types that are battery-operated. The screen is used to cover
the system while the keyboard is installed flatly on the system unit. They could
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be carried about like a box when closed after operation and can be operated in vehicles while
on a journey.
Notebook Computer
This is like laptop computers but smaller in size. Though small, it comprises all the
Palmtop Computer
Palmtop computer is far smaller in size. All the components are complete as any of the above
Can be used to produce documents like memos, reports, letters and briefs.
It can assist in searching for specific information from lists or from reports.
Can attend to several users at the same time, thereby able to process several jobs at a
time.
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Capable of storing several data.
With the invention and innovation everyday, computer suffers from being obsolete.
Some computers can not function properly without the aid of cooling system e.g. air-
Mini Computers
The Mini Computers have memory capacity in the range 128K bytes to 256 Kbytes and are
also not expensive but reliable and smaller in size compare to mainframe. It was first
introduced in 1965; when DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) built the PDP – 8. Other Mini
Mainframe
The Main Frame Computers often called number crunches have memory capacity of the order
of 4 Kbytes and they are very expensive. They can execute up to 100MIPS (Meanwhile
Instructions Per Second). They have large systems and are used by many people for a variety
of purpose.
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4.0 Conclusion
Computers are classified based on three major criteria namely size, type of signal being
processed and purpose. The classification adopted at any point in time depends on the issues
involved. For instance, if our goal is to process different kinds of signals or to accept one type
of signal and convert to another form of signal, we should look in the realm of analog or digital
or even the hybrid computers. This of course, calls for a converter such as Analog to Digital
5.0 Summary
i. Computers could be classified based on three major criteria: size, type of signal
ii. Based on size computers are classified as mainframe, mini computer and
microcomputer.
iii. Based on the type of signal being processed, computers are classified as analog,
iv. Based on purpose, computers are classified as general purpose or special purpose
computers.
v. Micro computers now come in different forms due to the continued reduction in
laptop or palmtop.
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6.0 Tutor Marked Assignment
b) Based on signal being processed, what category does each of these computing
station.
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
Gray S. Popkin and Arthur H. Pike (1981). (1981). Introduction to Data Processing with
BASIC, 2nd edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
Table of Contents
Computer virus
1.0 Introduction
One of the biggest fears of having computers are viruses, viruses are malicious programs
designed entirely for destruction and havoc. Viruses are created by people who either know a
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2.0 Objectives
The objective of this unit is to introduce students to the concept of computer virus, its
Computer virus is one of the greatest threats to computers and computer applications. Once
the virus is made it will generally be distributed through shareware, pirated software, e-mail
or other various ways of transporting data, once the virus infects someone's computer it will
either start infecting other data, destroying data, overwriting data, or corrupting software. The
reason that these programs are called viruses is because it is spreads like a human virus, once
you have become infected either by downloading something off of the Internet or sharing
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placed into the computer will then be infected. When that disk is put into another computer
their computer is then infected, and then if that person puts files on the Internet and hundreds
of people download that file they are all infected and then the process continues infecting
The majority of viruses are contracted from mobile external storage devices by bringing
information from one source and then put onto your computer. VIRUSES can infect disks and
when that disk is put into your computer your computer will then become infected with that
virus, a recent survey done in 1997 by NCSA given to 80 percent of PC users showed that
90% of PC users contract viruses by floppy disk from mobile external storage devices.
In the survey done above it showed that the other 20% of viruses were contracted by email
attachments and over the Internet. This means that you received an email with an attached
file and opened the file. Or downloaded a file over the Internet.
VIRUS PROPERTIES
Your computer can be infected even if files are just copied. Because some viruses are
memory resident as soon as a program is loaded into memory the virus then attaches itself
into memory.
Can be Polymorphic. Some viruses have the capability of modifying their code which
Can be memory / Non memory resident. Depending on the virus can be memory resident
virus which first attaches itself into memory and then infects the computer. The virus can
also be Non memory resident which means a program must be ran in order to infect the
computer.
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Can be a stealth virus. Stealth viruses will first attach itself to files on the computer and
then attack the computer this causes the virus to spread more rapidly.
Viruses can carry other viruses and infect that system and also infect with the other
virus as well. Because viruses are generally written by different individuals and do not infect
the same locations of memory and or files this could mean multiple viruses can be stored in
Can make the system never show outward signs. Some viruses will hide changes made
such as when infecting a file the file will stay the same size.
Can stay on the computer even if the computer is formatted. Viruses have the capability
of infecting different portions of the computer such as the CMOS battery or master
Viruses can affect any files however usually attack .com, .exe, .sys, .bin, .pif or any data files.
Viruses have the capability of infecting any file however will generally infect executable files
or data files such as word or excel documents which are open frequently.
It can increase the files size, however this can be hidden. When infecting files virtues will
generally increase the size of the file however with more sophisticated viruses these changes
can be hidden.
It can delete files as the file is ran. Because most files are loaded into memory and then ran
once the program is in memory the Virus can delete the file.
It can corrupt files randomly. Some destructive viruses are not designed to destroy
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It can cause write protect errors when executing .exe files from a write protected disk.
Viruses may need to write themselves to files which are executed because of this if a diskette
It can convert .exe files to .com files. Viruses may use a separate file to run the program and
rename the original file to another extension so the exe is ran before the com.
It can reboot the computer when a files is ran. Various computers may be designed to
The following are possibilities you may experience when you are infected with a virus.
Remember that you also may be experiencing any of the following issues and not have a
virus.
Once the hard drive is infected any disk that is non-write protected disk that is accessed can
be infected.
Deleted files
Attempts to access the hard disk drive can result in error messages such as invalid drive
specification.
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Causes a "sector not found" error.
Directory order may be modified so files such as COM files will start at the beginning of
the directory.
Cause Hardware problems such as keyboard keys not working, printer issues, modem
issues etc.
Cause computer to make strange noises, make music, clicking noises or beeps.
Display pictures
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DETECTING VIRUSES
The most commonly used method of protecting against and detecting viruses is to purchase a
third party application designed to scan for all types of viruses. A list of these protection
Alternatively a user can look at various aspects of the computer and detect possible signs
indicating a virus is on the computer. While this method can be used to determine some viruses
it cannot clean or determine the exact virus you may or may not have.
4.0 Conclusion
Computer viruses are perhaps the greatest threats to the computer. If not detected and promptly
cured, computer virus attack could lead to the total breakdown of computer a installation. With
the aid of our discussion in this unit, students should be able to prevent, detect and clean viruses
in a computer installation.
5.0 Summary
(a) That computer viruses are programs written by programmers with the aim of
(b) Computer viruses could lead to malfunctioning and total breakdown of the
computer.
(c) Computer viruses are transferred from one computer to another through the use of
infested storage media such as diskette, flash drive, CDROM, or across a computer
network.
(d) There are antivirus packages specially written to prevent, detect and clean viruses.
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6.0 Tutor Marked Assignment
(b) What are the differences and similarities between biological viruses and
computer viruses?
(c) How would you prevent virus attack in the student’s computer laboratory?
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A.,
Akure.
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MODULE 2: COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE
· Hardware components – (the front, back and inside of the system unit)
Table of content
- Mother board
- Memory chips
- Types of memory
Primary memory
Read only memory (ROM)
Random access memory (RAM)
Secondary memory
Hard Disk
Tertiary memory
Floppy disk (diskette)
CDROM
1
1.0 Introduction
Your Personal Computer (PC) is really a collection of separate items working together as a
team-with you as the captain. Some of these components are essential; others simply make
working more pleasant or efficient. Adding extra items expands the variety of tasks you can
ii. Enable the student to appreciate the importance of each of the components to the
The system unit is the main unit of a PC. It is the Computer itself while other units attached to
it are regarded as peripherals. It could be viewed as the master conductor orchestrating your
PC’s operation. It is made up of several components like the Motherboard, Processor, Buses,
memory, power supply unit, etc. This unit (system unit) has been confused over the years by
novices as the CPU. This is not true. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) or simply processor
is a component within the system unit and it is not the only thing that makes up the system
unit. Hence, it will be wrong to equate the system unit with the CPU.
Lights
Your unit may display a variety of colored light on the front panel, including power and turbo
signals, and light to indicate if the Hard or Floppy disk are being read or written to.
2
Key Lock
You can stop intruders tampering with your PC by using the Lock on the front panel.
Turbo Button
Some PCs offer a choice of speeds at which they can run. A turbo switch is usually left so the
Reset Button
If your PC “freezes” and won’t respond to any comma nd, try starting it up again using the
reset button. Pressing the reset button loses all the work you have not saved in that session,
Power On/Off
All PCs have main power switch on the system unit. Sometimes this control is placed on the
Either, or both, of two standard types of floppy disk drive may be found at the front of the
system unit. Some systems also have internal CD-ROM or tape drives.
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CD-ROM or DVD drive
Fan Housing
The electronic components in your PC generate a lot of heat. To prevent overheating, a fan
at the back of the unit removes hot air from the system.
Cables plugged into these sockets carry power from the electrical outlet to the system unit
Joystick Port
Using a joystick is often much better than pressing keys to control movements when playing
a computer game.
Serial Ports
Serial Ports often connect the PC to modem or mouse. Most PCs are fitted with two serial
ports that may be labeled “S101” and “S102”, “Serial 1” and “Serial 2”, or “COM 1” and
“COM 2”.
4
Sound Jacks
If you have a sound fitted inside your system unit, you will see a jack or jacks at the back.
These can be used to connect your PC to speakers, a microphone, or an eternal sound source.
Keyboard Port
The cable from your keyboards ends with a round connector, which plugs into the keyboard
port.
Network Adapter
If an expansion card is fitted to link your PC with other PCs in your office you will see a
Monitor Port
A cable from your monitor plugs into this port and carries display information to the monitor.
PCs are easily expanded-perhaps to provide a modem, sound or faster graphics. You can plug
cards into expansion slots inside the PC. The end of an expansion card shows at the back of
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5
The brain behind everything that happens in your PC is contained within the system unit.
Inside the unit are the impressive electronics that run programs, handle instructions, and
determine the results. Most of the more important items are described below:
Battery
A small battery powers a clock to keep track of the time when the PC is turned off. It also
maintains low electricity to certain RAM chips that record which components are installed.
This card controls the PC’s disk drive motors and transfers data. The serial and parallel
ports at the back of the card link internal PC components with external devices such as
All the information your computer will display is stored in its memory. To be useful, you
need to see the information. The display adapter card is the link between the PC’s memory
Expansion Slots
These long narrow connectors allow you to plug in expansion cards (also known as adapter
ROM Chips
Read-only memory (ROM) chips have data written on them during manufacturing that tells
the CPU what to do when the PC is switched on. The data is always there, even when you
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RAM Chips
When a computer is switched on and running a program, RAM (Random Access Memory)
is used for purposes such as holding the program and its data. But when the PC is switched
These slots let you expand your computer’s memory by adding extra RAM chips or
modules. Some PC’s work even faster because they come equipped with Cache Memory.
Cache Memory consists of expensive and very fast memory chips that store the data or
instructions that the CPU will look at next. Cache memory can speed up work on your
computer enormously.
RAM chip
Intel Processor
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The Microprocessor, or Central Processing Unit (CPU), is the computer’s most important
single item. It does all the PC’s thinking and runs the programs (series of instructions) that
you request.
These chips help the CPU manage all the other parts of the computer.
A math coprocessor, present in some PCs, assists the CPU in its number-crunching
CPU fan
Speaker
All the components in a PC need electrical supply. Most need a 5-volt supply although the
floppy disk drive motors required 12 volts. If the components were connected to
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normal household current, they would blow up, so the power supply unit converts high voltage
The hard disk is your computer’s main permanent storage unit, holding large amount of data
and programs. Unlike data held in RAM, the information on the hard disk is not affected when
the PC is turned off – it remains the re unless you instruct the PC to overwrite it or the hard
disk is damaged.
Motherboard
All the electronic components in a PC are mounted on a piece of fiberglass called the
motherboard. Fiberglass cannot conduct electricity, so each component is insulated from all
the others. Thin lines of metal on the surface of the fiberglass connect pins from one
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Components of a motherboard
Intel CPUs
The earliest PCs were equipped with a CPU from Intel Corporation called the 8088. the next
generation of PCs used CPU known by the number “80286 and were called “PC/AT”
computers. Subsequently, PCs have been sup plied with more and more powerful CPUs – the
80386, the 80486, and the more recent and impressive of all, the Intel Pentium (I, II, III, IV&
M).
All these PC processors belong to a family called 80 x 86. In general, you can run the same
software on PCs containing different CPUs within this family. From the outside, the chips look
different only in sizes and number of pin-put inside, an 80486 has over one million components
to the 3,500 that were in the first 8088. Because of these differences, the latest Pentiums runs
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What is CPU
The CPU is certainly the most important PC component. CPU stands for
CPU Speed
The speed of a CPU is measured in megahertz (MHz). A computer has central clock that keeps
all the components in time with each other; one hertz is similar to a clock tick and megahertz
is equal to one million ticks per second. If your PC runs at 333 or 400MHz, the central clock
ticks 333 or 400 million times every second. As you might imagine, the faster the clock ticks,
Without the CPU, there would be no PC. Like all other hardware components, the
CPUs are continually undergoing further development. You can see the explosive
newer and faster CPUs. The CPUs have for years doubled their performance about
every 18 months and there are no indications that this trend will stop.
When we now look at all the CPUs from a broader perspective, we can see that:
The CPU history is closely tied to the companies IBM and especially
Intel.
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The CPUs have their roots back to Intel's chip 4004 from 1971.
Generations of CPUs
There are CPUs of many brand names (IBM, Texas, Cyrix, AMD), and often they
make models which overlap two generations. This can make it difficult to keep track
History of CPU
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Generation Mobile Celeron 18,900,000
Pentium III 9,300,000
AMD K6-3 ?
Pentium III CuMine 28,000,000
Intel Processor
DISKS
Floppy Disks
Computers use disk to store information. Although there is a permanent hard disk that lives
inside the system unit, you can use floppy disks to store and move data easily from one PC to
another. Floppy disks come in two sizes, either 5¼ or 3½ inches in diameter. The smaller disks
are able to store more data and are also less easily damaged, because of their thicker plastic
cases. As both sizes can be either “high” or “low” capacity (or density), there are four main
varieties of disks available. High-capacity disks are more expensive, but they can store much
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labeled DS/DD, which stands for “double sided/doubl e density”, while the high-capacity
Treat floppy disks carefully, and you can take them almost anywhere safely. Don’t leave the
disks in your PC when you finish a session. Also avoid putting anything heavy on top of your
disks or leaving them in extremes of hot or cold temperature. Try not to carry disks loose in
pockets or handbags where dust and dirt may get inside the containers. Take care to store them
vertically, preferably in a special storage box. Remember too that you should keep floppy disks
away from magnetic fields, including hidden magnets such as those in telephone, radio and
television speakers, amplifiers, desk fans, and photocopiers. If you do leave floppy disks near
magnetic field, your data may become corrupted and will no longer be usable.
Write – protecting a disk means that you prevent th e computer from erasing or writing over
important data or programs that are already there. However, the PC can still read a write-
protected disk.
4.0 Conclusion
The system unit is a box housing many components. It is in fact, the most important part of
the computer because it houses the processor (CPU) and other essential components that
5.0 Summary
In unit we studied the components of the system unit which include the components in the
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6.0 Tutor Marked Assignment
a. Make a list of 5 components that could be found inside the computer systems unit.
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
16
STUDY UNIT 2
Table of contents
Input devices
Computer keyboard
1.0 Introduction
The computer peripheral devices are those devices which are attached to the system unit.
The devices are necessary to ensure that the computer is able to accept input and display
the result for the user. This section therefore discusses the input unit and the output unit.
2.0 Objectives
i. Expose the students to those components that make up the input unit and the
output unit.
ii. Enable students get deeper understanding of the functions of the input and the
output unit.
iii. Guide the students on the type of input unit and output unit suitable to a
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performing the routine functions characteristic of a typewriter keyboard, it can initiate a series
of actions for a computer to carry out by mere pressing a key or combination of two or more
keys. An intelligent computer keyboard has a set of keys and when one of them is pressed, the
computer can be made to carry out a specific function. For example, the pressing of a key may
cause the computer to display a menu list from which a human being may be prompted to
select one.
The intelligent computer keyboard has four major divisions, namely: Function keys,
Alphanumeric keys, Numeric keys and Control keys.
In addition to the four types of keys, there are some special or important keys such as the
following:
(a) Return or Enter key
(b) Escape key denoted by ESC
(c) Control key denoted by CTRL
(d) Alternate key denoted by ALT
(e) Delete key denoted by DEL
(f) Insert key denoted by INS
(g) Backspace key
(h) Shift key.
Function Keys
The effects of the functions keys are software package dependent. That is, they mean different
translations depending on which software package one is running on the computer. The
function keys are traditionally labeled F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9, F10, F11 and F12.
The function keys are often arranged to the left of the main keyboard in two columns or they
are arranged in a row above the main keyboard. In most software packages, the function key
F1 is used to run the HELP program. Word perfect, for example, uses F3 for HELP program
and F1 to cancel the last command issued on the computer. The function keys F7 and F12 are
used to save a text and block a section of a text respectively in word perfect. Function keys
can be programmed to carry out the functions desired by a programmer. For example the
function keys F10 may be programmed to display menus. Thus, the operations of the function
keys can be
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determined by the user or programmed by the software package being used at any point
in time.
Alphanumeric Keys
The Alphanumeric keys can be likened with the conventional typewriter keys. They
contain alphabetic characters, numeric characters and special characters such as comma,
full stop, open bracket, close bracket, asterisk, semicolon, colon, question mark, and so
on. Usually, each key carries a character at the lower part and another character at the
upper part. The SHIFT key is used to switch on or off the lower and upper characters by
the programmer.
Move the cursor to the bottom left of a page or to the end of the current
END line in most text editors
Moves the cursor to the top of the next page in the document or text.
For
PGDN example, pressing this key while on page 5 of the text will place the
cursor at the top of the page 6 of the text.
PGUP Moves the cursor to the top of the previous page. For example, if you
are on page 3 of a document, pressing this key will place the cursor at
the top of page 2 of the document
Other cursor control keys are HOME, PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, and END. These keys
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may be part of the numeric keypad or separated from the numeric keypad. Moving the
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cursor around on the screen is one of the most common tasks in an application program. In
fact, cursor movement is so important in an application such as word processing that it can
usually be accomplished by additional key-driven commands. The control keys and their
functions are documented in Table the above table.
Numeric Keypad
The numeric keypad contains a set of keys required for typing or entering number digits 0, 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 into the computer store. A numeric key is often activated by pressing
the Numlock Key. The numeric keypad is also used in combination with Alternate (Alt) key
to produced extended characters. Extended characters are characters not normally found on
most keyboard. For example, to produced the character alpha data denoted ‘ ’, one holds
down the Alt key and press 224; to produce character beta denoted by ‘ ’, one holds down
the Alt key and press 255 and to produce pound sterling denoted by ‘ ₤’, one holds down the
Alt key and press 156.
Shift Key
When the Shift key is pressed, the capital letters on the alphanumeric keys are activated. It
also serves as the activator of characters that are at the upper part of each alphanumeric key.
The Shift key has no effects on itself; its effect are realized when some other keys are pressed.
Thus, if one presses the shift key and then ‘equal’ sign key, the ‘plus’ sign which is at the
upper part of the ‘equal’ sign is a ctivated and then it appears on the screen.
