Basics of Computer :: 1

1
Basics of Computer

1.1 INTRODUCTION
In this lesson we present an overview of the basic design of a
computer system: how the different parts of a computer system
are organized and various operations performed to perform a
specific task. You would have observed that instructions have to
be fed into the computer in a systematic order to perform a
specific task. Computer components are divided into two major
categories, namely, hardware and software. In this lesson we will
discuss about hardware, i.e., the machine itself and its connected
devices such as monitor, keyboard, mouse etc., as well as
software that makes use of hardware for performing various
functions.

1.2 OBJECTIVES
After going through this lesson you would be able to:
l explain basic organization of computer system
l explain different types of input and output devices
l define Software and its classification
l distinguish between system software and application
software
l describe computer language and its classification
2 :: Data Entry Operations

1.3 WHAT IS A COMPUTER?

Computer is a device that transforms data into meaningful
information. Data can be anything like marks obtained by you in
various subjects. It can also be name, age, sex, weight, height,
etc. of all the students in a class.

Computer can also be defined in terms of functions it can

perform. A computer can i) accept data, ii) store data, iii) process
data as desired, and iv) retrieve the stored data as and when
required and v) print the result in desired format.

The major characteristics of a computer are high speed, accuracy,

diligence, versatility and storage.

1.3.1 Computer Organisation

The block diagram of computer is shown in Fig. 1.1.

Memory Unit

Input unit Control Unit Output unit

Arithmetic
Logic Unit

Fig. 1.1 Block diagram of Computer Organisation

The computer performs basically five major operations of

functions irrespective of their size and make. These are 1) it
accepts data or instruction by way of input, 2) it stores data, 3) it
can process data as required by the user, 4) it gives results in
the form of output, and 5) it controls all operations inside a
computer. We discuss below each of these operations.

1. Input: this is the process of entering data and programs

into the computer system.
 Basics of Computer :: 3

2. Control Unit (CU): The process of input, output, processing

and storage is performed under the supervision of a unit
called 'Control Unit'. It decides when to start receiving data,
when to stop it, where to store data, etc. It takes care of step
-by-step processing of all operations in side the computer.
3. Memory Unit: Computer is used to store data and
instructions.
4. Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU): The major operations
performed by the ALU are addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division, logic and comparison.
5. Output: This is the process of producing results from the
data for getting useful information.
The ALU and the CU of a computer system are jointly known as
the central processing unit (CPU). You may call CPU as the brain
of any computer system.

INTEXT QUESTIONS
1. What are the five basic operations performed by the
computer?
2. Define ALU, CU and CPU.
3. Choose the correct answer.
(a) The task of performing arithmetic and logical
operations is called:
(i) ALU (ii) editing (iii) storage (iv) Output
(b) The ALU and CU jointly are known as
(i) RAM (ii) ROM (iii) CPU (iv) None of above
(c) The process of producing results from the data for
getting useful information is called:
(i) output (ii) input (iii) processing (iv) storage

1.4 PERIPHERAL DEVICES

Peripheral devices are connected to the computer externally.
These devices are used for performing some specific functions.
Peripheral devices are as follows:
1. Input Devices
2. Output Devices
3. Other Peripherals
4 :: Data Entry Operations

Disk drives
Monitor

Mouse
Keyboard

Fig. 1.2 Different peripheral devices of Computer

1.5 INPUT DEVICES

Input devices accept data and instructions from the user.
Following are the examples of various input devices, which are
connected to the computer for this purpose.
1. Keyboard
2. Mouse
3. Light Pen
4. Optical/magnetic Scanner
5. Touch Screen
6. Microphone for voice as input
7. Track Ball

1.5.1 Keyboard
A keyboard (as shown in figure 1.3) is the most common input
device. Several kinds of keyboards are available, but they
resemble each other with
minor variations. The
keyboard in most common
use is the QWERTY board.
Generally standard
keyboard has 104 keys. In
these keyboards, the cursor
control keys are duplicated
to allow easier use of the
Fig. 1.3 Keyboard
numeric pad.
 Basics of Computer :: 5

1.5.2 Mouse
A mouse is an electro-mechanical, hand-held device (as shown
in figure 1. 4). It is used as a pointer. It can perform functions
like selecting menu commands, moving icons, resizing windows,
starting programs, and choosing options.

Fig. 1.4 Mouse

The most common mouse uses an internal, magnetically coated

ball, to detect the movement of the mouse across a flat surface,
usually a desktop. Now a days Optical or laser mouse is used to
detect the movement. All windows based applications today are
designed to work with a mouse. A mouse is used to replace hard
-to-remember key combinations with easier "Point and Click"
actions. However, it cannot substitute all keyboard operations.
It can be alternative for commands based operations.