CapLock Key
The CapLock Shifts all alphabetic characters into upper case (capital letters). Thus all
characters typed are in lower case (small letters) when not pressed.
The Alternate key can be used in combination with numeric keys to generate characters not
shown on the keyboard, that is, extended characters. For example, holding the Alt key down
and pressing 228 produces the summation ( ) sign; holding the Alt key down and pressing
235 produce sign. To restart or reboot your computer, press Alt, Ctrl and Del keys
simultaneously.
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NumLock Key
The Numlock key activates the numeric keypad. Neither NumLock nor CapLock affects the
function keys.
The Control key is often used in most text mode to perform block operations like mass
deletion, insertion and so on. For example, CTRL + Y deletes a line in most text documents.
It can also be used in combination with other keys to move the cursor to different locations in
a text or document. In some application packages, the Alt, Ctrl and Shift key are used in
combination with the function keys to perform several operations. For example, in Word
Perfect word processing package, to centre a text; press Shift and F6; to print a text, press Shift
and F7.
The Escape key cancels an operation in progress. For example, when one is editing a file or
issuing a command, ESC cancels any changes one might have made or terminates the
command.
The Return key serves as one of the most important keys on most keyboards. It is actually used
to inform the computer the end of an input or command. It performs two functions depending
on the program with which it is used. For example, suppose you are asked to respond to an
operating system command at the prompt or other entries, the operating system will wait until
the return key is pressed before continuing. Pressing the return key also positions the cursor at
the beginning of the next line ( in text mode), which is the equivalent of pressing the carriage
return on a typewriter.
Pressing the Insert key puts ones keyboard in insert mode, pressing it again returns to
overstrike (typeover) mode. In insert mode, the characters one types are inserted at the cursor
position, the character at the cursor position and all characters to the right, shift to make room
for them. In overstrike or typeover mode, newly typed characters overwrite the characters at
the current cursor position. In most application software insert mode is indicated by a symbol
in the status line.
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Delete Key (Del)
The delete key deletes the character at the cursor position when pressed and the remaining text
moves to the left while the cursor remains at the same position.
The Back Space Key deletes the characters to the left of the cursor when pressed and all other
characters to the right of the cursor are shifted one space to the left.
Spacebar
The Spacebar is the longest key found on most keyboards. It erases characters at the cursor
position or gives blank space when pressed.
Tab Key
The Tab Key moves the cursor by five spaces to the right when pressed. The number of
positions moved depend on the software or the Tab Set by the operator. The Tab is normally
pressed to insert paragraphs during typing. In some programs, when this key is pressed in
combination with shift key, the same number of positions is moved backwards.
When the Print Screen key is pressed in combination with the Shift Key, whatever in is the
screen will be printed on a printer. The same effect can be achieved by pressing the key alone
on some keyboards.
Never spill liquids on your keyboard. Coffee, soda, and other beverage spills can ruin
your keyboard. Liquid spills on the keyboard have even been known to cause electrical
damage to the PC itself. With that in mind, though you may not stop drinking coffee
around your computer, you should at least get a spill-proof mug or keep the coffee on the
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Another enemy of keyboards is static electricity. Static electricity can have the same
damaging effect on your keyboard as does liquid. If your keyboard doesn't respond
properly after a strong static charge, you may just need to turn off the PC and turn it back
on to reset the keyboard. In some cases, however, the static discharge can zap the
keyboard and even parts of the PC. If you shuffle your feet across carpet or your PC is in
a room with dry air, avoid touching the PC or the keyboard until you have touched
something metal to discharge any static. If you don't have a metal desk or bookcase in
your work area, consider buying an anti-static mat and keeping it where you can touch it
Dust, dirt, food crumbs, and hair are other enemies of keyboards. Try to avoid eating
over the keyboard and if your computer is in a dirty, dusty area, keep the keyboard
Some dirt and dust is unavoidable. To keep the keyboard working well, you should
A mouse looks like the electrical clipper in a barbing saloon. It consists of a pointing device
very sensitive to movements. It has a roller ball and two or more buttons which can be pressed
to make selection. By moving the mouse on a flat smooth surface and clicking one or
combination of two buttons on its upper surface, a computer to which it is connected can be
sensitized and commanded to carry out some specific tasks.
A mouse can be used to draw diagrams on computer screen more effectively and efficiently
than the computer keyboard. Generally, the keyboard and the mouse do complement each
other. For example, the mouse can be used to highlight an item in a menu list while the
keyboard Enter Key can be pressed to activate or evoke the command associated with the
highlighted item.
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A mouse is the primary input device for modern computers that feature operating systems
with a graphical user interface, such as Windows 98 or Windows XP. While keyboards
obviously excel at entering text, numbers, and symbols, your mouse is the tool you'll use to
tell your computer what to do with all the data you've entered.
Joysticks are almost exclusively used with game software and help the user more effectively
All modern PC operating systems (Windows 98, Windows XP, and the Macintosh) rely on an
on-screen pointer to select and execute commands. A mouse is simply an input device built to
help the user control this on-screen pointer in as natural and efficient a manner as possible.
The pointer on the screen mimics the movements of your mouse. As you move your mouse, a
ball encased in the bottom of your mouse rolls on the desk and in turn sends signals to the
computer as to which direction to move the pointer on the screen. Move the mouse side to
side, or up and down, and the on-screen pointer moves in a similar manner.
Once you have the mouse positioned to select the command or data you want to act on, you
use the mouse buttons to execute the command. The mouse controls the on-screen pointer and
lets you select program icons, manipulate property sheets, and access data.
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3.3 Output Device
3.3.1 Printers
A printer is the computer component that lets you create copies of the information stored in
your computer on paper. The printed material is often called hard copy, to differentiate it from
There are three basic types of printers available for use with personal computers:
Laser printers. These combine a magnetic roller with powdered ink called toner to transfer
Inkjet printers. These have small nozzles that actually spray fast-drying ink onto the page to
form characters or images. Inkjet printers spray a fine, quick-drying ink through small nozzles
to produce characters and images on paper. Although the results are not quite as sharp as those
of laser printers, inkjet printers provide very good quality output at a lower cost.Dot-matrix
printers.
These use a print head to strike an inked ribbon against paper, like a typewriter, creating
characters out of a series of dots. Dot-matrix printers are the cheapest printers available. They
create text and images on the page by hammering several small pins against an inked ribbon.
The more pins used, the better the image--9-pin and 24-pin are common options. The 24-pin
printers produce a better quality output, but are somewhat slower than the 9-pin printers.
Print quality for dot-matrix printers is often described in terms of mode: draft mode (low
resolution). The speed depends on the mode, with draft mode being the fastest.
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The type of printer you choose depends on your budget and the type of output you need. For
example, if all you need to print are grocery lists, you may be happy with a dot-matrix printer.
In general, dot-matrix printers are noisier, slower, and produce a poorer-quality image than do
laser or inkjet printers, but they are also less expensive. If you need to print newsletters,
brochures, or illustrated reports, you will probably want a high-quality laser printer. Laser
printers cost more than other printers, but they may be worth the price because they are fast,
3.3.2 Monitors
. The monitor does not do any processing itself. The monitor only displays the information
Monitor Sizes
The two most common monitor sizes are 15-inch and 17-inch. If you have an older, hand-me-
down PC or a very inexpensive starter PC, you may have a smaller 14-inch monitor. 21-inch
The two most common acronyms you will see on current monitors are VGA or SVGA. Both
of these terms generally refer to how many dots (or pixels) in each direction the monitor can
display. VGA is 640x480 (width by height) and SVGA is 800x600. This measurement is called
the monitor's resolution, and more is better! Most new monitors are capable of displaying at
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Almost any VGA or SGVA monitor made in the last few years is capable of displaying any of
these resolutions. However, it's actually the video card that determines what resolution your
monitor displays at any time. The monitor is capable of switching from one resolution to
3.3.3 Scanners
Scanners are peripheral devices used to digitize (convert to electronic format) artwork,
photographs, text, or other items from hard copy. In a sense, a scanner works as a pair of eyes
for your PC. Your eyes see an image and translate the image into electrical impulses that travel
to and are interpreted by your brain. Similarly, a scanner captures images and converts them
A scanner works by dividing an image into microscopic rows and columns and measuring,
like the film in a camera, how much light (or lack thereof) reflects from each individual
intersection of the rows and columns. Each reflection is recorded as a dot, or picture element
(pixel). After the scanner collects information from each dot, it compiles the result into a digital
There are a wide variety of scanners that work in a number of different ways, but the
technology behind them is essentially the same. The following sections discuss the more
Types of scanners
Flatbed Scanners
Flatbed scanners look and behave a lot like a photocopier. You lay the item to be scanned on
a glass plate and the scanning head passes below the glass.
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Flatbed scanners are very versatile: you can scan objects in a variety of sizes and shapes,
including pages from a book, without damaging the original. While flatbed scanners are the
best choice for a wide variety of uses, if you plan to do a lot of text scanning (called OCR for
Optical Character Recognition) work, keep in mind that flatbeds only accommodate one page
at a time. Scanning multi-page documents can be a slow, tedious process, because you have to
Sheetfed Scanners
Sheetfed scanners look and act more like fax machines. The page or item is fed into the
machine, scanned, then spit out on the other end . A sheetfed scanner is a good choice for large
volumes of text, but not for handling delicate original photographs. Scanning directly from a
Hand Scanners
Hand scanners are a low-cost alternative to their larger, more sophisticated counterparts. As
their name implies, hand scanners are manual devices you move over a flat surface, just as you
The hand scanner's advantages are many, but so are its disadvantages. Generally, hand scanners
work best for small, uncomplicated images such as company logos or small black-and-white
photographs. You might want a hand scanner if you do not plan to use it on a regular basis,
because it usually does not require adding internal cards to your CPU, and it's easily
disconnected and stored away. Most hand scanners can only scan a four-inch wide image at
one time and require a steady hand. You're usually provided with software that helps you "sew
up" a series of these 4-inch, side-by-side scans into one image, but this is obviously not as
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3.3.4 Speakers and Sound
The built-in speakers in most PC cases are used just for making system sounds, such as
warning beeps and action indicators. To play more sophisticated sounds on your PC, you need
a set of external speakers. Usually speakers come in pairs, and there is a plug that connects
them to your sound card. Arrange the speakers with one on the left and one on the right of your
Optionally, some speakers come with a subwoofer. This improves the bass (low notes) sound.
If you have a subwoofer with your speakers, it should go on the floor under your desk.
Sound is one of the favorite options on today's PCs. In fact, sound is a standard feature of most
new PCs.
Everyone has their own uses for sound. You may just want to play a few music CDs with your
CD-ROM drive while you are working, or you may use multimedia applications for
presentations or educational programs. You may just like the sound of your jet engines roaring
To produce sound on your PC, you need a sound card and speakers. The sound card is an
expansion card that plugs into one of the slots on your motherboard. This card processes all of
the instructions that have to do with sound, and then sends the sounds to the speakers to be
Sound Cards
Sound cards plug into an expansion slot in your PC. The card has a set of connectors that are
exposed on the back of the PC; you can plug a microphone and speakers into the
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connectors. Some cards include an optional connector for a line input, which is used to connect
another input source such as the output from a tape player or portable CD player. Other
optional connectors can include a joystick connector and a MIDI connector (for connecting a
MIDI keyboard). The card may include a volume control, which controls the volume of the
4.0 Conclusion
The system unit cannot function without the peripheral devices. The input and the output units
are very important peripheral devices that must be taken care of in setting up a computer
system.
5.0 Summary
(a) the keyboard – ( the different categories of keys o n the keyboard and their
functions).
(a) monitor,
a. Justify the need for the input and the output units in a computer system.
b. Describe the functions of the following keys: the numeric keys, control keys, shift keys
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c. In what situation will you recommend the laserjet printer and the dot matrix printer.
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
Gray S. Popkin and Arthur H. Pike (1981). (1981). Introduction to Data Processing with
BASIC, 2nd edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
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STUDY UNIT 3: AUXILLARY EQUIPMENT
Table of content
Air conditioner
Voltage stabilizer
1.0 Introduction
The auxiliary equipment as their name suggests are not computers but are necessary in a
computing activities. In this module, we shall address in some details the importance of
equipment such as air conditioner, voltage stabilizer, uninterruptible power system and line
2.0 Objectives.
ii. Discuss the importance of the auxiliary equipment to the smooth running of a
computing centre.
temperature of the environment in which a computer is kept falls outside the specific range,
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The free air is basically, dust laden. Dust is metallic in nature and, as such, capable of
circuits, the dust can bridge two circuits. The bridging of two electronic circuits may cause a
serous damage to the computer. Thus, air conditioners are needed in a computer environment
to:
b. Prevent dust.
A computer when switched on, takes off at a cold state, warms up and gradually gets to a hot
state. At a hot state, a computer is always roaming in an attempt to find something to do. In a
situation where the public electricity such as that of PHCN in Nigeria is cut suddenly, the
computer would suddenly be brought to a halt. The sudden power cut may cause the computer
to loose the memory of some basic house keeping operations when power eventually returns
and the computer is switched on. The sudden power cut may also cause irreparable damages
to the file the computer was processing at the time the power was suddenly cut.
We note that computers are built to operate within a specific range of voltages. In the United
State of America, computers are built to operate on 110V. A voltage transformer is a device
meant to step up or step down a voltage as the case may be. In Nigeria, for example, a 110V
computer requires a voltage transformer to step down the 240V to 110V. Similarly, in USA, a
2409V current is connected directly to a 110V computer, the computer power unit will blow
up almost immediately.
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Today, the technology has improved tremendously such that if a 240V current is connected
directly to a 110V computer, only a fuse, rather than the power unit will blow up. It is worth
mentioning, too, that there is an advanced technology today which permits a computer to
operate effectively and efficiently with the power line voltage ranging between 110V and
240V. The technology supports an inbuilt switch which can be operated at two terminals
namely: the 110V terminus and 240V terminus. In recent times, the technology has been
improved upon such that computers are manufactured in such a way that they can sense the
voltage that is adequate. Thus, if one connects a 110V computer to a 240V current, the 110V
computer has an in-built line transformer which automatically steps down the 240V current to
110V.
(a) Converting the public electricity raw line into fine line, that is, conditioning the
(b) Storing electrical energy when the public electricity line is life
(c) Releasing the stored electrical energy to the computer when the public electricity
line is dead.
4.0 Conclusion
The computer is an expensive resource and as such requires adequate protection from electrical
damage. Similarly, the UPS is an expensive resource; hence there is the need for it to be
protected from electrical damage, too. Therefore, in practice, it is desirable that the UPS be
by the multiple levels of protection from electrical damage. This arrangement is desirable in a
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5.0 Summary
ii. Voltage stabilizers help to protect computing equipment from damage due to power
surge.
iii. UPS protects the computing equipment and the software from power outage during
computing session. The UPS with the help of its internal battery stores electrical
energy while power is on and releases power stored to the computer whenever
power is off. This enables the user to end the working session and shut down
normally.
iv. A voltage transformer is a device meant to step up or step down a voltage as the
With the aid of annotated diagram, describe the arrangement of the following auxiliary
equipment: UPS, line voltage transformer and voltage stabilizer in relation to PHCN power
7.0 References
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
Akure.
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Study Unit 3: COMPUTER SOFTWARE (1)
Table of content
System software
-Operating System
Language translators
Assemblers
Interpreters
Compilers
Utility software
1.0 Introduction
The computer hardware are driven by the software. The usefulness of the computer depends
on the programs that are written to manipulate it. Computer software come in different forms:
the operating system, utility software, language translators and application software. This unit
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2.0 Objectives
The physical components of the computer are called the hardware while all the other resources
or parts of the computer that are not hardware, are referred to as the Software. Software are
the set of programs that makes the computer system active. In essence, the software are the
Then, what is a program? A Program is a series of coded instructions showing the logical steps
The computer software could be divided into two major groups namely System Software
This is refers to the suits of programs that facilitates the optimal use of the hardware systems
and/or provide a suitable environment for the writing, editing, debugging, testing and running
of User Programs. Usually, every computer system comes with collection of these suits of
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3.1.1.2 Operating System
An operating system is a program that acts as an interface between a user of a computer and
The operating system is the first component of the systems programs that interests us here.
Systems programs are programs written for direct execution on computer hardware in order to
make the power of the computer fully and efficiently accessible to applications programmers
and other computer users. Systems programming is different from application programming
because the requires an intimate knowledge of the computer hardware as well as the end users’
needs. Moreover, systems programs are often large and more complex than application
programs, although that is not always the case. Since systems programs provide the foundation
upon which application programs are built, it is most important that systems programs are
In a computer system the hardware provides the basic computing resources. The applications
programs define the way in which these resources are used to solve the computing problems
of the users. The operating system controls and coordinates the use of the hardware among the
various systems programs and application programs for the various users.
The basic resources of a computer system are provided by its hardware, software and data. The
operating system provides the means for the proper use of these resources in the operation of
the computer system. It simply provides an environment within which other programs can do
useful work.
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We can view an operating system as a resource allocator. A computer system has many
resources ( hardware and software) that may be required to solve a problem: CPU time,
The operating system acts as the manager of these resources and allocates them to specific
programs and users as necessary for their tasks. Since there may be many, possibly conflicting,
requests for resources, the operating system must decide which requests are allocated resources
to operate the computer system fairly and efficiently. An operating system is a control
program. This program controls the execution of user programs to prevent errors and improper
Operating systems exist because they are a reasonable way to solve the problem of creating a
usable computing system. The fundamental goal of a computer system is to execute user
The primary goal of an operating system is a convenience for the user. Operating systems exit
because they are supposed to make it easier to compute with an operating system than without
an operating system. This is particularly clear when you look at operating system for small
personal computers.
A secondary goal is the efficient operation of an computer system. This goal is particularly
important for large, shared multi-user systems. Operating systems can solve this goal. It is
known that sometimes these two goals, convenience and efficiency, are contradictory.
While there is no universally agreed upon definition of the concept of an operating system, we
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A computer’s operating system ( OS ) is a group of programs designed to serve two basic
purposes:
1. To control the allocation and use of the computing system’s resources among
that simplifies and makes feasible the creation, coding, debugging, and
Specifically, we can imagine that an effective operating system should accomplish all of the
following:
o Facilitate creation and modification of program and data files through an editor
program,
machine language,
o Assure that when there are several active processes in the computer, each will
get fair and noninterfering access to the central processing unit for execution,
o Provide for long term storage of user information in the form of files, and
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Though systems programs such as editor and translators and the various utility programs (such
as sort and file transfer program) are not usually considered part of the operating system, the
Modern computer operating systems may be classified into three groups, which are
distinguished by the nature of interaction that takes place between the computer user and his
or her program during its processing. The three groups are called batch, time-shared and real
In a batch processing operating system environment users submit jobs to a central place where
these jobs are collected into a batch, and subsequently placed on an input queue at the computer
where they will be run. In this case, the user has no interaction with the job during its
processing, and the computer’s response time is the turnaround time-the time from submission
of the job until execution is complete, and the results are ready for return to the person who
Another mode for delivering computing services is provided by time sharing operating
systems. In this environment a computer provides computing services to several or many users
concurrently on-line. Here, the various users are sharing the central processor, the memory,
and other resources of the computer system in a manner facilitated, controlled, and monitored
by the operating system. The user, in this environment, has nearly full
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interaction with the program during its execution, and the computer’s response time may be
The third class of operating systems, real time operating systems, are designed to service those
applications where response time is of the essence in order to prevent error, misrepresentation
or even disaster. Examples of real time operating systems are those which handle airlines
reservations, machine tool control, and monitoring of a nuclear power station. The systems, in
this case, are designed to be interrupted by external signal that require the immediate attention
In fact, many computer operating systems are hybrids, providing for more than one of these
batch system running in conjunction with one of the other two on the same computer.
A multiprogramming operating system is a system that allows more than one active user
Thus, it is evident that a time-sharing system is a multiprogramming system, but note that a
operating system could, and indeed usually does, have more than one active user
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program simultaneously in main storage. Another important, and all too similar, term is
‘multiprocessing’.
A multiprocessing system is a computer hardware configuration that includes more than one
independent processing unit. The term multiprocessing is generally used to refer to large
operating system of each of the interconnected computers must contain, in addition to its own
stand-alone functionality, provisions for handing communication and transfer of program and
A distributed computing system consists of a number of computers that are connected and
managed so that they automatically share the job processing load among the constituent
computers, or separate the job load as appropriate particularly configured processors. Such a
system requires an operating system which, in addition to the typical stand-alone functionality,
provides coordination of the operations and information flow among the component
computers.
The networked and distributed computing environments and their respective operating systems
are designed with more complex functional capabilities. In a network operating system the
users are aware of the existence of multiple computers, and can log in to remote machines and
copy files from one machine to another. Each machine runs its own local operating system and
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Distributed operating system
A distributed operating system, in contrast, is one that appears to its users as a traditional
distributed system, users should not be aware of where their programs are being run or where
their files are located; that should all be handled automatically and efficiently by the operating
system.
Network operating systems are not fundamentally different from single processor operating
systems. They obviously need a network interface controller and some low-level software to
drive it, as well as programs to achieve remote login and remote files access, but these
True distributed operating systems require more than just adding a little code to a uniprocessor
operating system, because distributed and centralized systems differ in critical ways.
Distributed systems, for example, often allow program to run on several processors at the same
time, thus requiring more complex processor scheduling algorithms in order to optimize the
An operating system provides the environment within which programs are executed. To
construct such an environment, the system is partitioned into small modules with a well-
defined interface. The design of a new operating system is a major task. It is very important
that the goals of the system be will defined before the design begins. The type of system desired
is the foundation for choices between various algorithms and strategies that will be necessary.
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A system as large and complex as an operating system can only be created by partitioning it
into smaller pieces. Each of these pieces should be a well defined portion of the system with
carefully defined inputs, outputs, and function. Obviously, not all systems have the same
structure. However, many modern operating systems share the system components outlined
below.
Process Management
A process is the unit of work in a system. Such a system consists of a collection of processes,
some of which are operating system processes, those that execute system code, and the rest
being user processes, those that execute user code. All of those processes can potentially
execute concurrently.
The operating system is responsible for the following activities in connection with processes
managed.
Memory Management
Memory is central to the operation of a modern computer system. Memory is a large array of
words or bytes, each with its own address. Interaction is achieved through a sequence of reads
or writes of specific memory address. The CPU fetches from and stores in memory.
In order for a program to be executed it must be mapped to absolute addresses and loaded in
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from memory by generating these absolute is declared available, and the next program may be
The operating system is responsible for the following activities in connection with memory
management.
o Keep track of which parts of memory are currently being used and by whom.
o Decide which processes are to be loaded into memory when memory space
becomes available.
The main purpose of a computer system is to execute programs. These programs, together with
the data they access, must be in main memory during execution. Since the main memory is too
small to permanently accommodate all data and program, the computer system must provide
secondary storage to backup main memory. Most modem computer systems use disks as the
primary on-line storage of information, of both programs and data. Most programs, like
compilers, assemblers, sort routines, editors, formatters, and so on, are stored on the disk until
loaded into memory, and then use the disk as both the source and destination of their
computer system.
The operating system is responsible for the following activities in connection with disk
management
o Storage allocation
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o Disk scheduling.
I/O System
One of the purposes of an operating system is to hide the peculiarities of specific hardware
devices from the user. For example, in Unix, the peculiarities of I/O devices are hidden from
the bulk of the operating system itself by the I/O system. The I/O system consists of:
File Management
File management is one of the most visible services of an operating system. Computers can
store information in several different physical forms; magnetic tape, disk, and drum are the
most common forms. Each of these devices has it own characteristics and physical
organization.
For convenient use of the computer system, the operating system provides a uniform logical
view of information storage. The operating system abstracts from the physical properties of its
storage devices to define a logical storage unit, the file. Files are mapped, by the operating
A file is a collection of related information defined by its creator. Commonly, files represent
programs (both source and object forms) and data. Data files may be numeric, alphabetic or
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formatted. In general a files is a sequence of bits, bytes, lines or records whose meaning is
The operating system is responsible for the following activities in connection with file
management:
Protection System
The various processes in an operating system must be protected from each other’s activities.
For that purpose, various mechanisms which can be used to ensure that the files, memory
segment, cpu and other resources can be operated on only by those processes that have gained
For example, memory addressing hardware ensure that a process can only execute within its
own address space. The timer ensure that no process can gain control of the CPU without
relinquishing it. Finally, no process is allowed to do it’s own I/O, to protect the integrity of the
Protection refers to a mechanism for controlling the access of programs, processes, or users to
the resources defined by a computer controls to be imposed, together with some means of
enforcement.
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Protection can improve reliability by detecting latent errors at the interfaces between
component subsystems. Early detection of interface errors can often prevent contamination of
Networking
A distributed system is a collection of processors that do not share memory or a clock. Instead,
each processor has its own local memory, and the processors communicate with each other
through various communication lines, such as high speed buses or telephone lines. Distributed
systems vary in size and function. They may involve microprocessors, workstations,
The processors in the system are connected through a communication network, which can be
configured in the number of different ways. The network may be fully or partially connected.
The communication network design must consider routing and connection strategies, and the
A distributed system provides the user with access to the various resources the system
maintains. Access to a shared resource allows computation speed-up, data availability, and
reliability.
One of the most important component of an operating system is its command interpreter. The
command interpreter is the primary interface between the user and the rest of the system.
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Many commands are given to the operating system by control statements. When a new job is
started in a batch system or when a user logs-in to a time-shared system, a program which
reads and interprets control statements is automatically executed. This program is variously
called (1) the control card interpreter, (2) the command line interpreter, (3) the shell (in Unix),
and so on. Its function is quite simple: get the next command statement, and execute it.
The command statement themselves deal with process management, I/O handling, secondary
storage management, main memory management, file system access, protection, and
networking.
Fig. 1: Relationship between operating system and other components of the computer
system.
4.0 Conclusion
Operating system occupies a central place in computer operations. It manages the hardware,
other software, the computer peripherals and the user. Operating systems have also evolved in
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types of operating systems. This and other issues relating to operating system are discussed in
this unit.
5.0 Summary
system.
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
Silberschatz, A., Galvin, P., and Gagyne, G. (2000). Applied Operating System
Concepts, First Edition. John Wiley and Sons Inc., New York, USA.
Harvey Katzan, Jr. (1986). Operating System: A Pragmatic Approach, 2nd Edition. CBS
Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi, India.
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STUDY UNIT 4: COMPUTER SOFTWARE (2)
Table of Content
Language translator
Utility programs
Application programs
1.0 Introduction
In unit 7, we discussed in full details, the operating system as the executive manager of the
computer, its peripheral devices and the users. In this unit, we shall look at other types of
software such as the utility programs and the application programs.
2.0 Objectives
The objectives of this unit are to:
i. Conclude our discussion of system software with language translators.
ii. Discuss different categories of utility programs and application programs in greater
detail.
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program or object code. Each machine has its own assembly language, meaning that
the assembly language of one machine cannot run on another machine.
2. Interpreter: An Interpreter is a program that accepts program fin a source
language, reads, translates and executes it, line by lone into machine language.
3. Compilers: A Compiler is a computer program that accepts a source program in
one high-level language, reads and translates the entire user’s
program into an equivalent program in machine language, called the object program
or object code.
The stages in compilation include:
· Lexical analysis
· Syntax analysis
· Semantic analysis
· Code generation
For each high-level language, there are different compilers. We can therefore talk of COBOL
Compilers, FORTRAN Compilers, BASIC Compilers, etc. A Compiler also detects syntax
errors, errors that arise from the use of the language. Compilers are portable i.e. a COBOL
Compiler on one machine can run on a different machine with minimum changes.
(i) File Conversion: This covers data transfer from any medium to another, making an
exact copy or simultaneously editing and validating. For example, copying from a
hard disk to a diskette.
(ii) File Copy: It makes an exact copy of a file from one medium to another or from an
area of a medium to another area of the same medium.
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(iii) Housekeeping Operations: These include programs to clear areas of storage, writing
file labels and updating common data.
They are not involved in solving the problem at hand. They are operations that must be
performed before and after actual processing.
Under the Generalized software, we have as examples: Word Processing Programs e.g. Word
Perfect, Word Star, Microsoft word. Also, Desktop Publishing e.g. Ventura, PageMaker,
CorelDraw likewise the Spreadsheet program e.g. LOTUS 1,2,3, Excel, Super-Q while under
the User-defined, we could have some User-defined packages for a particular company or
organization, for accounting, payroll or some other specialized purposes.
(i) Word Processor: A Word Processor is used to create, edit, save and print
reports. It affords the opportunity to make amendments before printing is
done. During editing character, word sentence or a number of lines can be
removed or inserted as the case may be. Another facility possible is spell
checking. A document can be printed as many times as possible. Word
processors are mainly used to produce: Letters, Mailing lists, Label,
Greeting Cards, Business Cards, Reports, Manual, Newsletter. Examples
are: WordPerfect, WordStar, Display Writer, Professional Writer, LOTUS
Manuscript, Ms-Word, LOCO Script, MM Advantage II etc.
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printing is done. Other features of spread sheets is the ability to use formulas
to calculate, use sum and average function, ability to perform automatic
recalculation and has the capacity to display reports in graphical modes.
Spreadsheet is used for Budget, Tables, Cost analysis, Financial reports. Tax
and Statistical analysis. Examples are: LOTUS 123, Supercalc, MS
Multiplan, MS-excel, VP Planner etc.
(iii) Integrated Packages: They are programs or packages that perform a variety
of different processing operations using data that is compatible with
whatever operation is being carried out. They perform a number of
operations like Word Processing, Data-base Management and Spread
sheeting. Examples are: Office writer, Logistic Symphony, Framework,
Enable, Ability, Smart ware II, Microsoft Work V2.
(iv) Graphic Packages: These are packages that enable you to bring out images,
diagrams and pictures. Examples are PM, PM Plus, Graphic Writer,
Photoshop.
(vi) Statistical Packages: These are packages that can be used to solve statistical
problems, e.g. Stat graphical, SPSS (Statistical Packages for Social
Scientists).
(vii) Desktop Publishing: These are packages that can be used to produce books
and documents in standard form. Examples are PageMaker, Ventura,
Publishers, Paints Brush, Xerox Form Base, News Master II, Dbase
Publisher.
(viii) Game Packages: These are packages that contain a lot of games for children
and adults. Examples are Chess, Scrabble, Monopoly, Tune
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Trivia, Star Trek 2, California Game, Soccer Game, War Game, Spy Catcher
Dracula in London.
(ix) Communication Packages: Examples are Carbon Plus, Data talk V3.3,
Cross talk, SAGE Chit Chat, Data Soft.
There are so many packages around, virtually for every field of study but these are just to
mention a few of them. Advantages of these packages include quick and cheaper
implementation, time saving, minimum time for its design, they have been tested and proven
to be correct, they are usually accompanied by full documentation and are also very portable.
User Programs
This is a suit of programs written by programmers for computer users. They are required for
the operation of their individual business or tasks. Example is a payroll package developed for
salary operation of a particular company.
4.0 Conclusion
Apart from the operating systems, we need program translators for us to be able to
program and use the computer effectively. Since computers do not understand natural
languages, there is the need to have language translators such as assemblers, interpreters
and compilers. Utility programs such file conversion and scandisk on the other hand,
enable us to maintain and enhance the operations of the computer. Application and user
programs such as the word processors, spreadsheet and the like help us to perform
specific tasks on the computer. These are discussed in full details in this unit.
5.0 Summary
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ii. Utility programs such as file conversion, file copy programs and house
packages.
You have just been appointed as a consultant to a firm that is about to procure
packages that would be necessary for the smooth operations of the firm. Justify the
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A.,
Tunji and Dokun (1993). Data Processing, Principles and Concepts. Informatics
Books, Lagos.
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MODULE 3: COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
· Flowcharts
· Algorithms
Table of content
Machine language
Assemblers
1.0 Introduction
In this unit, we shall take a look at computer programming with emphasis on:
(a) The overview of computer programming languages.
(b) Evolutionary trends of computer programming languages.
(c) Programming computers in a Beginner All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code
(BASIC) language environment with emphasis on:
2.0 Objective
The objective of this unit is to introduce the student to the background information about
programming the Computer.
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that dictate exactly how a programmer should direct the computer to perform a specific task.
With the powers of reasoning and logic of human beings, there is the capability to accept an
instruction and understand it in many different forms. Since a computer must be programmed
to respond to specific instructions, instructions cannot be given in just any form. Programming
languages standardize the instruction process. The rules of a particular language tell the
programmer how the individual instructions must be structured and what sequence of worlds
and symbols must be used to form an instruction.
(a) An operation code.
(b) Some operands.
The operation code tells the computer what to do such as add, subtract, multiply and divide.
The operands tell the computer the data items involved in the operations. The operands in an
instruction may consist of the actual data that the computer may use to perform an operation,
or the storage address of data. Consider for example the instruction: a = b + 5. The ‘=’ and ‘+’
are operation codes while ‘a’, ‘b’ and ‘5’ are operands. The ‘a’ and ‘b’ are storage addresses
of actual data while ‘5’ is an actual data.
Some computers use many types of operation codes in their instruction format and may
provide several methods for doing the same thing. Other computers use fewer operation codes,
but have the capacity to perform more than one operation with a single instruction. There are
four basic types of instructions namely:
(a) input-output instructions;
(b) arithmetic instructions;
(c) branching instructions;
(d) logic instructions.
An input instruction directs the computer to accept data from a specific input device and store
it in a specific location in the store. An output instruction tells the computer to move a piece
of data from a computer storage location and record it on the output medium.
All of the basic arithmetic operations can be performed by the computer. Since arithmetic
operations involve at least two numbers, an arithmetic operation must include at least two
operands.
2
Branch instructions cause the computer to alter the sequence of execution of instruction within
the program. There are two basic types of branch instructions; namely unconditional branch
instruction and conditional branch instruction. An unconditional branch instruction or
statement will cause the computer to branch to a statement regardless of the existing
conditions. A conditional branch statement will cause the computer to branch to a statement
only when certain conditions exist.
Logic instructions allow the computer to change the sequence of execution of instruction,
depending on conditions built into the program by the programmer. Typical logic operations
include: shift, compare and test.
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3.1.1 Machine Language
The earliest forms of computer programming were carried out by using languages that were
structured according to the computer stored data, that is, in a binary number system.
Programmers had to construct programs that used instructions written in binary notation 1 and
0. Writing programs in this fashion is tedious, time-consuming and susceptible to errors.
Each instruction in a machine language program consists, as mentioned before, of two parts
namely: operation code and operands. An added difficulty in machine language programming
is that the operands of an instruction must tell the computer the storage address of the data to
be processed. The programmer must designate storage locations for both instructions and data
as part of the programming process. Furthermore, the programmer has to know the location of
every switch and register that will be used in executing the program, and must control their
functions by means of instructions in the program.
A machine language program allows the programmer to take advantage of all the features and
capabilities of the computer system for which it was designed. It is also capable of producing
the most efficient program as far as storage requirements and operating speeds are concerned.
Few programmers today write applications programs in machine language. A machine
language is computer dependent. Thus, an IBM machine language will not run on NCR
machine, DEC machine or ICL machine. A machine language is the First Generation
(computer) Language (IGL).
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4
to establish the actual locations for each piece of data used by the program. The most popular
assembly language is the IBM Assembly Language.
Because the computer understands and executes only machine language programs, the
assembly language program must be translated into a machine language. This is accomplished
by using a system software program called an assembler. The assembler accepts an assembly
language program and produces a machine language program that the computer can actually
execute. The schematic diagram of the translation process of the assembly language into the
machine language is shown in the below diagram. Although, assembly language programming
offers an improvement over machine language programming, it is still an arduous task,
requiring the programmer to write programs based on particular computer operation codes. An
assembly language program developed and run on IBM computer would fail to run on ICL
computers. Consequently, the portability of computer programs in a computer installation to
another computer installation which houses different makes or types of computers were not
possible. The low level languages are, generally, described as Second Generation (computer)
Language (2GL).
Low Level
Program Program
Store
Fig. 1: Assembly Language Program Translation Process
5
While the flexibility of high level languages is grater than that of the machine and assembly
languages, there are close restrictions in exactly how instructions are to be formulated and
written. Only a specific set of numbers, letters, and special characters may be used to write a
high level program and special rules must be observed for punctuation. High level language
instructions do resemble English language statements and the mathematical symbols used in
ordinary mathematics. Among the existing and popular high level programming languages are
Fortran, Basic, Cobol, Pascal, Algol, Ada and P1/1. The schematic diagram of the translation
process of a high level language into the machine language is shown in the diagram below.
The high level languages are, generally, described as Third Generation (computer) Language
(3GL).
High Level
Machine Operating
Compiler Language System
Language
Program Program
Store
Fig. 2: High Level Language Program Translation Process
The general procedure for the compilation of a computer program coded in any high level
language is conceptualized in the above diagram.
Compiler
Machine
Code
Link
Loader
Library Subroutines
Subroutines
6
Fig. 3: General Procedure for Compiling High Level Language Program
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7
3.1.4 Very High Level Language
Programming aids or programming tools are provided to help programmers do their
programming work more easily. Examples of programming tools are:
(a) Program development systems that help users to learn programming, and to
program in a powerful high level language. Using a computer screen (monitor)
and keyboard under the direction of an interactive computer program, users are
helped to construct application programs.
(b) A program generator or application generator that assists computer users to write
their own programs by expanding simple statements into program code’.
(c) Database management system.
(d) Debuggers that are programs that help computer user to locate errors (bugs) in
the application programs they write.
The very high level language generally described as the Fourth Generation (computer)
Language (4GL), is an ill-defined term that refers to software intended to help computer users
or computer programmers to develop their own application programs more quickly and
cheaply. A 4GL, by using a menu system for example, allows users to specify what they
require, rather than describe the procedures by which these requirements are met. The detail
procedure by which the requirements are met is done by the 4GL software which is
transparent to the users.
A 4GL offers the user an English-like set of commands and simple control structures in
which to specify general data processing or numerical operations. A program is translated
into a conventional high-level language such as Cobol, which is passed to a compiler. A 4GL
is, therefore, a non-procedural language. The program flows are not designed by the
programmer but by the fourth generation software itself. Each user request is for a result
rather than a procedure to obtain the result. The conceptual diagram of the translation process
of very high level language to machine language is given in the diagram below.
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4GL
4GL
Program Translator High Level Compiler
Language
Program
The 4GL arose partly in response to the applications backlog. A great deal of programming
time is spent maintaining and improving old programs rather than building new ones. Many
organizations, therefore, have a backlog of applications waiting to be developed. 4GL, by
stepping up the process of application design and by making it easier for end-users to build
their own programs, helps to reduce the backlog.