1.5.3 Light pen

An input device that utilizes a light-sensitive
detector to select objects on a display screen.
A light pen is similar to a mouse (as shown in
figure 1.5), except that with a light pen you can
move the pointer and select objects on the
display screen by directly pointing to the
objects with the pen.

1.5.4 Optical Scanner Fig. 1.5 Light Pen

These devices are used for automatic data collection. The

devices of this category completely eliminate manual input of
data. For example, the bar-code reader is actually just a special
type of image scanner. An image scanner translates printed
6 :: Data Entry Operations

images into an electronic format that can be

stored in a computer’s memory, and with the
right kind of software, one can alter a stored
image. Another example of scanner is optical
character recognition (OCR) device, used by
banks to convert the scanned image of a
typed or printed page into text that can be
edited on the computer. Fig. 1.6 Scanner

1.5.5 Touch Screen

Touch panel displays and pads are now being offered as
alternatives to keyboard. Here the input can be given through the
computer screen, that accepts the input through monitor; users
touch electronic buttons displayed on the screen or they may use
light pen.

Fig. 1.7 Touch Screen Monitor

1.5.6 Microphone
Microphone is an input device, which takes voice as input. The
voice communication is more error-prone than information
through keyboard. There are two types of microphones available
(as shown in figure 1.8):

1. Desktop Microphone
2. Hand held Microphone

Fig. 1.8 Desktop microphone and Hand-held Microphone

 Basics of Computer :: 7

1.5.7 Track Ball

Trackball, a pointing device, is a mouse
lying on its back (as shown in figure 1. 9).
To move the pointer, you rotate the ball
with your thumb, your fingers, or the
palm of your hand. There are usually one
to three buttons next to the ball, which
Fig. 1.9 Track Ball
you use just like mouse buttons.

The advantage of trackballs over mouse is that the trackball is

stationary so it does not require much space to use it. In addition,
you can place a trackball on any type of surface, including your
lap. For both these reasons, trackballs are popular pointing
devices for portable computers.

1.6 OUTPUT DEVICES

Output devices return processed data that is information, back
to the user. Some of the commonly used output devices are:

1. Monitor (Visual Display Unit)

2. Printers
3. Plotter
4. Speakers

1.6.1 Monitor
Out of all the output devices,
monitor (as shown in figure
1.10) is perhaps the most
important output device
because people interact with
this device most intensively
than others. Computer Fig. 1.10 CRT and LCD Monitor
information is displayed,
visually with a video adapter card and monitor. Information
processed within the CPU, that needs to be visually displayed,
is sent to video adapter. The video adapter converts information
from the format used, in the same manner as a television displays
information sent to it by a cable service.
8 :: Data Entry Operations

Two basic types of monitors are used with microcomputers,

which are as follows:

1. CRT
2. LCD
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT): CRT or Cathode Ray Tube Monitor is
the typical monitor that you see on a desktop computer. It looks
a lot like a television screen, and works the same way. This type
uses a large vacuum tube, called cathode ray tube (CRT).

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD): This type of monitors are also

known as flat panel monitor. Most of these employ liquid crystal
displays (LCDs) to render images. These days LCD monitor are
very popular.

When people talk about the capabilities of various monitors, one

critical statistic is the resolution of the monitor. Most monitors
have a resolution of at least 800 x 600 pixels. High-end monitors
can have resolutions of 1024 x 768 pixels or even 1280 x 1024
pixels. Thus monitors are available either in low resolution or in
high resolution.

1.6.2 Printer
After a document is created on the computer, it can be sent to a
printer for a hard copy (printout). Some printers offer special
features such as colored and large page formats. Some of the
most commonly used printers are:

1. Laser Printer
2. Ink Jet Printer
3. Dot Matrix Printer
4. Line Printer
Laser Printer: A laser printer produces
high quality print that one normally finds
in publishing. It is extremely fast and
quiet. Moreover, the operation of a laser
printer is easy with automatic paper
loading and no smudging or messing up
Fig. 1.11 Laser Printer
of ink ribbons. The fastest laser printer
 Basics of Computer :: 9

can print up to 200 pages per minute in monochrome (black and

white) and up to 100 pages per minute in colour.

Ink-Jet Printer: An ink-jet printer

creates an image directly on paper by
spraying ink through as many as 64
tiny nozzles. Although the image it
produces is not generally quite as
sharp as the output of a laser printer,
the quality of ink-jet images is still high.

In general, ink-jet printer offers an Fig. 1.12 Ink-Jet Printer

excellent middle ground between dot
matrix and laser printer. Like laser printer, an ink-jet printer is
quiet and convenient, but not particularly fast.