4.0 Conclusion
Computer programming languages are means by which programmers manipulate the
computer. The programming languages emanates from the need to program the computer in
languages that would be easy for non-experts to understand and to reduce the enormity of task
involved in writing programs in machine code. Programming languages have evolved from
the machine language to assembly language, high level language and very high level
programming language.
5.0 Summary
We summarize the study of computer programming language as follows:
(a) Machine language is the binary language and its made up of only 0s and 1s which
represent the ‘off’ and ‘on’ stages of a comp uter’s electrical circuits.
(b) Assembly language has a one-to-one relationship with machine language, but uses
symbols and mnemonics for particular items. Assembly language, like machine
language, is hardware specific, and is translated into machine language by an
assembler.
9
(c) High level languages are usable on different machines and are designed for similar
applications rather than similar hardware. They are procedural in that
10
they describe the logical procedures needed to achieve a particular result. High level
languages are translated into machine language by a compiler or an interpreter.
(d) In a high level language one specifies the logical procedures that have to be
performed to achieve a result. In a fourth generation language, one needs to simply
define the result one wants, and the requisite program instructions will be generated
by the fourth generation software. Fourth generation languages are used in fourth
generation systems in which a number of development tools are integrated in one
environment.
6.0 Tutor Marked Assignment
b) Explain the following terms: machine language, source code, assembler, and
compiler.
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
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STUDY UNIT 2 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
Table of Content
Problem solving with Computer.
Principles of programming.
Stages of programming.
1.0 Introduction
Computer programming is both an art and a science. In this unit, we students shall be exposed
to some arts and science of computer programming including principles of programming and
stages of programming.
2.0 Objectives
The objective of this unit is to expose students to the principles of programming and the stages
involved in writing computer programs.
3.0 Problem Solving With The Computer
The computer is a general-purpose machine with a remarkable ability to process information.
It has many capabilities, and its specific function at any particular time is determined by the
user. This depends on the program loaded into the computer memory being utilized by the
user.
There are many types of computer programs. However, the programs designed to convert the
general-purposes computer into a tool for a specific task or applications are called ‘Application
programs’. These are developed by users to solve their peculiar data processing problems.
Computer programming is the act of writing a program which a computer can execute to
produce the desired result. A program is a series of instructions assembled to enable the
computer to carry out a specified procedure. A computer program is the sequence of simple
instructions into which a given problem is reduced and which is in a form the computer can
understand, either directly or after interpretation.
12
Accuracy: The Program must do what it is supposed to do correctly and must meet the criteria
laid down in its specification.
Reliability: The Program must always do what it is supposed to do, and never crash.
Efficiency: Optimal utilization of resources is essential. The program must use the available
storage space and other resources in such as way that the system speed is not wasted.
Robustness: The Program should cope with invalid data and not stop without an indication of
the cause of the source of error.
Usability: The Program must be easy enough to use and be well documented.
Maintainability: The Program must be easy to amend having good structuring and
documentation.
Readability: The Code of a program must be well laid out and explained with
comments.
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(ii) Devising the method of solution
The second stage involved is spelling out the detailed algorithm. The use of a computer to
solve problems (be it scientific or business data processing problems) requires that a
procedure or an algorithm be developed for the computer to follow in solving the problem.
(iii) Developing the method of solution
There are several methods for representing or developing methods used in solving a
problem. Examples of such methods are: algorithms, flowcharts, pseudo code, and decision
tables.
(iv) Writing the instructions in a programming language
After outlining the method of solving the problem, a proper understanding of the syntax of
the programming language to be used is necessary in order to write the series of instructions
required to get the problem solved.
(v) Transcribing the instructions into machine sensible form
After the program is coded, it is converted into machine sensible form or machine
language. There are some manufacturers written programs that translate users program
(source program) into machine language (object code). These are called translators and
instructions that machines can execute at a go, while interpreters accept a program and
executes it line-by-line.
During translation, the translator carries out syntax check on the source program to detect
errors that may arise from wrong use of the programming language. (vi) Program
debugging
A program seldomly executes successfully the first time. It normally contains a few errors
(bugs). Debugging is the process of locating and correcting errors. There are three classes
of errors.
(i) Syntax errors: Caused by mistake coding (illegal use of a feature of the
programming language).
(ii) Logic errors: Caused by faulty logic in the design of the program. The program
will work but not as intended.
(iii) Execution errors: The program works as intended but illegal input or other
circumstances at run-time makes the program stop. There are two basic levels of
debugging. The first level called desk checking or dry running is performed after
the program has been coded and entered or key punched. Its
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purpose is to locate and remove as many logical and clerical errors as possible.
The program is then read (or loaded) into the computer and processed by a language translator.
The function of the translator is to convert the program statements into the binary code of the
computer called the object code. As part of the translation process, the program statements are
examined to verify that they have been coded correctly, if errors are detected, a series of
diagnostics referred to as an error message list is generated by the language translator. With
this list in the hand of programmer, enters the second level of debugging is reached.
The error message list helps the programmer to find the cause of errors and make the necessary
corrections. At this point, the program may contain entering errors, as well as clerical errors
or logic errors. The programming language manual will be very useful at this stage of program
development.
After corrections have been made, the program is again read into the computer and again
processed by the language translator. This is repeated over and over again until the program is
error-free.
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abound in the program. The programmer can use any of these three
alternatives to locate the bugs.
Other methods of testing a program for correctness include:
Manual walk-through: The programmer traces the processing steps
manually to find the errors, pretending to be the computer, following
the execution of each statement in the program, noting whether or not
the expected results are produced.
Use of tracing routines: If this is available for the language, this is
similar to (1) above but it is carried out by the computer hence it takes
less time and it is not susceptible to human error.
Storage dump: This is the printout of the contents of the computers
storage locations. By examining the contents of the various locations,
the instruction at which the program is halted can be determined. This
is an important clue to finding the error that caused the halt, when a
program is halted.
Program documentation: Documentation of the program should be
developed at every stage of the programming cycle. The following are
documentations that should be done for each program.
(a) Problem Definition Step
· Aclear statement of the problem
· The objectives of the program (what the program is to accomplish)
· Source of request for the program.
· Person/official authorizing the request.
(b) Planning the Solution Step
· Flowchart, pseudocode or decision tables
· Program narrative
· Descriptive of input, and file formats
(c) Program source coding sheet
(d) User’s manual to aid persons who are not familiar with the program to apply it correctly.
It contains a description of the program and what it is designed to achieve.
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(e) Operator’s manual to assist the computer operator to successfully run the program. This
manual contains:
(i) Instructions about starting, running and terminating the program.
(ii) Message that may be printed on the console or VDU (terminal) and their
meanings.
(iii) Setup and take down instruction for files.
Advantages of Program documentation
(i) It provides all necessary information for anyone who comes in contact with the
program.
(ii) It helps the supervisor in determining the program’s purpose, how long the program
will be useful and future revision that may be necessary.
(iii) It simplifies program maintenance (revision or updating)
(iv) It provides information as to the use of the program to those unfamiliar with it.
(v) It provides operating instructions to the computer operator.
4.0 Conclusion
The intelligence of a computer derives to a large extent from the quality of the programs. In
this unit, we have attempted to present in some details, the principles and the stages involved
in writing a good computer program.
5.0 Summary
In this unit we have discussed the following:
i. Principles of computer programming.
ii. Stages of computer programming.
iii. The interrelationship between different stages of programming.
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7.0 References and Further Reading
Akinyokun, O.C, (1999). Principles and Practice of Computing Technology.
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
18
STUDY UNIT 3: FLOWCHART AND ALGORITHMS
Table of Content
Flowchart
Algorithms
1.0 Introduction
In this unit you are introduced to the principles of flowcharts and algorithms. The importance
of these concepts are presented and the detailed steps and activities involved are also presented.
2.0 Objectives
The objective of this unit is to enable the student grasp the principles of good programming
ethics through flowcharting and algorithms.
3.0 Flowchart
A Flowchart is a graphical representation of the major steps of work in process. It displays in
separate boxes the essential steps of the program and shows by means of arrows the directions
of information flow. The boxes most often referred to as illustrative symbols may represent
documents, machines or actions taken during the process. The area of concentration is on
where or who does what, rather than on how it is done. A flowchart can also be said to be a
graphical representation of an algorithm, that is, it is visual picture which gives the steps of an
algorithm and also the flow of control between the various steps.
3.1 Flowchart Symbols
Flowcharts are drawn with the help of symbols. The following are the most commonly used
flowchart symbols and their functions:
19
Symbols Function
Used to show the START or STOP point.
May show exit to a closed subroutine.
Terminator
Used for arithmetic calculations of process.
E.g. Sum = X + Y + Z
20
3.3 Flowcharting the Problem
The digital computer does not do any thinking and cannot make unplanned decisions. Every
step of the problem has to be taken care of by the program. A problem which can be solved by
a digital computer need not be described by an exact mathematical equation, but it does need
a certain set of rules that the computer can follow. If a problem needs intuition or guessing, or
is so badly defined that it is hard to put into words, the computer cannot solve it. You have to
define the problem and set it up for the computer in such a way that every possible alternative
is taken care of. A typical flowchart consists of special boxes, in which are written the activities
or operations for the solution of the problem. The boxes linked by means of arrows which
show the sequence of operations. The flowchart acts as an aid to the Programmer who follows
the flowchart design to write his programs.
3.4 Algorithms
Before a computer can be put to any meaningful use, the user must be able to come out with
or define a unit sequence of operations or activities (logically ordered) which gives an
unambiguous method of solving a problem or finding out that no solution exists. Such a set of
operations is known as an ALGORITHM.
Definition: An algorithm, named after the ninth century scholar Abu Jafar Muhammad
Ibn Musu Al-Khowarizmi , is defined as follows: Roughly speaking:
· An algorithm is a set of rules for carrying out calculation either by hand or a machine.
· An algorithm is a finite step-by-step procedure to achieve a required result.
· An algorithm is a sequence of computational steps that transform the input into the
output.
· An algorithm is a sequence of operations performed on data that have to be organized
in data structures.
· An algorithm is an abstraction of a program to be executed on a physical machine
(model of computation)
The most famous algorithm in history dates well before the time of the ancient Greeks: this is
Euclids algorithm for calculating the greatest common divisor of two integers. Before we go
into some otherwise complex algorithms, let us consider one of the simplest but common
algorithms that we encounter every day.
21
The classic multiplication algorithm
For example to multiply 981 by 1234, this can be done using two methods (algorithms)
viz:
a. Multiplication the American way:
Multiply the multiplicand one after another by each digit of the multiplier taken
from right to left.
981
1234
3924
2943
1962
981
1210554
981
1962
2943
3924
1210554
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22
(iv) The sequence terminates with either a solution or a statement that the problem is
unresolved.
An algorithm can therefore be seen as a step-by-step method of solving a problem.
Examples
1. Write an algorithm to read values for three variables. U, V, and W and find a value for
RESULT from the formula: RESULT = U + V2/W. Draw the flowchart.
Solution:
Algorithm
(i) Input values for U, V, and W
(ii) Computer value for result
(iii) Print value of result
(iv) Stop
Flowchart
START
INPUT U, V, W
RESULT U+ (V^2)/V
PRINT RESULT
STOP
2. Suppose you are given 20 numbers. Prepare the algorithm that adds up these numbers and
find the average. Draw the flowchart.
Solution:
Algorithm
(i) Set up a Counter (1) which counts the number of times the loop is executed.
Initialize Counter (1) to 1.
(ii) Initialize sum to Zero
(iii) Input value and add to sum
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(iv) Increment the Counter (1) by 1
(v) Check how many times you have added up the number (if it is not up to the required
number of times, to step (iii).
(vi) Computer the average of the numbers
(vii) Print the average
(viii) Stop.Flowchart
START
1 1, SUM 0
INPUT 1
SUM SUM + 1
1 1 +1
IS
1 < = 20
NO
AVE SUM/
PRINT AVE
STOP
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3. Prepare an algorithm that indicates the logic for printing the name and telephone
number for each female in a file (Code field is 2 for female). Draw the flowchart.
Solution:
Algorithm
(i) Read a record
(ii) Determine if the record pertains to a female (that is, determine if the code field is
equal to 2).
(iii) If the code field is not equal to 2, then do not process this record any further, since
it contains data for a male. Instead, read the next record; that is, go back to step (i).
(iv) If the record contains data for a female (that is, code is equal to 2), then print out
the following fields: first name, last name, telephone number
(v) Go back to step (i) to read the next record.
Flowchart
START
NO IS
CODE = 2
YES
25
4. Prepare an algorithm that prints name and weekly wages for each employee out of 10
where name, hours worked, and hourly rate are read in. Draw the flowchart.
Solution:
Algorithm
(i) Initialize Counter (A) to 1
(ii) Read name, hours and rate and number of workers
(iii) Let the wage be assigned the product of hours and rate
(iv) Print name and wages
(v) Increment the counter (A) by 1
(vi) Make a decision (Check how many times you have calculated the wages)
(vii) Stop processing, if you have done it the required number of times.
Flowchart
START
A 1,
PRINT NAME
WAGES
A A+ 1
YES IS
A < =
10
NO
STOP
26
3.5 Pseudocode
Pseudocode is a program design aid that serves the function of a flowchart in expressing the
detailed logic of a program. Sometimes a program flowchart might be inadequate for
expressing the control flow and logic of a program. By using Pseudocode, program algorithm
can be expressed as English-language statements. These statements can be used both as a guide
when coding the program in specific language and as documentation for review by others.
Because there is no rigid rule for constructing pseudocodes, the logic of the program can be
expressed in a manner without confronting to any particular programming language. A series
of structured words is used to express the major program functions. These structured words
are the basis for writing programs using a technical ter called “structure programming ”.
Example:
Construct Pseudocode for the problem in the example above.
BEGIN
STORE 0 TO SUM
STORE 1 TO COUNT
DO WHILE COUNT not greater than 10
ADD COUNT to SUM
INCREMENT COUNT by 1
ENDWILE
END
3.6 Decision Tables
Decision tables are used to analyze a problem. The conditions applying in the problem are set
out and the actions to be taken, as a result of any combination of the conditions arising are
shown. They are prepared in conjunction with or in place of flowcharts. Decision tables are a
simple yet powerful and unambiguous way of showing the actions to be taken when a given
set of conditions occur. Moreover, they can be used to verify that all conditions have been
properly catered for. In this way they can reduce the possibility that rare or unforeseen
combinations of conditions will result in confusion about the actions to be taken.
Decision tables have standardized format and comprise of four sections.
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(a) Conditions Stub: This section contains a list of all possible conditions which could
apply in a particular problem.
(b) Condition Entry: This section contains the different combination of the conditions
each combination being given a number termed a ‘Rule’:
(c) Action Stub: This section contains a list of the possible actions which could apply
for any given combinations of conditions.
Action Entry: This section shows the actions to be taken for each combination of conditions.
Writing the instructions in a programming language (Program coding) The instructions
contained in the algorithm must be communicated to the computer in a language it will
understand before it can execute them. The first step is writing these instructions in a
programming language (Program coding). Program coding is the process of translating the
planned solution to the problems, depicted in a flowchart, pseudocode or decision table, into
statements of the program. The program flowchart, pseudocode decision table as the case may
be is as a guide by the programmer as he describes the logic in the medium of a programming
language. The coding is usually done on coding sheets or coding forms.
4.0 Conclusion
Flowcharts, decision tables, pseudocodes and algorithms are essential ingredients to the
writing of good programs. If they are done properly they lead to reduction in errors in
programs. They help minimize the time spent in debugging. In addition, they make logic errors
easier to trace and discovered.
5.0 Summary
In this unit we have learnt that:
i. A Flowchart is a graphical representation of the major steps of work in process. It
displays in separate boxes the essential steps of the program and shows by means
of arrows the directions of information flow.
ii. Decision tables are used to analyze a problem. The conditions applying in the
problem are set out and the actions to be taken, as a result of any combination of
the conditions arising are shown.
iii. Pseudocode is a program design aid that serves the function of a flowchart in
expressing the detailed logic of a program.
28
iv. An algorithm is a set of rules for carrying out calculation either by hand or
a machine.
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
Gray S. Popkin and Arthur H. Pike (1981). (1981). Introduction to Data Processing
with BASIC, 2nd edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
29
Module 4: Computer Application Software
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Introduction to Word Processing
3.1.1 Starting Word
3.1.2 Exiting from Word
3.2 Creating a New Blank Document and the Basics of Entering
Text
3.2.1 A New Blank Document
3.2.2 The Text Area
3.2.3 Using the <Enter> Key
3.3.4 Nonprinting Characters
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
A word processing program allows the user to create, edit, format, store and
print text documents.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
Word processing is the use of computers to create, revise, and save documents
for printing and future retrieval. You enter information into the computer by
using a keyboard. As you type, your words are displayed on a monitor, or
screen, and are stored in computer memory rather than on paper.
1
53
2
GST103 COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
Because typing information is a separate task from printing it, word processors enable you to
change information easily without retyping entire documents. For example, you can change
margins, add and delete text, move paragraphs, and correct spelling errors. All revisions are
made within the computer and are then saved on a disk and printed.
If you have a shortcut set up for Word, you can start Word from the shortcut by double-
clicking on the Word shortcut icon.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Starting Word
Before you begin: Ensure that your computer is on and that Word 2000 has been correctly
installed.
54
3
GST103 MODULE 2
1. Click on File
2. Click on Exit
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
At startup, Word provides you with a new unnamed document. You can begin
typing in that document, open an existing document, or create a new one. To
create a new document, click on the New Blank Document
button on the Standard toolbar or press <Ctrl> + N To create a new
document by using the menu, choose File, New and click on OK.
55
4
GST103 COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
Every document has a text area. As you type, characters are inserted in the text area at the
insertion point. To place the insertion point, position the mouse pointer (whenever it appears
as an I-beam) and click the mouse button. Alternatively, you may make use of keyboard
combinations to move the cursor to the correct position.
• end a short line (one that does not extend to the right margin);
• end a paragraph; or
• create a blank line.
Show/Hide button
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
56
5
GST103 MODULE 2
3. Observe the insertion point This is the blinking vertical bar that
always appears on the first line in the
upper-left corner of a new document.
Its location determines where text or
other items will be entered into the
document.
4. Observe the mouse pointer The mouse pointer is usually an I-
beam when it is in the text area.
When moved outside the text area,
the mouse pointer becomes an arrow.
5. Type: Interoffice Memo To enter the characters at the
insertion point.
6. Press: <Enter> To end the line.
7. Press: <Enter> again To create a blank line.
8. Type: To:
9. Observe the screen Each time you pressed Enter, Word
placed a paragraph mark ( ) in the
document. Each time you pressed the
Spacebar, Word placed a space mark
(.)inthedocument. These
nonprinting characters appear only
on the screen, not on the printed
document. If these are not currently
visible, then they have been hidden.
10. On the Standard toolbar,
click on the Show/Hide button (This button might be displayed
on the standard docked toolbar.
Depending on your monitor size and
settings, the placement of buttons
will vary. If you cannot find a button
on the toolbar, it will be the docked
toolbar.) To hide the nonprinting
characters.
11. Observe the screen The nonprinting characters do not
appear on the screen.
12. Display the nonprinting (Click on the Show/Hide button).
characters.
4.0 CONCLUSION
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6
GST103 COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
5.0 SUMMARY
Word processing is the use of computers to create, revise and save documents for printing
and future retrieval.
Give examples of at least three tasks in which you would make use of a word processing
program.
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7
GST103 MODULE 2
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Using the Tab Key
3.2 Using the Backspace Key
3.3 Autocomplete
3.4 Saving a File
3.4.1 The Save as Command
3.4.2 Naming a Document
3.4.3 The Save as Dialog Box
3.4.4 Closing a Document
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.0 OBJECTIVES
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Tabs make it easier to align text precisely. Pressing the Tab key inserts a tab characters,
moving the insertion point to the next tab stop. Tab stops are preset at 1.27cm increments.
By pressing the Backspace key, you can delete the character or space immediately to the left
of the insertion point.
3.3 Autocomplete
As you type certain common words, dates, or names, Word will suggest the complete word or
phrase after you type the first few letters. This feature is called AutoComplete. When the
suggestion appears, you can press <Enter> or <F3> to accept the suggestion, or just keep
typing to reject. For instance, when you are typing a letter and you do not know exactly who
will be reading it, you would normally type “To Whom it May Concern”. Using
AutoComplete, you can just type “To W’ and press <F3>. Word will automatically finish the
typing for you with type “To Whom it May Concern.” You can also add your own
AutoComplete entries and delete them as needed.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Using Tab, Autocomplete, Backspace, and the Word-wrap Feature while Entering Text
Before you begin: The insertion point should be at the end of the “To:” line.
3. Type: Johanna Burger To end the line and move the insertion
Press: <Enter> point to the next line.
4. Type: From:
Press: <Tab>
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5.Type: Kathleen de
Winter. Press: <Enter>
6.Type: Subj The first four letters of the word
“Subject:”
Observe the text Sub jec t
Subj
Just above the text you typed is a box
with the word “Subject:” in it. This
ScreenTip is displayed because there
is an AutoComplete entry for the
word “Subject.”
7.Press: <Enter> The word “Subject” is completed
8.Press: <Tab> Because the word “Subject:” extends
Observe the tab stop beyond the 1.27cm mark, pressing
<Tab> moves the insertion point to
the next default tab stop at 2.54cm
9. Press:<Backspace> To remove the tab character and the
nine times. text “Subject:”.
10.Type: Re:
11.Press: <Tab> To move the insertion point to the
first default tab stop at 1.27cm
To save a document, you use either the File, Save As… or the F ile, Save
command.
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To use the File, Save As… command choose File, Save As… to display the Save As dialog
box. In the Save In list box, select the appropriate location (disk, drive, or folder). in the File
Name text box, type the name of the file. Click on Save.
When you save a file, Word adds the filename extension. DOC to identify the file as a
document file. You should avoid adding filename extensions yourself.
When you save a file for the first time, Word automatically assigns a filename by using the
first words of your document. You can accept this default name or name it something different.
A filename should be descriptive so that you can remember the file’s contents. A filename in
Word can contain up to 255 characters, spaces, and other punctuation. A file cannot contain
any of the following characters: :*?”< >|. For example, a file cannot be A: Drive. ( These
constraints are determined by the Windows operating system.)
The Save As dialog box displays five folders on the left side of the dialog box: History, My
Documents, Desktop, Favorites, and Web Folders. These folders make accessing previous
documents and saving new documents easier by enabling you to click on and open a folder
directly. To open one of these folders, click on the folder.
When you have finished with a document, choose File, Close to close the document window
or double-click on the window’s Control-menu icon.
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
4.0 CONCLUSION
5.0 SUMMARY
Here you learned how to use some of the facilities of Microsoft Word 2000.
Your knowledge will be useful in the next units.
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Please create a new document in Microsoft Word 2000. Type the following text taking care
of use capital letters as well as bold, italics and underline formats as found in the example.
“ Word Processing is the use of computers to create, revise and save documents for printing
and future retrieval. You enter information into the computer by using a keyboard. As you
type, the words are displayed on a monitor, or screen, and are stored in computer memory
rather than on paper. Therefore, a Word Processing program can be used on a daily basis by
school teachers to simplify tedious tasks.”
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Opening and Editing a Document
3.1.1 The File, Open Command
3.1.2 Editing a Document
3.2 Using Overtype Mode
3.3 Selecting Text
3.4 Deleting Text
3.5 Replacing Text
3.6 Moving and Copying Text
3.6.1 The Clipboard
3.6.2 Cutting and Pasting Text
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Text files can be created and modified with the aid of a special program called
an editor. Many documents not requiring anything but a very basic page layout
are prepared this way.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
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• select a text
• delete a text
• replace a text
• move a text
• copy a text.
The File, Open command places a copy of a file on disk into an active document window.
The Open dialog box lists all of the document files on the current disk, in the current folder.
To open a listed file, either click on the filename in the File name list box on Open, or double-
click on the filename. A copy of the file is placed in an active document window.
To make recently used documents more accessible, Word also tracks documents that have
been opened and places their names as choices at the bottom of the File menu.
To open one of these listed files, choose File and click on the document name.
By default, Word is in insert mode; as you type, text to the right of the insertion point is pushed
to the right. To insert text, place the insertion point where you want to add text and begin
typing.
To place the insertion point, position the I-beam at the desired location and click the mouse
button.
Word gives you the option of turning off insert mode and turning on overtype mode. Instead
of pushing text to the right as you type, overtype mode replaces existing text one character at
a time.
You can turn on overtype mode by double-clicking on OVR on the status bar or by pressing
the <Insert> key on the keyboard. If you accidentally turn on the overtype mode, you can
double-click on OVR or press the <Insert> key to turn it off.
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Before you can delete, move, copy, or format text, you must select it.
Table 1 below details various techniques for selecting text.
Table 1
There may be times you want to replace existing text with new text, when it is
just more efficient or retype text than it is to edit it. To do this, select the text
you want to replace and begin typing the new text.
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GST103 COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
After you have edited text, you might want to move or copy that text to another
part of the document. The Clipboard enables you to do that.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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4.0 CONCLUSION
An editor is a program used to create text files or make changes to existing files.
5.0 SUMMARY
Basically you learned how to open and edit a document. You are now also in a position to
select, delete or replace text.
1. In this exercise, you will open the letter that was addressed to Mr.
and Mrs. Van Tonder. A similar letter needs to be addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Padget-Brown
concerning their son Charles. Rather than retype the entire letter, simply make the necessary
changes.
Open the document Typing 2. Change the relevant address and greetings as necessary. Print
and then save the document as
Typing 3.
2. Please set at exam paper using Microsoft Word. The subject matter
of the exam may be any of your choice. However, it is necessary to comply with the following
specifications:
• The name of the school should appear in capital letters in font
Times New Roman, size 14, centered at the top of the page.
• The subject, grade or form, total marks as well as the duration
of the exam should appear just below the heading at the top of the page.
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Copying Text
3.2 Saving Changes to a Document
3.3 Formatting Text
3.3.1 Character Formatting
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• copy a text
• save changes to a document
• format a text.
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
To save a document with its current name, use the File, Save command. You
can access this command by clicking on the Save button on the Standard
toolbar, or by choosing File, Save. This command does not enable you to
rename the document or change its location. The File, Save command updates
the file on disk, replacing the original file with the document in the active
window.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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It is possible to change the appearance and position of text by applying various formatting
options. On this course you will be introduced briefly to two kinds of formatting namely,
character and paragraph.
Character formats – such as bold, italics, underlin ing, font face and font size — can be used
to emphasize text in a document.
The Formatting toolbar, shown in Figure 1 below, has been designed specifically for
formatting. The more commonly used formats have been assigned tools on this toolbar. If an
option that you wish to set were not available from the toolbar, you would have to make use
of the Format, Font… dialog box.
You can use buttons on the Formatting toolbar to change the appearance of all or part of a
document quickly.
1. Existing test
or
2. May be selected before entering text.
If you wish to apply formatting to text that has already been typed, select the text the
appearance of which you would like to change, and then click on the button of your choice.
For example, to apply boldface to existing text, select the text and then click on the Bold
button.
If you wish to apply formatting before typing, simply select the formatting options that you
wish to apply and then type the text. When you no longer wish the format to apply, turn the
formatting option off, or change it to an alternative, whichever is applicable.
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Some Formatting buttons are toggles, that is, the same button is used to turn a
formatting feature “on” and “off”. Examples of toggle buttons are bold, italic
and underline. To remove the formatting after it has been applied, select the
text, the formatting of which you would like to remove, and click on the
corresponding button on the Formatting toolbar.
Some Formatting features, such as the Font and Font size options, are not
toggling buttons. These features require that some selection always be made. In
other words, you cannot turn the Font option “off”; you can only change it to a
different Font.
To apply formatting on a single word, place the insertion point in the word and
apply the formats.
Table 2 below includes a list of shortcut keys that may be used for character
formatting. Only the most frequently used formatting options have been
assigned shortcut keys. They are worth learning, as typing speed is not
compromised when applying formatting using this method.
Table 2
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Before you begin: The document My Memo should still be open on your
screen.
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4.0 CONCLUSION
Copying texts, and saving changes to a document and formatting are important in word
processing.
5.0 SUMMARY
Copying a text required four processes. Here you also learned two kinds of formatting:
character and paragraph.
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Open the file Typing 1. Insert the text “around the world” in the last sentence
just after the word “teachers”. Insert the words “and or repetitive” before the
last word of the paragraph. The revised sentence should read as follows:
(changes have been underlined).
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Paragraph Formatting
3.2 The Spelling Checker
3.3 Introduction to Printing a Document
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
You need to pay much attention to paragraph formatting and printing of documents.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
Paragraph formatting, such as alignment, indents, and tabs can be used to affect the
appearance of your document. To apply a paragraph format, you select the paragraph and
apply the format. However, you can select the paragraph by just placing the insertion point in
the paragraph, or by selecting any amount of text in the paragraph. The formats you apply will
affect the entire paragraph.
Paragraph alignment may be applied before typing a paragraph or after the paragraph has been
typed. Paragraph alignment determines how text is positioned between the left and right
indents. There are four alignment options.
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1. Left Alignment
Align Left:
Lines of text are aligned along the left indent. The text along the right side of
the paragraph appears ragged. Left aligned is the default paragraph-alignment
setting.
2. Center Alignment
Center:
Lines of text are aligned between the indents. Both the left and right sides of
the paragraph appear ragged.
3. Right Alignment
Align Right
Lines of text are aligned along the right indent. The left and right indents are
even with the left margins by default. If you apply paragraph alignment to a
selected paragraph, the text will appear to align (left, center, right and justified)
with the margins. The text along the left side of the paragraph appears ragged.
4. Justified
Justify:
Lines of text are aligned along both the left and right indents. Word adjusts the
spacing between words so that they stretch from left indent to right indent. When
the last line of a justified paragraph is short, however, it will not be stretched
out.
Various methods are available by which you can apply paragraph alignment.
On this course you will be introduced to one of the most common methods used
to apply alignment, namely, selecting one of the alignment buttons on the
Formatting toolbar. Table 3.1 on page 21 illustrates these buttons.
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Table 3.1
Alignment Button
Justify
Right
Left
Center
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Before you begin: The document My Memo should still be open on your screen.
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Although a spelling checker is no substitute for proofreading, you can use this
feature to help you create and edit your documents. Word checks each word in
a document against its dictionaries, then highlights those words that it does not
recognize. The spelling checker also checks for such common typing mistakes
as repeated words (“the the”) and, in conjunction with the AutoCorrect feature,
it checks for irregular capitalization (“tHe”).
To check selected text, make the selection and click on the Spelling and
Grammar button located on the Standard toolbar. To check an entire
document, deselect any selected text, and place the insertion point at the top of
the document before clicking on the Spelling and Grammar button.
When the spelling checker highlights a possible error, a list of suggested words
may appear in the Suggestions list box, depending on whether the dictionary
contains a word that is similarly spelled. The first word in the suggestion list is
automatically selected. If Word’s dictionaries do not recognize the highlighted
word or if it has irregular capitalization, then you can choose from the following
spelling options:
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up to that point will be preserved. If you used the Change All or Delete All options, some
instances of those words might not be changed or deleted.
• Add the word to the AutoCorrect list. You can add a mis-spelled
word and its correct spelling to the AutoCorrect list by clicking on the AutoCorrect button.
If the error is that of repeated words, you can click on Delete to delete the second instance of
the word.
The Automatic Spell Check feature informs you of spelling errors as you type. It can be
enabled or disabled by choosing Tools, Options… and selecting the Spelling & Grammar
tab. Then, under Spelling, select Check spelling As You Type. When you mis-spell a word,
it will be underlined in red. To correct the spelling, right-click on the word to display a
shortcut menu with alternate spelling suggestions and select the correctly spelled word.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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The final step in the production of a document is printing. Learning about finer
print details does not lie within the scope of this course and
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will be dealt with on program specific course. We will therefore concentrate on the basic
principles of printing only.
To print the document in the above window, the following process applies:
1. Choose File, Print (or press <Ctrl> + P). This display the Print
dialog box see figure 3 below.
2. If you have access to more than one printer from your computer,
select the correct printer in the printer Name box.
3. Select what you want to print in the Page range (By default, the
entire document is printed, but you can choose to print the current page, multiple pages, or
selected text.)
4. Select how many copies you wish to print.
5. Click on the Options button to locate additional print settings if
required.
6. Click on OK to start the printing process.
Or
Click on Cancel to close the dialog box and return to the document without printing.
The Print button on the Standard docked toolbar sends the document directly to the printer,
bypassing the Print dialog box. Therefore, the default settings will be used.
Print Button
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
4.0 CONCLUSION
Word adjusts the spacing between words so that they stretch from left indent to
right indent.
5.0 SUMMARY
Type a letter to the parents of students of Slugger Van Tonder under the
following institutions:
Spell check the letter, taking care to correct all spelling errors. If you have
access to a printer, please print the completed letter. Save the document as
Typing. Close the file.
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French, C.S. (2000). Computer Science (5th ed.). Gosport Hants: Ashford Colour Press.
UNIT 2 SPREADSHEET
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Definition of a Spreadsheet
3.2 The Paper Spreadsheet
3.3 The Excel Program
3.3.1 Starting (Launching) Excel
3.4 The Workbook Environment
3.4.1 The Excel Workbook Structure
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
A spreadsheet comprises a grid of numbered rows and lettered column
intersecting in cells. A cell can contain either text or numbered values.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• define a spreadsheet
• discover some of the features and limitations of a paper
spreadsheet
• start Excel
• identify the features of a workbook.
35
vertically is called a “column”. These data may con sist of text, “raw”
numbers or of calculated results. The primary objective of a spreadsheet
is to keep a record of numerical information.
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Quarter
January February March Totals
Rent 600.00 600.00 600.00 R1.800.00
Telephone 48.25 43.50 42.10 R 133.85
Utilities 67.27 75.92 62.89 R 206.08
Charge Cards 200.00 110.00 70.00 R 380.00
Heating Oil 125.52 150.57 50.32 R 326.41
Auto Insurance 150.00 — — R 150.00
Cable TV 30.25 30.25 30.25 9075
Monthly Totals: R 1,221.29 R 1.010.24 R 855.56
Balance: R 253.71 R 464.76 R 619.44
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GST103 MODULE 3
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
1. In Figure 4.1, cross out the current amount for the January telephone
bill and change it to 55.
2. Circle the number that must be recalculated because of this change.
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To start Excel:
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Starting Excel
Before you begin: Ensure that the computer has been turned on, and that
the Windows desktop is displayed.
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The other parts that complete the full Excel screen are the standard
elements associated with a “Window”, for example, a title bar, a menu bar,
a toolbar, etc. You have already been introduced to these elements in
Module 2 of this course. Detailed explanations of these elements may be
found in Module 2.
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
4.0 CONCLUSION
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GST103 MODULE 3
5.0 SUMMARY
Please create the spreadsheet below taking special note of the following:
• The label in cell A1 is set to font size 12. All remaining data is set
to 10
• Ensure that column A is wide enough to accommodate the label in
cell A11 and that column F is set to accommodate the text in cell
F4.
• The labels in the range B4: F4 are right aligned
• Ensure that bold is applied where necessary
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Entering and Correcting Data
3.1.1 Suggested Steps for Creating a Worksheet
3.1.2 Entering Data
3.2 Replacing Cell Contents
3.3 Changing Entries as you Type
3.4 Entering Numbers
3.5 Saving a File
3.5.1 The File, Save and the File, Save as… Command s
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.0 OBJECTIVES
First, consider your objectives for creating a worksheet and the type of
information you want to include. Get some idea of how you want the
worksheet to look. For example, do you want the months to appear across
a row or down a column?
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You might find it helpful to sketch a draft on a piece of paper to create the
structure before you begin typing data. When you are entering data in an
Excel worksheet, the suggested order is:
To create your own workbook in Excel, you will need to enter data. To
enter data:
1. Select, or activate, the cell in which you want to display the data;
use the mouse pointer to point to a cell and then click to select it or
use the arrow movement keys on your keyboard to select a cell.
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Entering Text
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GST103 MODULE 3
One method you can use to correct an item after it is entered into a cell is
to retype the entry and press <Enter> again. The new entry replaces the
old entry.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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GST103 COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
4. Type: January
Do not press <Enter>
5. Press: <Backspace> 4 times To erase the letters “uary.”
6. Press: <Enter> The text “Jan” is entered into cell
A3 and the active cell is now A4.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Entering Numbers
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3.5.1 The File, Save and the File, Save as… Command s
Although it is not necessary, if you select cell A1 before saving the file, the
upper-left corner of the active worksheet will be displayed when the file is
reopened. This helps you to orientate yourself when you are working with
a large worksheet.
Choose File, Save As to save a file for the first time, or to save the changes
in a file with a different name (other than the one specified in the title bar),
in a different location, or in a different format.
To choose the correct file location when using the Save As dialog box,
expand the Save In list box and select the appropriate folder.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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The Save In dialog box should When first installing Excel, the
be set to A: If it is not, please default folder is My Documents,
click on the down arrow of the located on the hard drive.
Save In box and select A: However, on your computer the
default folder may been changed to
A:
4. Type: My Sales Report in the
File name box
5. Click on the Save button in the Excel saves a copy of the file in
lower corner of the dialog box. the default folder. This enables you
to continue working with same
file.
6. Observe the title bar (at the top The file’s new name, My Sales
of the window) Report, is displayed.
4.0 CONCLUSION
5.0 SUMMARY
Create the spreadsheet below taking special note of the following using
Microsoft Excel.
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Enter formulas in the range B11:F11 to complete the set spreadsheet. If you
have a printer, please print the spreadsheet. Save and close the file.
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MODULE 2.2
Unit 1 Using Formulas
Unit 2 Spreadsheets: Numeric Formats
Unit 3 Creating Charts
Unit 4 Charts from Non-adjacent Data, Embedded Charts and
Chart Links
Unit 5 Chart Types
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Using Formulas
3.1.1 Mathematical Operators
3.2 Clearing Cell Contents
3.3 Using Undo
3.4 File Handling Techniques
3.4.1 Closing Files
3.4.2 Creating a New Workbook
3.5 Formatting a Worksheet
3.5.1 Working with Ranges
3.5.2 Using Toolbar Buttons to Format a Worksheet
3.5.3 Adding Border and Colour to Cells
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Here you will learn how to enter formulas, clear contents of a cell and use
the UNDO button. You will be able to change text appearance.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
• enter formulas
• clear contents in a cell
• close workbooks
• use button to change text appearance
• add borders and colour.
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When entering a formula, you can type in cell references or click on the
desired cells. Clicking on the cells may eliminate typing errors and prevent
mistakes as you determine the cell reference by looking at them.