Typically, an ink-jet printer is more expensive than a dot-matrix

printer, but costs only half as much as a laser printer.

Dot Matrix Printer: The dot matrix

printer was very popular at one point of
time. It is a very versatile and inexpensive
output device. In dot matrix printer the
print head physically "hits" the paper
through the ribbon and produces text (or
images) by combinations of dots; hence
the name dot matrix printer. Its speed is
measured in characters per second Fig. 1.13 Dot Matrix
(CPS). Although it is less expensive, it is Printer
louder, slower and produces lower print
quality.

Line Printer: A line printer is generally

used with large computer systems to
produce text based data processing
reports. Line printers are high-speed
printers with speeds ranging anywhere
from 100 to about 3800 lines per minute.
In the past, print quality on line printers
was not high. Developments in
technology are improving the print quality
on line printers. These are in the cost Fig. 1.14 Line Printer
range of lacs of Rupees.
10 :: Data Entry Operations

1.6.3 Plotter
A plotter is a special kind of output device that, like a printer,
produces images on paper, but does so in a different way. Plotters
are designed to produce large drawings or images, such as
construction plans for buildings or blueprints for mechanical
objects. A plotter can be connected to the port normally used by
a printer.

An array of different colored pens in a clip rack and a robotic arm

is part of plotter. The instructions that a plotter receives from a
computer consist of a color, and beginning and ending
coordinates for a line. With that information, the plotter picks up
the appropriate pen through its arm, positions it at the beginning
coordinates drops the pen down to the surface of the paper and
draws to the ending coordinates. Plotters draw curves by creating
a sequence of very short straight lines.

Plotters usually come in two designs:

1. Flat Bed: Plotters of small size to be kept on table with

restriction of paper size.
2. Drum: These plotters are of big size using rolls of paper of
unlimited length.

Fig. 1.15 Flat bed and Drum Plotter

1.6.4 Speaker
Speakers (as shown in figure 1.16) are
another type of output device, which
allow you to listen to voice like music,
and conversation with people.

Fig. 1.16 Speaker

 Basics of Computer :: 11

INTEXT QUESTION
4. Write True or False for the following:
(a) Mouse is an output device.
(b) OCR stands for Optical Content Reader.
(c) LCD Monitor is used in notebook computer.
(d) Speed of DOT Matrix Printer is measured in
Characters Per Second.
(e) Plotters are used to produce high quality drawings
and images, such as construction plans for buildings
or blueprints for mechanical objects.

1.7 SOFTWARE
As you are aware, computer cannot do anything on its own. It is
the user who instructs computer; what to do, how to do and when
to do. In order to perform any task, you have to give a set of
instructions in a particular sequence to the computer. These sets
of instructions are called Programs. Software refers to a set of
programs that makes the hardware perform a particular set of
tasks in particular order. Software can be classified mainly
into following categories and sub-categories are shown in
Figure 1.17.

Software

System Software Application Software

Operating Generalized Customized

System Utilities Packages Packages

Fig. 1.17 Classification of Software

12 :: Data Entry Operations

1.7.1 System Software

When you switch on the computer the programs stored in ROM
are executed which activates different units of your computer and
makes it ready for you to work on it. This set of programs can be
called system software.

System softwares are sets of programs, responsible for running

the computer, controlling various operations of computer
systems and management of computer resources. Operating
System (OS) falls under this category.

An operating system is a system software that provides an

interface for a user to communicate with the computer, manages
hardware devices (disk drives, keyboard, monitor, etc), manages
and maintains disk file systems and supports application
programs. Some popular Operating systems are UNIX, Windows
and Linux.

Although operating system provides all the features users need

to use and maintain their systems, inevitably, they still do not
meet everyone’s expectations. This has led to another type of
system software called "Utilities". These are programs that bridge
the gap between the functionality of an OS and the needs of users.
Utility programs are a broad category of software such as
compress (zip)/uncompress (unzip) files software, anti virus
software, split and join files software, etc.

1.7.2 Application Software

Application software is a set of programs, which are written to
perform specific tasks, for example: An application package for
managing library known as library information system is used
to manage information of library such as: keeping book details,
account holder details, book issue details, book return details
etc. Another application package for managing student details is
called student’s information system, manages student’s roll no,
name, parents name, address, class, section, processing of
examination results etc. Application software can be broadly
classified into two types:

(a) Generalized packages

(b) Customized packages
 Basics of Computer :: 13

Generalized Packages

These are user friendly softwares written to cater to user’s very

general needs such as preparing documents, drawing pictures,
database to manage data/information, preparing presentations,
play games etc.

It is a group of programs that provide general purpose tools to

solve specific problems. Some of the generalized packages are
listed below:

l Word Processing Software(for preparing documents): Word

Perfect, MS-Word, OpenOffice.org Writer
l Spreadsheets (Data Analysis): Lotus Smart suites, MS-
Excel, OpenOffice.org Calc, Apple Numbers
l Presentations : Presentation Graphics, MS-PowerPoint,
OpenOffice.org Impress
l Database Management System: MS-Access, OpenOffice.org Base,
MS-SQL Server, ORACLE
l Graphics Tools: Paint shop pro, Adobe Photoshop
Customized Packages

These are the applications that are customized (or developed) to

meet the specific requirements of an organization/institution. For
Example: Student information details, Payroll packages,
inventory control etc.

These packages are developed using high-level computer

language.

1.8 COMPUTER LANGUAGES

Languages are a means of communication. Normally people
interact with each other through a language. On the same pattern,
communication with computers is carried out through a
language. This language is understood both by user and the
machine. Just as every language like English, Hindi has its
grammatical rules; every computer language is bound by rules
known as SYNTAX of that language. The user is bound by that
syntax while communicating with the computer system.
14 :: Data Entry Operations

Computer languages are broadly classified as:

1. Low Level Language:

The term low level means closeness to the way in which machine
understand. The low level languages are:

a. Machine Language:

This is the language (in the form of 0’s and 1’s, called binary
numbers) understood directly by the computer. It is machine
dependent. It is difficult to learn and even more difficult to write
programs.

b. Assembly Language:

This is the language where the machine codes comprising of 0’s

and 1’s are substituted by symbolic codes (called mnemonics)
to improve their understanding. It is the first step to improve
programming structure.

Assembly language programming is simpler and less time

consuming than machine level programming, it is easier to locate
and correct errors in assembly language than in machine
language programs. It is also machine dependent. Programmers
must have knowledge of the machine on which the program will
run.

2. High Level Language

You know that low level language requires extensive knowledge
of the hardware since it is machine dependent. To overcome the
limitation, high level language has been evolved which uses
normal English like, easy to understand statements to solve any
problem. Higher level languages are computer independent and
programming becomes quite easy and simple.

Various high level languages are given below:

l BASIC (Beginners All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code):

It is widely used, easy to learn general purpose language.
Mainly used in microcomputers in earlier days.
 Basics of Computer :: 15

l COBOL (Common Business Oriented language): A

standardized language used for commercial applications.
l FORTRAN (Formula Translation): Developed for solving
mathematical and scientific problems. One of the most
popular languages among scientific community.
l C: Structured Programming Language used for all purpose
such as scientific application, commercial application,
developing games etc.
l C++: Popular object oriented programming language, used
for general purpose.

1.9 COMPILER AND ASSEMBLER

As you know that High Level language is machine independent
and assembly language though it is machine dependent yet
mnemonics that are being used to represent instructions are not
directly understandable by machine. Hence to make the machine
understand the instructions provided by both the languages,
Compiler and Assembler are required to convert these
instructions into machine language.

The software (set of programs) that reads a program written in high

level language and translates it into an equivalent program in
machine language is called as Compiler.

The program written by the programmer in high level language

is called source program and the program generated by the
compiler after translation is called as object program.

Source Program Object Program

(Higher Level Language) Compiler (Machine Language)

Fig. 1.18 Compiler

The software (set of programs) that reads a program written in

assembly language and translates it into an equivalent program
in machine language is called as Assembler.
16 :: Data Entry Operations

Source Program Object Program

(Assembling Language) Assembler (Machine Language)

Fig. 1.19 Assembler

INTEXT QUESTION
5. Write True or False for the following:
(a) Operating System (OS) is an Application Software.
(b) High level languages are easy to program than low
level language.
(c) Computer language FORTRAN is used to solve
Scientific and Mathematical problems.
(d) C is an object oriented programming language.
(e) Compiler converts high level languages into machine
language.

1.10 WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT

A computer is useful only when it interacts with the external
devices such as keyboard, mouse, monitor, speaker, which are
called as peripheral devices. In this lesson we have discussed
in details about major peripheral devices of a computer system.
You have learnt that only hardware does not do anything of its
own without the help of software. Hence we have explained in
details about software, its types and the computer languages
used to prepare the software.

1.11 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. What is a computer? Draw a block diagram to illustrate the
basic organisation of a computer system and explain the
functions of various units.
2. What is an input device? Briefly describe varioius important
input devices.
3. Discuss two basic types of monitors CRT and LCD.
 Basics of Computer :: 17

4. What is a software? Discuss its various categories with the

help of diagram.
5. Distinguish between system and application software.
6. Write short notes on:
(a) Laser Printer
(b) High level language
(c) Compiler
(d) Plotter
7. Write a note on Computer language and its classification.