In the above table the two shaded operators are those that require your
special attention. The symbol used to indicate exponentiation (i.e to the
power of) is the caret (Ù) symbol.
Table 2: Exponentiation
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GST103 COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Entering Formulas
Note: Not all actions can be undone in Excel. For example, you cannot
undo a File, Save.
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GST103 MODULE 4
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
This section recaps on a few of the basic file handling techniques that you
were introduced to in Module 3.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Closing Workbooks
When you launch Excel, you see a new, blank workbook called Book 1,
However, should you require a new workbook at a later stage you do not
have to restart Excel to get a new workbook. To create a new workbook
without restarting Excel, click on the New button, or choose File, New
…. The speed key combination of <Ctrl> + N will have the same result.
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Formatting changes the way that numbers and text are displayed in the
worksheet. For example, the number ten can appear as 10, 10.00, R10, and
so on. Applying a format changes only the appearance of a number, not its
value. You can change the appearance of text on a worksheet in a number
of ways, for example, you can emphasize certain words by applying
boldface or underlining.
A range is a group adjacent cells that forms a rectangular shape. Before you
can use a cell or a range of cells in a worksheet, it is necessary to indicate
which cell or range of cell you want to work with. This process is known
as selecting. So far you have only been working with a single
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cell at a time. It may be necessary to work with more that one cell at a
time, for example when formatting.
Selecting Cells
There are various methods that may be used to select a range of cells.
Two of these are as follows:
1. With the mouse pointer, point to the centre of the cell in one corner
of the range; press and hold the mouse button while dragging to the
opposite corner of the range; and release the mouse button.
2. Select one corner of the range; press and hold the <Shift> key; and
click on the opposite corner of the range to select all cells in
between.
Some Formatting button are toggles. To remove the formatting after it has
been applied, select the cell whose formatting you would like to remove,
and click on the corresponding button on the Formatting toolbar.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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GST103 MODULE 4
4.0 CONCLUSION
5.0 SUMMARY
You are now in a position that you can enter formulas, clear contents, of a
cell, close workers and add borders and colour.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this unit you will be exposed to categories of numeric formats, text and
number alignment and printing.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• format a cell
• align text in a cell
• change column widths
• change row heights
• print the active worksheet.
You can select the entire worksheet by clicking on the Select All button,
which is the intersection of the row and column headings in the upper-left
corner of the worksheet.
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You can use Excel’s built-in formats to change the appearance of numbers.
In the Format Cells dialog box, select the Number tab and choose the
options you would like to use and click on OK. Some of the commonly
used numeric formatting options may also be accessed using the formatting
toolbar.
Currency
Percentage
Multiplies the cell contents by 100 and place a % symbol to the right of the
number
Comma
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Increase Decimals
Each time you click on the Increase Decimal button, an extra decimal place
is displayed to the right of the decimal point.
Decrease Decimals
Each time you click on the Decrease Decimal button, one decimal place
fewer is displayed.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Formatting a Cell
2. Click on the Increase Decimal All values in the range are displayed
button. with 2 decimal place.
You can change the alignment of text or numbers in a cell. Right aligned,
left aligned, and centered are the most common alignments. To align the
contents of a cell, select the cell and then click on the desired Formatting
toolbar button.
By default, text entries are left aligned while numeric entries and calculated
results are right aligned. This may lead to data that does not appear neatly
aligned within your spreadsheet. When attempting to correct this, the most
favourable option would be to re-align the label entries, not the values.
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
If the number in the active cell is too wide for the column, the column width
will adjust automatically so that the number is displayed. You can also
change the width of worksheet columns manually. There are several ways,
including the following:
When the total (number of characters of numeric data is greater than the
column width, number signs (# # # # #), commonly referred to as “hash”
symbols, are displayed in the cell if you have manually changed the
column width. To display the number, you can change the formatting or
enlarge the width of the column.
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Just as the default column width may not always be suitable, so too you
will find that the default row height may not always be to your liking.
Although the row height will adjust automatically to accommodate the font
size of a particular cell, you may wish to change the height of worksheet
rows manually. There are several ways, including the following:
• Place the mouse pointer on the boundary below the row heading,
and drag the divider down (to increase the row height) or up (to
decrease the row height).
• Place the mouse pointer on the boundary below the row heading and
double-click the mouse button. The row height is calculated to
accommodate the highest entry in the row.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
7. Drag the boundary down until The height of row 6 is increased the
tip display 25:50
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3.5 Printing
All default print options are listed in the Print dialog box. If you activate
the print process through the Print button, Excel will use the default setting
that appear in the print dialog box. Should you wish to change any of these
setting, you would have to use the file, prints commands to display the
Print dialog box. Figure 3 below displays the print dialog box.
Options that may be selected in the Print dialog box include the following:
A quick way to print your whole worksheet is to click on the print button
on the standard toolbar. Warning When you use this button, the print
dialog box does not appear on the screen. For every click of the mouse on
this button, your printer will print another copy.
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
4.0 CONCLUSION
5.0 SUMMARY
A workbook is Excel’s name for a file. It contains three sheets. These sheets
can be of different types, such as worksheets, macro sheets or chart sheets.
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Creating Chart
3.1.1 Creating a Basic Chart
3.1.2 Examining the Results and Learning about Chart
Terminology
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
You will learn to create charts and other graphic objects using Excel in
this unit.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• create column charts on chart sheets using the <F11> functions key
After you have created a worksheet, you can graphically represent the
worksheet data by creating a chart. Charts often make worksheet data
clearer and easier to understand.
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Excel enables you to create charts sheets, which are separate sheets of a
workbook file that contain only charts. Excel also you to create embedded
charts, which are displayed on the same sheet as the worksheet.
Chart sheets enable you to print a chart that is separate from data. You can
use page setup options to control how the chart will print. Creating a chart
on a separate sheet is useful when you want to show overhead projections
of your charts as part of a presentation or a slide show.
Use an embedded chart when you want to print a worksheet and a chart on
a single sheet of paper. Embedded charts enable you to print a chart and its
associated data side by side on the same printed page. It is easier to compare
actual worksheet data to the graphical representation of that data when you
use an embedded chart.
To create a chart on a chart sheet, you can either use the Chart Wizard or
press the <F11> key. The Chart Wizard feature leads you through a step-
by-step process to create a chart.
When you use the <F11> key to create a chart, Excel applies the default
chart format the new chart. The default chart format is a column chart with
a legend displayed and some formatting applied.
To create a chart using the <F11> function key, the following process
applies:
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Before you begin: Please ensure that Microsoft Windows and Office 2000
have been installed on the hard disk and the computer is on.
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Figure 3.1 below shows the spreadsheet data from which the graph in
Figure 3.2 below has been plotted.
When you create a chart, values from worksheet cells – or data points –
create data markers that can be displayed as bars, column, lines, pie
slices, or other shapes. A data marker is a chart symbol that represents a
single data point.
All of the data points in a column or row on the worksheet combine on the
chart to create a data series, which is displayed on the chart as a group of
data markers distinguished by the same colour or pattern. For example, all
of the entries in the Australia row of the worksheet correspond with the
Australia data series of the chart.
R
Qtr Qtr Qtr Qtr
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series on the chart so that you can easily compare the chart with the
worksheet data.
The value axis is typically the vertical axis on the chart. It is also known as
the y-axis. Values for data points are plotted against this axis. The category
axis is typically the horizontal axis on a chart. It is also known as the x-axis.
Category labels are plotted along the x-axis, and data markers for all series
are grouped into these categories. Gridlines are lines that are drawn in the
plot area, typically for the values axis, so that data marker can easily be
compared with an axis value.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Applying Chart Terminology
Objective: To assign the correct label to each element of the chart shown
in Figure 3
R
Qtr Qtr Qtr Qtr
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R
Data Ma rkers Data Series
Legend
R
R
Gridlines
R
Category R
(X)-axis Category Label
Qtr Qtr Qtr Qtr
Value
(y)-axis)
4.0 CONCLUSION
Chart sheets enable you to print a chart that is separate from data.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this exercise you will make use of the spreadsheets that you created
previously to generate charts and include a column chart.
Open the file Spreadsheet 1. Using the range A4: D9, please plot a column
chart without making use of the Chart Wizard.
French, C.S. (2000). Computer Science (5th ed.) Gosport, Hants; Ashford
Colour Press.
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Charting Non-adjacent Worksheet Data
3.2 Embedded Charts
3.2.1 Creating an Embedded Chart
3.3 Moving an Embedded Chart
3.4 Sizing an Embedded Chart
3.5 Deleting Chart Items
3.6 Chart Links
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Here you will learn how to create a chart from non-adjacent data on the
worksheet. You will also learn how to use the Chart Wizard.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
You can create a chart from non-adjacent data on the worksheet. To do so,
select the first range of data, and then press the <Ctrl> key while you select
the second range of data. Press <F11> to create the chart from the selected
ranges.
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
3. While pressing<Ctrl>,
select the range E5: E9
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
2. Selects the range: A5:A9 (The country names and the column
label)
3. Whilepressing<Ctrl>, (The totals and the column label.)
select the range F5: F9
4. Click on the Chart Wizard
button
On the Standard toolbar, If necessary,
use the More Buttons button to find
it. The first of the four Chart Wizard
dialog boxes is displayed.
You can click on Cancel or get Help
from any Chart Wizard dialog box.
5. If necessary, close the Office By clicking on No, Don’t Provide
Assistant Help Now.
6. In the Chart Type list box,
select Pie
7. Observe the Chart Sub-
Type options
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
You can size an embedded chart by using the selection handles that are
displayed around it when it is selected. When you place the mouse pointer
on one of the selection handles the pointer changes to a two-headed arrow.
You can then drag in the direction of either arrow to enlarge or reduce the
size of the chart. When you size an embedded chart, its dimensions remains
proportional.
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Total
Canada
24% Germany
30%
You can delete any chart item that can be selected by selecting it and
pressing <Delete>. If you should change your mind after you have deleted
a chart item, you can immediately click on the Undo button to reverse your
action.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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When you create a chart worksheet data, Excel creates an active link
between the worksheet values and the chart data points. When you change
a worksheet value, the chart data point updates. The link to worksheet data
is the same whether a chart is embedded or is stored on a chart sheet.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
4.0 CONCLUSION
Excel draws the chart according to the selections that is made in the Chart
Wizard dialog boxes.
5.0 SUMMARY
Excel could be used to draw charts and Excel creates an active link between
the worksheet values and the chart data points.
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A pie graph will illustrate the percentage contribution of each food item
available in the school tuck shop. You will use the data in Spreadsheet to
plot an embedded pie chart.
French, C.S. (2000). Computer Science (5th ed.). Gosport, Hants: Asford
Colour Press.
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Chart Types
3.1.1 Changing Chart Types
3.2 Formatting the Chart
3.2.1 Accessing Format Dialog Boxes
3.2.2 Formatting the Plot Area
3.2.3 Formatting Data Markers
3.3 Previewing and Printing Charts
3.3.1 Print Preview
3.3.2 Printing a Chart
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.0 OBJECTIVES
Excel provides many different chart types to choose from. The type of
chart you use depends on the type of data you are charting.
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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To make you charts more attractive, you can add formatting to chart items.
It is possible to add border around the titles, the legend, and the text boxes.
In addition to this, the colour, thickness, and style of the border, as well as
the colour of the area within the border can be changed.
Each item on a chart has its own unique formatting dialog box, which
contains options specific to that particular item. The easiest method
available for accessing the format dialog boxes is simply to double-click on
the item.
In Exercise 19, you will be required to add a border to the Chart Title. The
Format Chart Title dialog box consists of three page tabs, Patterns, Font,
Alignment as shown in Figure 1 below.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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7. From the style: drop-down The Sample box displays the new
list, Select a style of your border style.
choice
8. From the Color: drop-down The sample box displays the new
list, Select a color of your border colour.
choice
9. From the Weight: drop-down The Sample box displays the new
list, Select a weight of your line width.
choice
10. Click on OK
11. Press: <ESC> To deselect the chart title and view
the chart.
The plot area is the gray background behind the chart. For printing or
presentation purposes, you might need to format the plot area to make it
easier to view the information it contains. The Format Plot Area dialog box
contains a single tab, namely the Pattern tab, only.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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The Print Preview command enables you to view your printouts on screen
before you print them. By using this tool, you can adjust the print settings
before you send your print job to printer. To activate the Print Preview
command you may
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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chart magnified.
4. Click on the Chart To restore the preview to its
previous size
5. Click on the Close button on
the preview toolbar to close
Print Preview.
6. Choose: File, Print… The Print dialog box is displayed.
7. Under Print what, observe
the options.
4.0 CONCLUSION
A legend is used to identify each series in a chart. It contains a sample of
the marker colour and pattern of each series.
5.0 SUMMARY
The plot area is the gray background behind the chart. The Format plot Area
contains a single tab i.e. the patterns tab.
NB: You are not required to include the text boxes or arrows. These
have been included to assist you when interpreting the specifications.
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Drawing
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objective
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Starting PowerPoint and Opening a Presentation
3.1.1 Starting PowerPoint
3.1.2 Opening a Presentation
3.2 Running a Slide Show
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this unit you will learn what a PowerPoint is and what presentations
are.
2.0 OBJECTIVE
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To use PowerPoint, you must load the program from the hard disk into the
computer’s memory. You can store your data files (presentations) in a
folder on the hard drive, or on a floppy disk. In order to use PowerPoint,
you need to have Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Millennium Edition or NT
4.0 installed on your computer.
After you start PowerPoint, a dialog box is displayed that enables you to
create a new presentation or open an existing presentation. To open an
existing presentation:
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Before you begin: Please ensure that your computer is switched on.
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Only one slide is displayed at a time. You can advance the slides manually,
or you can have PowerPoint advance the slides automatically. To advance
slides manually, click the left mouse button to move forward one slide.
To move backward one slide, click the right mouse button and choose
Previous from the shortcut menu.
You can also use the <Page Up> and <Page Down> keys and the <Up
Arrow> and <Down Arrow> keys to navigate through a slide show.
To end a slide show, press <Esc>
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Running a Slide Show
Before you begin: Ensure that Preview Presentation.ppt is open and the
first slide is displayed.
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4.0 CONCLUSION
5.0 SUMMARY
Here you learned how to start PowerPoint and open a presentation. Also
you can now run a slide show.
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Save the presentation as Presentation 1. Run the slide show. Close the
presentation.
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Orientation to the PowerPoint Presentation Screen
3.1.1 The PowerPoint Window
3.1.2 Moving between Slides
3.1.3 Slide Views
3.2 Closing a Presentation and Existing PowerPoint
3.2.1 Closing a Presentation
3.2.2 Exiting PowerPoint
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this unit, you will learn how to use the PowerPoint window.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
The PowerPoint window has many of the more common elements that you
have been introduced to in both Excel as well as Word. We will focus on
the elements that are unique to PowerPoint.
View buttons are located above the Drawing toolbar and on the left side of
the window. Clicking on one of these buttons displays one of five views:
Normal view, Outline view, Slide view, Slide Sorter view, and
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Slide show. The PowerPoint window in Normal view is divided into three
panes: the Slide pane, Outline pane, and Notes pane. These panes will
change depending on which view you are using.
Outlining
toolbar
Scroll box
View
buttons Drawing toolbar
Status bar
Term Definition
Title bar Located across the top of the
window, it displays the name of the
application, and the name of the
active presentation file.
Menu bar Located below the title bar, it lists
the PowerPoint menus.
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You use the vertical scroll bar to move among the slides in a presentation.
Drag the scroll box up or down to move to a particular slide. As you drag,
the slide-indicator box shows the slide number and slide title. Release the
mouse button when the slide-indicator box displays the correct slide
number. At the bottom of the scroll bar are the Previous Slide button and
the Next Slide button. You can also click on these buttons to move through
the presentation one slide at a time.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Changing Views
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Objective: To observe the various ways that you can view a presentation
Before you begin: Ensure that Preview Presentation.ppt is open and that
Slide 1 is displayed.
Each file that you open remains open until you close it. Because having
several files open reduces available memory, it is suggested that you
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close presentation files when you have finished working with them. To
close a PowerPoint presentation, choose File, Close.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
4.0 CONCLUSION
Excel, Word and PowerPoint window have common elements but some
elements are unique to PowerPoint.
5.0 SUMMARY
Here you learned how use PowerPoint window. In particular you learned
five working environments of PowerPoint.
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Creating a New Presentation
3.1.1 Presentation Design Tips
3.1.2 Entering Text on a Slide
3.1.3 Adding a New Slide
3.1.4 Adding a Bullet Slide
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this unit, you will learn how to choose a presentation and slide type.
Furthermore you will be able to create a title slide and enter text on a slide.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
When you create a presentation in PowerPoint, you can choose from three
tabbed categories in the New Presentation dialog box:
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Table 2
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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3. Double click on Preview Next you will close this file, but
Presentation.ppt not exit PowerPoint
4. Select File, Close
5. Select File, New… To display the New Presentation
dialog box.
6. Observe the New You can choose from three tabbed
Presentation dialog box categories:
General, Design Templates, and
Presentations.
7. If necessary, select the To display the selections in the
general tab General category
8. Select the Design Templates To display the selection of design
tab templates.
9. Select Expedition
10. Observe the Preview box (Located to the right of the design
templates list.)
It displays the template design and
colour scheme.
11. Select the Presentations tab To display a selection of pre-
designed presentations.
12. Select the Business Plan The template is displayed in the
Preview box.
13. Select the Design Templates
tab
14. Select Lock And Key
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21. Observe the slide The left side of the slide contains a
graphic object as well as two text
placeholders
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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2. Type the bullet text for the first bullet and press <Enter>. A
second bullet is displayed.
3. Continue typing bullet items. Press <Backspace> to delete an
unwanted bullet.
4. Click away from the bullet-list placeholder to deselect it.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
4.0 CONCLUSION
PowerPoint has three tabbed categories in the New Presentation dialog box.
5.0 SUMMARY
Here you learned how to choose a presentation and a slide. You can now
enter a text on a slide and add a bullet slide.
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Saving a Presentation
3.1.1 The File, Save as Command
3.1.2 The File, Save Command
3.2 Naming a Presentation
3.3 Formatting Slides
3.3.1 Attributes
3.3.2 The Edit, Undo Command
3.4 Working with Drawing Tools
3.4.1 The Drawing Toolbar
3.5 Creating an Object
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this unit, you will learn how to store a presentation for permanent
usage.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• save a presentation
• name a presentation
• format slides
• work with drawing tools
• create objects.
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To save a presentation, you either the File, Save As… or the File, Save
command.
After the presentation has been saved, its filename will be displayed in the
title bar while it is open.
When you save a file for the first time, PowerPoint automatically assigns
a filename by using the Title line of the first slide in the
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
“Formatting” refers to the appearance or text, not the text itself. You can
change the appearance of text by changing its attributes, indentation and
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line spacing. In order to change the appearance of existing text, the text has
to be selected. Various selecting techniques are available in PowerPoint.
The most common way of selecting text is to “click and drag” the mouse
over the relevant text.
3.3.1 Attributes
• Font
• Size
• Style
• Colour
You can use the text-formatting buttons to apply certain text attributes, such
as font, font size, bold, italics, underline, shadow, and colour, quickly. The
text-editing buttons work like toggle switches: click once to turn an option
on, and click again to turn the option off.
You can use the Edit, Undo command or the Undo button to reverse
changes that you make in your presentation. For example, if you can
accidentally delete text, you restore the text by using the Undo
command.
The speed key combination of <Ctrl> + Z may be used in the place of the
menu commands.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Formatting Text
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PowerPoint enables you to create drawn objects using a set of tools located
on the Drawing toolbar. The drawing tools include buttons that enable you
to automatically draw circles, rectangles, lines, and other geometric shapes.
Drawn objects can be edited like PowerPoint objects. It is possible to
duplicate, resize, move, colour, cut, and paste drawn objects. You can also
add attributes such as borders, fills, and shadows, to drawn objects. In
addition to this, drawn objects can be aligned and rotated. Text may be
added to drawn objects.
The Drawing toolbar is one of the default toolbars displayed when you start
PowerPoint. It contains various tools to draw boxes, lines, and circles, as
well as tools to alter those objects.
Two of the buttons that are found on the Drawing toolbar are Draw and
AutoShapes. If you click on the Draw button, a pop-up menu is displayed.
The commands on this menu enable you to group and ungroup, rotate and
flip, and move objects in front of or behind each other, to name but a few.
The AutoShapes button is firstly used to select from over 150 shapes and
secondly to draw that shape on the PowerPoint slide.
You can move any toolbar by pointing between buttons and dragging or by
dragging its title bar.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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3. In the New Slide dialog box, The Slide is blank, but it still
double-click on the Blank contains the background including
AutoLayout the vertical graphic. (Key on the left)
To create an object using the drawing toolbar, the following steps apply:
1. From the Drawing toolbar, click on the drawing tool that you want
to use.
2. Move the mouse pointer to where you want to begin drawing the
object. The mouse pointer changes to a crosshair.
3. Drag the crosshair until the object is the desired shape and size.
4. Release the mouse button. The object is completed and is
automatically selected.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Creating Objects
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4.0 CONCLUSION
5.0 SUMMARY
You learned here how to save a presentation and also name a presentation
using PowerPoint.
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Using AutoShapes
3.2 Using Clip Art
3.2.1 Adding a Clip Art Graphic to a Slide
3.3 Using WordArt
3.3.1 Selecting a Style and Adding Text
3.3.2 The WordArt Toolbar
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
You will learn in this unit that AutoShapes button provides access to over
150 shapes. You will learn how to use AutoShapes button in this unit.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• use AutoShapes
• select a clip art Autolayout
• select a WordArt “Style Type” and add text.
The AutoShapes button provides access to over 150 shapes. When you
click on the AutoShapes button, a pop-up menu is displayed with nine
choices. If you choose a submenu choice and a shape, the mouse pointer
shape changes into a crosshair, enabling you to draw that particular shape.
To draw an AutoShape
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3. Press and hold the mouse button and drag the crosshair to create
the AutoShape.
4. Release the mouse button.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Using Autoshapes
Graphic images called clip art are supplied with PowerPoint. These images
are stored in the Clip Art folder, which is shared with other Microsoft
Office applications.
The fastest way to do many tasks in Clip Gallery is to use the Pop-up
menu, which appears when you click on any clip. Figure 2 depicts an
illustration of the pop-up menu.
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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The WordArt toolbar lets you add special effects to the text in your
presentations. For example, you can have your text on shapes, such as
circular, slanted and curved. Text can also be sized, stretched, and rotated.
The spacing between characters can be adjusted, and formatting options
(such as font size, bold, and italics) and shading can be applied.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
4.0 CONCLUSION
Graphic images, called clip art, which are supplied with PowerPoint are
stored in the Clip Art folder.
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5.0 SUMMARY
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MODULE 5: NETWORKING, INTERNET AND E-MAIL
UNIT 1
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Terminology
3.1.1 Networks
3.2 Local Area Network (LAN’s)
3.2.1 Network Components
3.3 Wide Area Networks (WAN’s)
3.4 Overview of the Internet and the World Wide Web
3.4.1 What is the Internet?
3.4.2 What is the World Wide Web?
3.5 Browser
3.6 Hyperlinks
3.7 Home Pages
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
An interconnected set of two or more computers with data communication
devices may be called a computer network. The wired arrangement consists
of a communication software (Network Operating System), computer
systems (Nodes), Network interface cards (connectors) and network cable
(medium).
2.0 OBJECTIVES
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3.1 Terminology
You will hear talk of LAN, MAN, WAN and WWW. This is often
confusing, but let’s attempt to define the terms:
LAN Stands for Local Area Network and refers to a network set up in one
building.
WAN is a Wide Area Network and refers to LANs or MANs that are
connected between cities.
WWW is a World Wide Web and refers to the linking up the world’s
LANs, MANs and WANs to form a web of networks that cover the earth.
3.1.1 Networks
There are two main categories of networks used in the industry, which are
LAN’s (Local Area Network) and WAN’s (Wide Area Network).
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A LAN is a network in which all signals run on a single set of cables, which
is fully administered by the owner. There are three typical network
topologies (layouts). These are star, ring and bus shapes.
The star shape is the most common. Here outlying stations communicate
through a central hub device.
Stations on a bus network send data to a transmitter at one end of the bus.
This transmitter rebroadcasts the information back along the bus so that
other stations can receive it.
Printer
To outside
communication
Server
Workstation Personal
computer
Personal Workstation
computer
Printer Workstation
Figure 1
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Shared equipment All users attached to a network can also make use of
certain shared equipment.
It doesn’t just end with a single LAN of course. Some companies prefer to
keep separate workgroups (departments), which is accomplished by giving
each workgroup their own LAN.
LANs or MANs that are connected between cities are known as WAN’s.
Why do we need WAN’s?
To use the telephone system you first need to convert your electronic signal
into something more suitable for the phone lines. Telephone transmits
sounds, not the radio frequency signals that pulse around a LAN. To do the
conversion a device called a Modem is used. The name is a contraction of
Modulator-Demodulator. All that means is that the device takes a series of
electronic signals and converts them into pulses of sound, which can be sent
along the telephone lines.
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worldwide and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. All you need
is a modem and the software to be able to get onto the internet.
Millions of people have Internet access today. The World Wide Web (the
web or www) gives you a graphical, easy-to-navigate interface for looking
at documents on the Internet. These documents, as well as the links between
them, comprise a “web” of information .
The web lets you jump or “hyperlink” from one web p age to other pages
on the web. You can think of the web as a big library. Web sites are like
the books, and web “pages” are like specific pages in the books. Pages can
contain news, images, movies, sounds, and 3D worlds – just about
anything.
Figure 2: Hyperlinks
Over the last few years, the web has grown to include a vast array of
information – everything from stock quotes to job o pportunities, bulletin
boards to news, previews of movies, literary reviews, and games.
People often talk about “surfing” the web and visit ing new sites. “Surfing”
means following hyperlinks to pages and s ubjects you may never have
heard about, meeting new people, visiting new places, and learning about
things from all over the world.
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pictures of themselves and more. Some even have pointers to what they are
wearing in the office that day, or their pet.
As mentioned earlier you can think of the World Wide Web as a big library
on the Internet. Web “sites” are like the b ooks in the library and web
“pages” are like specific pages in the books. A collection of web pages is
known as a web site. You start your journey through the web from a
particular web site.
3.5 Browser
A “browser” is a software tool that you use to look at web pages. As you
learned, pages on the web are interconnected. You connect to other pages
by clicking text or graphics that are called hyperlinks.
3.6 Hyperlinks
Hyperlinks are underlined or bordered words and graphics that have web
addresses (also know as URL – Universal Resource Lo cator) embedded in
them. By clicking a hyperlink, you jump to a particular page in a particular
web site. You can easily identify a hyperlink. Hyperlink text is a different
colour from the rest of the text in a web site.
Surfing the web means following hyperlinks to different web pages. As you
surf around the web, you may find pages you have read about or seen
mentioned on television. Have fun surfing the web to learn about subjects
you are interested in and visiting new sites all over the world.
A “home page” is the starting point for a web site. It is something like the
cover page or the Table of Contents of a book.
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4.0 CONCLUSION
5.0 SUMMARY
Here you learned important terms like LAN, MAN and WWW. You will
learn more about them in this module.
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UNIT 2 INTERNET
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objective
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Internet Addresses
3.2 Internet Service Providers (ISP)
3.3 Internet Terminology
3.4 Exercise 1: Examining the Start Page of Academy of
Learning
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
There are local, national and international networks and most major
networks are interconnected. The Internet is a global network of
interconnected computer networks.
2.0 OBJECTIVE
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
• work on the internet.
The address box shows the address, or technically speaking, the URL of the
page that you are currently viewing in your browser. URL stands for
Universal Resource Locator, which is simply another word for address.
A ddress:
Figure 1: URL Address
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These are the people who control the access to the web. A person has to
sign on with an ISP before you can get onto the Internet. Normally a
monthly fee is payable but there are also contracts which reduce the
monthly costs.
There are many ISP available to you, you need to investigate them and
decide with which one you wish to subscribe. Once you have subscribed
they help you set up your Internet. They give you a POP address from
which you can receive e-mail and get connected to the web. Once you are
set up you can then get onto the Internet.
When working with the Internet, certain terms and terminologies are used
to describe processes and concepts. A vast list of such terminology is
available. Table 1 below describes a few of the more commonly used of
these terms and terminologies.
Table 1
Terminology Definition
Access Privileges The privilege to access and make changes to
folders.
Address The unique code assigned to the location of a file
in storage, a device in a system or network, or
any other data source on a network.
Attachments Multimedia files that are ‘attached’ to an E-mail;
can be text, graphics, sound, video, spreadsheet,
database or even an entire application.
Baud The number of signalling elements that can be
transmitted per second on a circuit. Older term
being replaced by bps-bits per second
Bit The smallest amount of information that can be
transmitted. A combination of bits can indicate
an alphabetic character, a numeric digit, or
perform signalling, switching or other functions.
Browser Application software that gives you a graphical
interactive interface for searching, finding,
viewing and managing information over a
network.
BBS (Bulleting An electronic bulleting board where users can
board system) leave messages. Many BBS’s are on a
membership basis.
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Terminology Definition
Chat “Chat” is a term used to describe real-time
conferencing. For example, IRC,
“WebChat”, prodigy and aol chat rooms are
all examples of “chat”.
Client A computer that uses the services of another
computer (a server or host). If you have a PC
on your desk and you retrieve information
from the World Wide Web, your PC is a
client of the Web server to which it is
connected.
Cybercafe A café or bar allowing customers to explore
the World Wide Web whilst having a drink
or snack, usually charged per half-hour of
usage.
Cyberspace Originally used in “Neuromancer,” William
Gibson’s novel of direct brain-computer
networking referring to the collective realms
of computer-aided communication.
Database A multi-user collection of information. Often
supports random access selectivity and
multiple “views” or levels of abstraction of
the underlying data.
Dedicated Line A private line leased from a
telecommunications carrier.
Download To transfer programs or data from a
computer to a connected device, usually
from a server to a personal computer.
e-mail (Electronic Messages sent on the Internet to a particular
Mail) individual.
File Server A computer that provides access to files for
remote users (clients).
Firewall A firewall sits at the gateway of a private
network and only lets certain types of
information in from and out to the network.
Freeware Software allowed to be distributed free by
the author, but often with certain conditions
applying (i.e. the software cannot be
modified etc).
Home Page On the World Wide Web, this is the main
navigation page owned by a company,
organisation, university, individual etc, from
which hyperlinks are made to other pages on
the site (or other sites).
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Terminology Definition
HTML (Hyper Text A “tag” language in which web pages are
Markup Language) formattedandwebinformationis
distributed.
HTTP (Hypertext The method by which documents are
Transfer Protocol) transferred from the host computer or server
to browsers and individual users.
Hyperlink In World Wide Web pages, hyperlinks are
highlighted text or images which, when
selected (usually by clicking the mouse
button), follow a link to another page.
Hyperlinkscanalsobeusedto
automatically download other files as well
as sounds and video clips.
MoDem End of user computer interface that enables
(MODulator- digital data to be transmitted over analog
DEModulator) transmission facilities like phone lines.
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4. Ensure that the General panel is Note the Address of the Home
selected Page:
File://C:/AOL/AOLHOME.HTM
5. Delete the current address and (Do not attempt to underline the
type the following into the address) The new start page is
Address box: entered into the Address box.
File://C:/AOL/AOLHOME.HTM
6. Click on the Apply button and The new start page has been set.
then click on the OK button (It will only be displayed once
you restart the browser).
7. Exit from the browser You are returned to the Windows
desktop.
8. Launch the browser The new start page will be
displayedonyourscreen.
(Maximize if necessary).
Your screen should now appear
similar to the example shown on
the next page.
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4.0 CONCLUSION
• Information browsing
• electronic mail (e-mail)
• Newsgroups
• File transfer
• Access to and use of other computers.
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GST103 MODULE 6
5.0 SUMMARY
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this unit you open the Explorer and navigate around the start page. You
will also use some of the links that are located in the start page before you
conclude the unit you will navigate using the address box.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
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2. Press the down arrow↓ key on The down arrow key scrolls you
your keyboard Using the up down the current documents, one
arrow scroll to the top of line at a time. You can use the up
the document. and down arrow keys to scroll the
current page within your browser
window.
3. Press the <Page Down> key on The current document moves down
your keyboard. one screen (page) at a time. The
<Page Up> key moves you up one
screen at a time.
4. Press the <Page Up> key on The current document moves up to
your keyboard. the top or start of the current page.
5. Press the <Ctrl> + <End> The current document moves down
keys on your keyboard. to the bottom or end of the current
page.
6. Press the <Ctrl> + <Home> The current document moves up to
keys on your keyboard. the top or start the current page.
Now you will use your mouse to
navigate in the current page.
7. Click on the scroll bar down The current document moves down
arrow at the bottom of the towards the bottom or end of the
vertical scroll bar. current page.
9. Click on the grey area of the The current document moves down
scroll bar. (Between the scroll one screen (page) at a time.
bar down arrow and the grey
scroll box)
Repeat the process to move back to
the top of the current page. (Click
between the scroll bar up arrow
and the grey scroll box).
10. Exit your browser. You are returned to the desktop.
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GST103 COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
Objective: To open the Explorer and use some of the links located in the
Start Page.
Before you begin: Ensure that you have the Windows desktop displayed
on your screen.
2. Scroll down the Start Page The following buttons on the Start until
the following buttons are Page are displayed.
visible.
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GST103 MODULE 6
Before you begin: Ensure that your Internet Browser is open and that the
Start Page is displayed on the screen.
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Press: <Enter>
3.4 Newsgroups
The next area of the Internet that we will look at in this course, is that of
Newsgroups. The area on the Internet that comprises thousands of
newsgroups is known as the Usenet.
When you post a message to a newsgroup, it is posed onto your ISP’s news
server. When you view the messages in a newsgroup, the server
automatically activates the links and scans the other servers for messages
in the requested category. When you look at a list of articles in a newsgroup
you can see each message header, when the relevant header is activated
(double-clicked on) a connection with the appropriate server is made and
the message is displayed in your browser window.
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The newsgroups can be accessed either from links in the Web pages or from
an integrated news browser which forms part of your Web browser.
4.0 CONCLUSION
Here you opened the Explorer and carried out stipulated exercises.
5.0 SUMMARY
You wish to send an e-Mail message to a fellow teacher in the same school
where you teach. Attached to this e-mail is a draft copy of an exam paper
that you have set. Explain how you would go about creating the e-mail,
attaching the document containing the exam paper and finally sending the
e-Mail.
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objective
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Electronic Mail
3.1.1 Microsoft Outlook – Inbox
3.2 Creating an E-Mail Message
3.3 Exercise 5: Creating and Sending E-mail
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.0 OBJECTIVE
Electronic mail can also be sent to remote locations via the telephone
system, provided the network software supports this feature. This makes
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On this course you will use the program Microsoft Outlook to learn how to
send mail.
By default, when Outlook is launched it will display your Inbox, listing all
received electronic mail. Should the Inbox not be the current folder, simply
click on the Inbox shortcut, located in the Outlook Shortcuts group. The
following Inbox folder will be displayed.
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Tool Function
Activates the New Message dialog box; used
to create a new mail message.
New Mail Message
Prints the active folder or selected items.
Please note that this method of activating print
Print does not call up the print dialog box. To set
print options, you would need to select File,
Print…
Enables you to move the selected item or
items to a specific folder.
Move to Folder
Used to delete items in a folder or the entire
folder
Delete
Click on this button if you wish to reply to the
sender only. The Message Reply window will
Reply be displayed.
Click on this button if you wish to reply to the
sender and all recipients of the message. The
Reply to All Message Reply window will be displayed.
This button may be used to check for mail
Send/Receive waiting in your postbox or to send outgoing
mail.
This feature allows you to organise the Inbox.
You can create rules through which future
Organize information will automatically be organised,
change view and manage junk e-mail
messages. this is a new feature in Outlook
2000.
Used to look up e-mail and fax information
when you address messages.
Address Book
Used to find information about a contact
stored in the Contacts folder.
Find a Contact
Activates Microsoft Outlook Help.
Microsoft Outlook
Help
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• The first step is to click on the New Mail Message button located on
the standard toolbar (click on the picture, not the drop-down arrow).
To…button
To
Cc…
Subject box
Message
The cursor automatically goes to the To… box. This is where the e-mail
address/addresses of the recipient/recipients is/are typed.
The Cc… box is used if you want to send the same message to another
person.
The Subject: box is for you to give your message a subject heading.
The box underneath subject is the Message detail box and is used to write
the contents of your message.
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Admin
Student1
Student2
Student3
• Change the Address list to display the Post Office Address List as
shown above. When the Address List is changed, all available
Select the name(s) of the individual(s) to receive your message by
double clicking on the name(s) displayed in the list of recipients. (In
Exercise 5 later in this module, you will send the first message to
Student2.)
• The name(s) of the chosen recipient(s) will display in the Message
Recipients window. Next click on the OK button. This will close
the Select Names dialog box and place the recipient name(s) in the
window of the new message.
• Type a subject heading in the Subject window. you will notice that
the Subject is used as the message title in the title bar.
• Enter the message details into the message window. The message
window will appear similar to Figure 4.5 below:
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Send button
Name: Student1
Click on OK
2. In the Microsoft Mail logon The Inbox folder for Student1
dialog box logon as: will be displayed. (If it is not,
click on the Inbox shortcut.
Mailbox: Student
Password: Password
Click on the OK button.
3. Click on the New Message The following message
button. window will appear.
5. Click on Show Names from the: The Post Office Address List is
drop-down arrow and selected and all available recipients
click should appear in the Recipient List
on the Post Office Address window.
List Option if Necessary.
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13. Click on the Send button The message is sent, and the
Message window is closed.
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GST103 MODULE 6
4.0 CONCLUSION
5.0 SUMMARY
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32
UNIT 3.1 READING AND RESPONDING TO AN E-MAIL
MESSAGE
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Reading and Responding to an E-Mail Message
3.2 Placing an Attachment to an E-Mail Message
3.3 Reading a Message Attachment
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.0 OBJECTIVES
As mentioned earlier, all incoming mail messages are stored in the Inbox.
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Reply button
• If you wish to reply to the sender and all of the recipients of the
message, click on the Reply to All button.
When clicking on either of the above buttons the Message Reply window
will be displayed. By default the recipient name is automatically entered
together with the original message. Scroll to the end of the original message
and type your reply before clicking on the send button.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Replying to a Message
Before you begin: Launch Outlook 2000. (NB: In the first step of the
Exercise you will be prompted to logon as Student2.
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GST103 MODULE 6
Type:
Thank you for your
message.