1.12 FEEDBACK TO INTEXT QUESTIONS

1. The five basic operations that a computer performs are
input, storage, processing, output and control.
2. ALU : Arithmetic Logic Unit
CU : Control Unit
CPU : Central Processing Unit
3. (a) i (b) iii (c) i
4. (a) False (b) False (c) True (d) True (e) True
5. (a) False (b) True (c) True (d) False (e) True
242 :: Data Entry Operations

10
Introduction to Internet

10.1 INTRODUCTION
In the present age of information Technology, use of Internet is
becoming quite popular for accessing information on any topic
of your interest. It also provides tremendous opportunities to
students; researchers and professionals for getting information
on matters related to academic and professional topics and lot
more. In the present world, most of the people who have
computers around themselves use Internet to access information
from the World Wide Web, exchange messages & documents and
e-services.

10.2 OBJECTIVES
After going through this lesson you would be able to:
l define Internet
l list different types of Internet connections
l explain various services provided by Internet
l download files
l send and receive e-mail
l be acquainted with the terminologies used in Internet
 Introduction to Internet :: 243

10.3 WHAT IS INTERNET?

The Internet or simply the Net is a worldwide network of computer
networks. It is an interconnection of large and small networks
around the globe.

10.4 APPLICATIONS OF INTERNET

With the help of Internet you can:

l Exchange messages using e-mail (Electronic mail).

l Transfer files as well as software.
l Browse through information on any topic on web.
l Communicate in real time (chat) with others connected to
the Internet.
l Search databases of government, individuals and
organizations.
l Read news available from leading news groups.
l Send or receive animation and picture files from distant
places.
l Set up a site with information about your company’s
products and services.

10.5 GETTING INTERNET CONNECTION ON YOUR

COMPUTER
Any terminal to activate internet
services on it require a internet
connection from a Internet
Service Provider. To have a
connection one needs to contact
the Internet Service Providers.
There are several Internet
Service Providers (ISP) in each
Fig. 10.1
locality. There are some nominal
charges that you need to pay to
the ISP for the installation of the connection and for the rent (either
monthly or annually). Depending on the requirement you can
244 :: Data Entry Operations

choose any one of the available options. If you need a high speed
dedicated network then you can opt for a high bandwidth
broadband or leased line connection.
If you need to have connection on a single PC then you choose a
low bandwidth or dialup connection . For small services at your
hand you can even have mobile phones connected to your
Internet. There are many ways to get connected to the Internet.
You can get internet connection in any of the following ways:-
1. through dial-up connection : user is supposed to get
connected to the internet after dialing up the number used
for connection. This is useful if your network is either
confined to small group of computers or for a single PC.
2. through leased lines: in this a dedicated line is laid
specifically for connection.
3. though broadband: in this you can get a broadband
connection which provides a high bandwidth for the internet
connection. This also provides a good speed.
These days even wireless connections are available. For this you
need to have a Wi Fi card attached to your computer which can
be useful if you do not have proper place to lay down the wires.
To connect to the Internet you need a PC (personal computer)
with requisite software including a browser, a telephone
connection or a leased line, and a modem, which allows the PC
to communicate with other computers.

10.5.1 Types of Internet Connections

(a) Dial-up

This is the most common basic type of connection available from

ISPs (Internet Server Providers). In Dial-up connection, you use
your computer, dial a phone number (provider by ISP) to get
connected to server at Providers end through which you access
Internet. It means you are not directly connected to Internet; you
access the Internet through an Internet Service Provider.

(b) ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)

The process of connecting to server to access Internet is almost

same as Dial-up, but it offers connectivity through the use of
 Introduction to Internet :: 245

digital phone lines instead of Analog. It offers Internet connectivity

at speeds of up to 128 Kbps, allows the user to receive or make
calls simultaneously on the same line. ISDN comes through a
regular telephone wire from the telephone pole on the street. The
line combines two 64 Kbps channels to offer 128 Kbps bandwidth
broken into three bands: One band for the ringing signal of your
phone, one band for your telephone conversation, and one band
for data transfer.

(c) Leased Line Connection (Direct Internet Access)

A “permanent connection” between a computer system (single

CPU or LAN, and the Internet). It is generally used by larger
institutions, corporate and government agencies. It involves
establishing your own Internet gateway (connection) and payment
to have a direct full time line with the network. Your computers,
in effect, become part of the Net. The main advantage of this
connection is that: it is on line – 24 hrs a day, seven days a week,
(24x7) and provides faster access.

Dedicated links are established through an internet service

provider who places a computer-controlled router (message
director) at your site. A router is used to connect your local
network to the Internet, allow all the members of network to have
complete access to Internet.

(d) DSL (Digital Subscriber Line or Dedicated Service Line)

Broadband Connection

DSL, an “always-on’ data connection is becoming widely available

these days. It can provide an excellent Internet connection. It
connects your home or office to the Internet through the same
telephone wire that comes from telephone pole on the street. Like
ISDN, with DSL, user can make and receive telephone calls while
connected to the Internet. The difference between DSL and dial-
up / ISDN is that a DSL Internet connection uses a high-speed
dedicated circuit filtering out standard phone calls and Internet
signals.

10.6 HOW DOES INTERNET WORK?

The thing that characterizes the Internet is how data are
transferred from one computer to another. Did you ever wonder
246 :: Data Entry Operations

what magical things go on behind the scenes that results in a web

page being displayed on your screen seconds after you request
it? How does the data moves from one side of the world to the
other?

Fig. 10.2

Here is what happens to a piece of data (e.g. a Web page) when

it is transferred over the Internet:

l It is broken into a lot of same-sized pieces (called

packets).
l A header is added to each packet that explains where it
came from, where it should end up and how it fits in with
the rest of the packets.
l Each packet is sent from computer to computer until it
finds its way to its destination. Each computer along the
way decides where next to send the packet. This could
depend on things like how busy the other computers are
when the packet was received. The packets may not all
take the same route.
l At the destination, the packets are examined. If there is
any packet missing or damaged, a message is sent asking
for that packet to be resent. This continues until all the
packets have been received intact.
l The packets are reassembled into their original form.
Each computer connected up to the Internet has a software called
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), which
is responsible for receiving, sending and checking packets. TCP/
IP is the ‘glue’ of the Internet.
 Introduction to Internet :: 247

10.7 FREQUENTLY USED TERMS IN INTERNET

In this section we will discuss common internet terms to help you
understand the relationship of various Internet technologies.

World Wide Web (WWW): The World Wide Web (“WWW” or simply
the “web”) is a collection of electronic documents (called web
pages) that are linked together like a spider web. These
documents are stored on computers called servers located
around the world.

Web Server: A Web Server is a computer that stores web pages.

It is responsible for accepting request(s) from users and serves
them with web pages.Two important web server programs are:
IIS (Internet Information server) and Apache, etc. Web servers
are connected to the Internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Hyperlink: It is an element in an electronic document that links

to another place in the same document or to an entirely different
document or other resource. Hyperlinks usually appear as
underlined text and in a different color, but they may also appear
as graphics, such as buttons to click. Hyperlinks may be used
to link another place in the same page, or another page, to play
an audio or video file, to download a file, to set up a message to
an e-mail address, and to link to other Internet resources.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language): It is a language that

consists of certain key words called ‘Tags’, used for writing the
documents on the web.

Web Page: A web page (such as the one you are looking at now)
is an electronic document written in a computer language called
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language).Web pages can contain text,
graphics, video, animation, and sound, as well as interactive
features, such as data entry forms. Each page has a unique
address known as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that
identifies its location on the server. Web pages usually contain
hyperlinks to other web pages.

Website: A website (often shortened to just site) is one or more

web pages, belonging to a particular company, institute,
government or an individual. The first page is called the home
page, which acts like an index, indicating the content on the site.
248 :: Data Entry Operations

By default the home page is named as index.htm. From the home

page, you can click hyperlinks to access other web pages.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator): Every page on the web has a

unique address, called Uniform Resource Locator, URL. A URL
indicates where the web page is stored on the Internet. A sample
URL might look like the following:

http://www.learnthenet.com/english/glossary/url.htm

http - Hypertext Domain name Directory where File name of

Transfer - The server the page is the web page
Protocol - used where the located
to access HTML page is located
document

Fig. 10.3

IP (Internet Protocol) Address: Computers do not understand

letters or symbols that humans use to communicate effectively.
Computers understand numbers-specifically, 1s and 0s. Thus
every host (a computer linked to the Internet) on the Internet has
a unique host number. This number is called the Internet Protocol
address, or IP address.