I will submit a detailed
reply
by noon today.
11. Click on the Send button. The reply is sent, and the original
message is redisplayed.
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on
the Title bar of the Message
window.
• Ensure that you are in the Message window, the click on the Insert
File button.
• In the Insert File dialog box that is displayed, select the relevant the
name and click on the OK button. the message window will now
display a file icon in the message as per the following example:
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To read the attachment the mouse must be placed on the message. Click
the right hand button on the mouse. Select view and the attachment will
open.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Before you begin: Launch Outlook 2000. (NB: In the first step of the
Exercise you will be prompted to logon as Student2.)
Mailbox: Student2
Password: Password
2. Click on OK Next you will check the mailbox
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10. Switch to folder A:\ The files from your data folder are
displayed
11. In the list of filenames, click on The filename is selected.
Blue.bmp.
12. Click on the Insert button The dialog box is closed, and the
file is attached to the message.
Notice that an icon representing
the attached file appears below the
message.
13. Click on the Send button The message is sent, and the
Message window is closed.
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Name: Student 1
16. Logon as: Mailbox:
Student 1
Password: Password
17. Open your Inbox The Inbox is displayed.
18. Update the Inbox listing if The inbox listing is refreshed and
necessary <F5> displays any new mail received.
19. Notice that the new message The message is opened. Next you has a
paper clip icon next to the will view the attachment. sender’s name,
indicating that this
message has an attachment.
Double click on the Family Crest
message.
20. In the newly displayed message The attached file is opened and
there is an icon labeled Blue.BMP displayed in Paint.
Double click on this icon.
21. Exit Paint and Exit and Logoff You are returned to the Windows
Outlook. desktops.
4.0 CONCLUSION
5.0 SUMMARY
39
MODULE 6: COMPUTER APPLICATION IN VARIOUS FIELDS
In this module we shall discuss the application of computers in the following areas:
· Education
· Health Care
· Recreation
· Government
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
Computer has become a universal tool of any modern man (or woman). Literacy, today is not
defined only in terms of the ability to read and/or write but in addition, it includes the ability
to use and communicate with the aid of computer. In the education sector, computers are being
2.0 Objective
The main objective of this unit is to identify some areas of application of computer in the in
1
3.0 Application of Computers in Education
The field of education provides the most fascinating application of computing system. This
has consequently attracted considerable attention from educationist and policy makers since
the late 1960s, when computers were introduced into the classroom. The entry of the computer
into the classroom has now offered opportunities and possibilities for students to develop their
and entertaining educational computer software packages are now available in almost every
subject. These self-tutor instruction packages are well designed to enable the user to learn on
his or her own time, speed and convenience. The role of the teacher here is that of a guide so
that the student can think more logically and can gain meaningful experience in such structured
situations, role playing and other well programmed exercise so that the student can have a
Apart from the use of computer as an instructional aid, it is also used in the execution of routine
and administrative tasks such as the keeping of academic and administrative records on
The computer has also revolutionized the services rendered by libraries to readers. A computer
based on-line public access catalogue system manages a search for materials using indices
such as author’s name, book title, subject and classmark. Readers using public terminals can
2
Furthermore, optical character reading devices are used to scan the bar codes on readers library
cards to offer a computer based issuing of books to readers. A computer based security system
nursery schools, primary schools, secondary schools, polytechnics, colleges of education and
· Distant learning programmes e.g. sandwich programmes, through the Virtual Library
Technology.
· Teleconferencing technology.
· Estimating the teachers-student ratio with a view to assessing the adequacy of teaching
and learning.
· Estimating the ratio of students to teachers and teachers to teaching facilities with
3
· Timely generation of students examination results.
· Aiding students to learn basic theoretical concepts. There are currently, some computer
aided learning software packages and hardware devices that are readily available in
the market.
4.0 Conclusion
Computers have been applied in virtually all fields of human endeavour. This unit presents an
overview of some of the key areas of its application. The application of computers in education
5.0 Summary
In this unit we have learnt that computer could, among others, be applied in the following
· Education
· Health Care
· Recreation
· Government
· The Military
4
6.0 Tutor Marked Assignment
You have just been appointed as the principal of a model secondary school. Write a proposal
to the school governing council on the areas of application of computers to the operations of
the school.
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
Oliver E.C. and Chapman R.J. (1986). Data Processing, Seventh Edition. ELBS/DP
Publications.
5
STUDY UNIT 2: COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN MICRO, SMALL MEDIUM AND
LARGE ORGANISATIONS
Table of Content
1.0 Introduction
In the early days of computing, computers were originally meant to assist in scientific and
engineering applications. Today, computers are widely used to perform wide ranging tasks
from routine accounting operations to management decision making. Corporate operations are
becoming more complex and competitive thus increasing the need to produce and process
more accurate and timely data both in quantity and quality. More accurate, reliable and timely
data are needed for corporate planning, policy formulation and decision making
2.0 Objectives
The objective of this unit is to highlight the areas of application of computer in business and
industry.
discussed in details:
(i) Payroll.
6
(viii) Point of Sale Service.
(i) Payroll
Payroll preparation is essentially a repetitive and a routine task which has to be done
periodically for every single employee in an organization at particular points in time either
source documents which by their nature also require constant and periodic updating.
These attributes obviously lend themselves to the use of computers which have the
capabilities to meet the challenging demands in payroll preparation. These include the
(b) Store information and make the information available as at when it is needed.
(c) Handled repetitive recurring tasks and check on its own work as a way of controlling
human errors.
(d) Provide a much better and reliable procedure for the necessary security checks to
the following:
7
(a) Updating the personal records of employees whenever new appointments, resignations,
terminations, dismissals and other changes are made within a period of time.
(b) Computing wages and salaries for each individual workers based on regular and
(c) Making deductions for income tax and for other payments such as union dues and
repayment of loans.
(d) Preparation of pay advice slips and cheques to employees and banks.
(e) Updating the master payroll file based on the records received from the personnel
department.
In addition to payroll preparation, the computer is also used for other routine and repetitive
book keeping and accounting operations involving recording, classifying and summarizing
accounting data. This may involve preparing and updating ledger and journal accounts,
invoicing, accounts receivable and payable. Other operations may also include updating and
preparing accounts on sales, purchases and inventory. The computer is also used for the
preparation and evaluation of the balance sheet and statements of accounts, preparation of
An equally important business application of the computer is seen in the execution of the
organisation. This is to ensure that working capital is not unduly tied in stocks while at the
same time available stocks can meet the demands of continued production
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process. In this direction, the computer is used as a tool in updating records of inventory and
also in the preparation of forecasts and demand predictions based on economic order quantity
The computer is used as a tool by auditors to report accurately on the transaction register which
constitutes the most crucial aspect in the audit trail. With the aid of the computer, it is easier
for auditors, in their examination of the accounting records of a business, to trace routine
business operations so that variances can be detected and verified accurately using various
management decision making. The computer is used as a tool for the online storage, retrieval,
processing and maintenance of corporate data meant to be shared by all the users’
departments.
timely and effective data which management can use at various level of decision making for
Included in Management Information System to be used for the various decision making
(a) Controlling and operational planning support systems to deal with day-to-day decisions
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(b) Tactical support systems to deal with short-run and middle level management
decisions.
(c) Strategic support systems to deal with corporate strategic and top level
management decisions.
With the aid of these support systems, data can be retrieved and analyzed on a continuous
and timely basis to aid management decision making and other management functions about
sales, finances, purchases, acquisition of plant and equipment, research, market analysis and
so on.
One of the important functions of the personnel department is to maintain and continually
update a master file and other records in the personnel department in an organisation. The
computer facilitates the effective keeping of a comprehensive and up-to-date record of each
prepared at the appropriate time to provide the necessary data to aid management decision
periods, staff training, staff development and so on. Furthermore, management can provide
the necessary accurate and up-to-date reports on a timely and continual basis to facilitate
payroll preparation and also to satisfy other mandatory data requirements from data users
such as governments, trade unions, banks, credit unions and tax collectors.
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(vi) Preparation of Customers Utility Bills
The routine and periodic preparation of customers utility bills particularly those based on
meter readings for such utility services as water, electricity, telephone, gas, demands accuracy
and speed in which the computer has proved very effective and efficient. With the aid of the
computer, accurate and up-to-date customer’s bills can be sent to them periodically and in
good time to enable settlement to be made. Computers can be used to generate notices of
defaulters. Equally important is the use of the computer to calculate dividend, pension and
Another important application of the computer which has proved very beneficial in the world
of business is the monitoring of production processes so that high quality products and
services are provided to customers. Computer Aided Designs (CAD) devices are used in the
design of products while computer monitored quality control procedures are used in
production process to detect items that fail to meet the approved quality standards and
specifications. Such automated devices are used in car assembly plants, oil refineries,
manufacturing of drugs and so on. Computer aided quality control devices are also used to
monitor weight, size, quantity, contents and other standard specifications in the course of a
manufacturing process.
Check-out points in supermarkets and departmental stores are now highly computerized to
detect the prices of items. Magnetic Character Readers are used to scan Universal Product
Codes on items to provide fast, efficient and satisfactory services to customers in commercial
transaction in retail outlets, departmental stores, libraries and other point of sale service.
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(ix) Financial Market Transactions
Computer application in the financial market is manifested in its use to monitor financial
market operations and to disseminate timely and up-to-date information which are announced
daily on the radio, television or consumers magazines. Stock exchange centres are highly
computerized to provide accurate and up-to-date prices of stock and shares and also to execute
the buying and selling transactions that take place in the markets. The computer has long been
used to assess, evaluate and monitor stock market prices. With the aid of the computer, market
trends are predicted with accuracy and inventors are provided with the appropriate and up-to-
date data to enable them make intelligent decisions and also to guide them to manage their
portfolios effectively.
Furthermore, the computer is used to calculate the foreign exchange rates of major
currencies as well as the prices of major commodities such as gold, crude oil, cocoa, coffee,
and other commodities that enter into international trade. Computer is also used to provide
accurate and up-to-date information on interest rates, gilts and bonds to reflect market trends.
The computer application in business is further seen in its use in discounting bills and bonds
and other financial market instruments to their present values. Closely related to this is the use
of the computer to carefully monitor the movement of a basket of goods and services which
measures the rate of inflation in an economy and which further provides a barometer of the
Most banking operations are now highly computerized as a move to provide fast,
effective and efficient services to customers. These include the use of Magnetic Ink Character
Readers to process cheques and the provision of Magnetic Credit Cards to customers to have
access to funds twenty-four hours a day at an unattended automatic teller machines. Customers
also use their credit cards to open doors to some banking houses to transact business. There
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perform automatic financial transactions at check out counters in hotels, stores, airlines,
(b) Monitor, control and evaluate the transactions of the customers and clients on their
accounts.
(d) Monitor, control and evaluate the bank or insurance company’s revenue and
expenditure.
(e) Automate the production of statement of accounts and assist in generating the accurate
(d) Generating the table of contents and the index of a book automatically.
(e) Generating the page size of a book and cut and paste illustrations automatically.
(f) Processing images such as the scanning of pictures and recording them automatically
(h) Assisting the writer of an article to identify the words that have similar meaning.
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4.0 Conclusion
Computer technology has changed the face of business and industry through its various
applications. Information and knowledge replace capital and energy as the primary wealth-
creating assets. Information technology transforms the way that business is conducted, and
the way the commodities of trade are transformed. Discussions presented in this unit has
brought to the fore some of the areas of application of computer in business and industry.
5.0 Summary
In this unit, the following areas of application of computer technology in business will be were
discussed in details:
(a) Payroll.
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6.0 Tutor Marked Assignment
The banking industry in Nigeria has benefited immensely from computer and
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
Oliver E.C. and Chapman R.J. (1986). Data Processing, Seventh Edition. ELBS/DP
Publications.
Tunji and Dokun (1993). Data Processing, Principles and Concepts. Informatics Books,
Lagos.
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MODULE 6: COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN VARIOUS FIELDS
Table of contents
(d) Recreation
(e) Government
1.0 Introduction
This unit discusses in greater details the application of computers in the following fields:
science and engineering, health care, transport and communication, recreation, government
2.0 Objectives
The objective of this unit is to further introduce students to the application of computers in
Computer is commonly used to find the accurate solutions to both scientific and engineering
problems. Weather forecasting has now become a daily activity to which the computer has
proved very useful in providing information on the kind of weather we are likely to expect
over a period of time. Such accurate predictions help the farmers, airline
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operators, navigators and other activities which depend on the weather for their operations.
Computer aided critical path study is used to monitor the optimum and efficient use to time,
money, material and human resource in the execution and implementation of projects. Such
critical path study is used successfully on various projects, for example, the construction of
roads, bridges, buildings, manufacturing, the conduct of election and sales campaigns.
techniques to provide indicators as to how systems such as the human body, economy,
simulation techniques helps in taking decision and precautions in advance should in case such
repercussions happen when the desired changes are introduced in practical situations.
Computers are also to design buildings, roads, bridges, vehicles, aero planes, ships and
complex architectural, ships and complex works and so on. Prototyping is increasingly being
used to minimize the financial commitment to the real life construction of these systems.
The computer is used to find solution to very complex mathematical and statistical
computations at incredible speed and accuracy. Furthermore, various software packages are
now increasingly being developed to analyse surveyed data, construct life tables, perform
scientific research and to find practical solutions to complex, challenging and everyday life
situations. We now outline the use of computer in the following specific areas among others.
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(i) Research Institutions
(d) Tabulating or plotting the graph of the results obtained from laboratory experiments.
(a) Designing and drawing with very high precision, accuracy and at minimum cost.
(c) Developing the prototype of say, an aircraft, a motor car, assembly plant and so on. It
is possible to test and monitor the performance of these systems without serious
financial commitments.
(d) Fabricating, constructing and assembling the component parts of machines such as
(a) Comparative analysis of products of two or more companies with a view to predicting
(b) Market survey, statistical analysis of proportional market gains and prediction of new
market areas.
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3.2 Agriculture
(a) Keep records of soil, rainfall, weather conditions, land size, crops, chemicals and
ultimately process the records to estimate the soil fertility and yield per hectare over a
number of years.
(b) Keep records, of poultry and animal husbandry farm with a view to estimating the feed
(c) Assess the behaviour patterns of farmers in a cooperative venture and assist in matching
the farmers that have identical behaviour with a view to optimizing their productivity.
(e) Statistical analysis of criminal and civil cases in the law court and estimating the rate
of growth.
(h) Identifying the causes of crime and assisting with the provision of preventive and
curative measures.
The delivery of health care facilities has been one of the notable areas in which computer
applications have proved most beneficial to mankind. The computer is used to conduct fast
and accurate laboratory tests for blood, urine, stool and so on. The computer is used
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in the diagnosis and physiological monitoring of patients life during surgical operation and
intensive care programme. There is also a wide range of application packages for the scientific
preparation and administration of drugs, x-ray techniques, blood bank management and so on.
An equally important application of the computer is the computer simulation provided in the
Computers are being used to perform routine clerical functions in hospitals such as keeping
records of hospital admission and discharges, administration of drugs and prescriptions and
other hospital administrative functions. Furthermore, the computer is used to provide a data
bank of medical history to meet the data needs of health insurance schemes and vital health
The summary that can be drawn about the use of computers in the hospitals are as follows:
(a) Keeping and reviewing in a timely, effective and efficient manner the records of
(b) Monitoring the temperature, blood pressure, heart beat and a host of other parameters
(d) Assisting the medical practitioners in the prescription of drugs to patients and
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(e) Assisting the medical practioners in the monitoring, controlling and reviewing basic
health services, birth rate, death rate, outbreak of disease and a host of others.
The most dramatic computer application is witnessed in the transport and communications
sectors with increased sophistication but geared towards making life easier and safer for
together. As a result, information can now be transmitted around the globe on the radio,
popular computer controlled electronic mail service which provides a more effective and
The electronic mail service now provides faster, more convenient and cheaper electronic flow
home. This development enable viewers to read electronic newspapers on the television while
the teletext provides computerized information to viewers on events around the globe in the
field of politics, business, transport, sports, airline, hotel reservations and many others. the
Computer application is now felt in traffic control and vehicle maintenance. Traffic
congestion is cities are monitored by computer controlled traffic switching system which
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or tickets are used to operate automatic gates in underground railway lines. When a ticket
coated with magnetic stripes is slotted down wards into a device, the gate automatically opens
for you to enter while you take your ticket. The device will return your ticket if it is valid for
another journey; if not, it will keep the ticket and allow you to go. A passenger with an invalid
ticket is given a red message and there is no way he or she can enter through the gate.
In the delivery of postal services, the computer is used to sort letters according to post
codes. In the field of aeronautics, computer simulations are used to train pilots while air traffic
movements are monitored by computer controlled radars. The scheduling of trains, subways,
the introduction of computer devices to improve personal safety on aircrafts and vehicles and
also to detect engine faults and help in the maintenance of aircrafts and vehicles.
3.6 Government
ethnic, setting such as Nigeria, a lot of complex and often conflicting variable interplay or are
taken into consideration before a broad-based decision can be taken. Computers can assist
(a) Planning
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The availability of data, timely access to the data and timely reporting on the data are very
crucial to the above listed business of government. Computers can be used to:
(a) Keep accurate records of government assets and periodically estimates the market value
(b) Keep accurate records of the population, behaviour patterns, consumption patterns of
utilities and estimates the distribution of basic needs such as electricity, water,
(c) Keep records of government revenue and expenditure and assist government in
(e) Computers can be used in the issuance of identity cards to the citizens.
(f) Compilation of a broad-based and accurate voters register. This will check the
incidence of ghost voting, multiple voting and other electoral malpractices which has
bedeviled the electoral processes and stable polity in the third world countries.
(g) Computers are used to keep track of crime in the society thereby helping the
(h) Computers can be used to build and to main the database of the mineral resources and
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3.7 The Military
One of the areas in which computer has been applied intensively and extensively is the
military. The first generation of the modern computers were designed and used during the first
and the second world wars. The use of computer for processing data became more popular
during these periods due to the need to procure, store and process large volume of data. Over
the years, the use of computer have transcend the traditional role of “crunching numbers” to
sophisticated applications. Specifically, computers are being used in the following ways, in
(a) Training the personnel through the use of simulated war situations.
(d) Monitoring and tracking of planes with a view to crash landing any un-authorised plane
(f) Launching of missiles from distant military base to the enemy territory. Such missiles
are programmed to ensure that only the desired targets are hit.
(l) Management of military stock with a view to maintaining war-ready stock of materials,
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(m) Monitoring the environmental and storage conditions of lethel weapons in order to
(n) Generation and maintenance of necessary data that would enhance planning, policy
One of the major areas in which computer has affected the society positively is in the area of
recreation, amusement and gaming. “Work and no play make Jack a dull boy”. With
increasing civilization and urbanization, there is the need for people to relax and keep their
mind off the tension that is associated with daily activities, some of which are tension soaked.
Computer games helps one to learn in the private (even in the comfort of your own room or
office), keeps you off the streets and arcades, reduces tension and boredom, engages the mind
There are different kinds of games such as adventure games, business games, war games,
4.0 Conclusion
Computer as a universal machine is being applied to almost every area of human society.
5.0 Summary
In this unit, we have discussed in details the application of computers in the following fields:
(a) Science and Engineering
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(c) Business and Industry
(e) Recreation
(f) Government
Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
Tunji and Dokun (1993). Data Processing, Principles and Concepts. Informatics Books,
Lagos.
.
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