The IP address is a unique address, generally written in the

format xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx, where xxx represents a 3 digit number
that varies between 0 and 255. For Example: 192.100.8.56

DNS (Domain Name System): Every host (computer linked to

Internet) has a unique host number called IP address. You can
connect to any host through IP address only, but it is difficult to
remember the 4-digit number of hosts. To resolve this, domain-
name is the only solution. Domain name, a unique name of the
individual host computer on the Internet. Every computer on
the Internet now have both a domain name and an IP address.
To connect to any host through domain name requires some
mechanism that will convert the domain name IP address. DNS,
Domain Name System is the standard for resolving names to
addresses. It is used mostly to translate between domain names
and IP addresses.
 Introduction to Internet :: 249

10.8 UNDERSTANDING INTERNET ADDRESS

Addresses are just what they sound like a way to identify
uniquely an area of the Net or an individual on the Net.The most
accurate analogy would be to your home address. This address,
when provide fully, uniquely identifies where you live. If someone
wants to either send you something or visit you, they must know
your address. It is the same way on the Internet. If someone
wants to send you something, such as e-mail, they must know
your address. If someone wants to retrieve something from a
computer on the Internet, they must know the Domain name
(unique name to identify a host on the Internet) or the IP address
of the computer.

For instance www.nios.ac.in is the domain name of a host

computer named nios in the academic area (.ac) belongs to
geographical domain India (.in).

www.nios.ac.in

www – world nios – name ac – academic, in – India,

wide web of the host specify the type country code
computer of organization

Fig. 10.4

As you read in from the right, the name gets more specific until
you reach the name of the individual host computer. The right
most (in the above example .in - country code) represents either
a type of organization or a country.

Example: www.yahoo.com (.com – commercial organization)

Various Organizational and Geographical domains are as follows:

Organizational Domains

Typically, the highest level (rightmost) part of the full domain is

a code indicating the type of organization to which domain
belongs. There are different organizational domains indicated
below:
250 :: Data Entry Operations

Domain Purpose
ac academic institutions
com Commercial entities
edu Educational institutions
gov Government institutions
net Network resources
org Non-profit organizations

Fig. 10.5

Geographic domains

This represents to which country the domain belongs. This code

consists of only two characters, which represent the international
country codes. A few common ones are:

Domain Country
au Australia
in India
jp Japan
uk United Kingdom
us United States

Fig. 10.6

10.9 WEB BROWSER

10.9.1 What is a Browser?

A web browser is the software program, used to access the World
Wide Web. A browser (also known as client software) retrieves
data from remote web servers and displays a web page. Through
this tool the user send their request to Internet server to access
the information, Server process the request and responds with
required information as a web page to the user.

The most popular browsers are Internet Explorer and Netscape

Navigator.

The steps for connecting to a website are shown in Fig. 10.1 and
explained further.

1. Types a URL for a website in browser say www.nios.ac.in.

 Introduction to Internet :: 251

2. Your browser attempts to make a connection and sends the

request to Web Server.
3. The Web Server receives and processes the request.
4. The Web Server responds to the request with the home
page of the website.
5. The webpage is displayed by your browser and the
connection between the server and your browser is closed

Type a URL in Browser:

www.nios.ac.in 1
W
Request 2 e
b

S
e
r
v
e
r
3 Response

Your PC
Web Page

Fig. 10.7 Interaction between a Web browser and a Web Server

10.9.2 Microsoft Internet Explorer

To open browser Internet Explorer: click on start→All Programs
→Internet Explorer
252 :: Data Entry Operations

Menu Bar Address Bar

Navigation Bar

Scroll Bar

Web Page

Fig. 10.8

10.9.3 Saving a Web Page

When saving a local copy of a webpage, the web browser usually
allows a choice to Save file as type:

l Text File: Saving the rendered text without formatting or

images, and without indicating which words are links or
what their destination is.
l Webpage, HTML only: Saving the HTML-file, changing
relative links to absolute ones, without images.
l Webpage, Complete: Saving the HTML-file, changing
relative links to absolute ones, saving the images and
adjusting the references to them accordingly; a separate
folder is made in the case of Internet Explorer.
l Web Archive, Single file: Saving the HTML-file including all
images, stylesheets, scripts etc. to a single .MHT file. This
is supported by Internet Explorer.
 Introduction to Internet :: 253

10.10 DOWNLOADING FILES

Follow the steps given below for downloading applications, plug-
ins, games or any other software from the Internet.

If you do not already have one, create a

Temporary Files folder by opening
Windows Explorer, highlighting your
hard drive (typically the c: drive), then
selecting File→New→Folder.

When the folder appears, name it

Temporary Files.

Fig. 10.9

Once you locate the software you want to

download, click on the link to begin the
download process.

Fig. 10.10

You will be asked where to save

the file. Locate the Temporary
Files folder on your hard drive
and double click on it to open it.

Fig. 10.11

Click SAVE

Fig. 10.12

If you are really bored, you can

watch the file as it downloads.

Fig. 10.13
254 :: Data Entry Operations

After the download is

finished, you have to
install the software.
Close all programs that
are running, except
Windows Explorer. Find
the file you downloaded
and double click on it. Fig. 10.14

A series of installation
screens direct you through
the process.

New application programs

are usually installed in the
Program files folder. Plug-
ins are usually installed in
the appropriate browser
folder.

Fig. 10.15

After the software is

installed you can
delete the file in your
Temporary Files
folder to free up space
on your hard drive.

Fig. 10.16
10.11 INTERNET SERVICES
Search Engine

The Internet is an amazing resource that provides quick access

to all sorts of information. The amount of information, however,
 Introduction to Internet :: 255

is so vast that being able to find what you are looking for is a
daunting task. Search engines are the answer.

A search engine is a program designed to help find information

stored on a computer system such as the World Wide Web, or a
personal computer. The search engine allows one to ask for
content meeting specific criteria (typically those containing a
given word or phrase) and retrieving a list of references that match
those criteria.

Some of the important search engines are:

Google (http://www.google.com ), Yahoo (http://

www.yahoo.com), MSN Search (http://search.msn.com), Ask
Jeeves (http://www.askjeeves.com), AltaVista (http://
www.altavista.com)

E-Mail (Electronic Mail)

E-Mail or Electronic Mail is a paperless method

of sending messages, letters, video and
graphics from one person to another or many
people at the same time via Internet. E-mail is
very fast, easy and much cheaper than the
using the post office, takes only few seconds to
arrive at the destination. It works 24 hours a Fig. 10.17
day and seven days a week. There are many
free web-based e-mail services available on the Internet.

A few among them are:

YAHOO! Mail (http://www.mail.yahoo.com), Hotmail (http://

www.hotmail.com) , Gmail (http://www.gmail.com) , Rediffmail
(http://www.rediffmail.com) , etc.

How does the E-Mail work?

Just as a letter makes stops at different

postal stations along the way to its final
destination, e-mail passes from one
computer, known as a mail server, to
another as it travels over the Internet. Once
it arrives at the destination mail server, it is
stored in an electronic mailbox until the Fig. 10.18
256 :: Data Entry Operations

recipient retrieves it. This whole process can take seconds,

allowing you to quickly communicate with people around the
world at any time of the day or night.

Sending and Receiving Messages

To receive e-mail, you need an account on a mail server. This is

similar to having a street address where you receive letters. One
advantage over regular mail is that you can retrieve your e-mail
from any location in the world, provided that you have Internet
access. Once you connect to your mail server, just download your
messages to your computer or wireless device.

To send e-mail, you need a connection to the Internet and access

to a mail server that forwards your mail. The standard protocol
used for sending Internet e-mail is called SMTP, short for Simple
Mail Transfer Protocol. It works in conjunction with POP servers.
POP stands for Post Office Protocol.

When you send an e-mail message, your computer routes it to

an SMTP server. The server looks at the e-mail address (similar
to the address on an envelope), and then forwards it to the
recipient’s mail server, where it is stored until the addressee
retrieves it. You can send e-mail anywhere in the world to anyone
who has an e-mail address.

Components of an E-Mail Address

Internet e-mail addresses typically have two main parts:

[email protected]

First part is the User ID (sksharma) that refers to the recipient’s

mailbox. Then there is an at sign (@). Next comes the host name
(yahoo), also called the domain name. This refers to the mail
server, the computer where the recipient has an electronic
mailbox. It is usually the name of a company or organization.

The end of the domain name consists of a dot (“.”) followed by

three or more letters (such as .com and .gov) that indicate the
top-level domain (TLD). This part of the domain name indicates
the type of organization or the country where the host server is
located.
 Introduction to Internet :: 257

Setting up an E-mail account

Creating a new e-mail account takes only a few minutes. You have
to provide information about yourself and choose an account
name and password. Your account name or ID becomes part of
your e-mail address. If you open a Yahoo account and choose
“sksharma” as your ID, your address becomes
“[email protected].” Account names can use letters and
numbers, such as “pkp2006,” It does not contain any spaces in
between.

How to send, read and reply to E-Mails

l Type in the web address of your mail provider e.g.

www.mail.yaoo.com - then login by using your user ID and
password.

Access Yahoo Mail Window after Successful Login

Fig. 10.19

Sending a message:

l Click on Compose button, it follows the screen:

E-mail messages are similar to letters, with two main parts:

The header contains the name and address of the recipient, the
address of anyone who is being sent a copy (cc) and the subject
of the message.

The body contains the message itself.

258 :: Data Entry Operations

In header section:

l Type the e-mail address of the recipient in the “To:” field.

For more than one person, e-mail id should be separated
by commas. At least one e-mail ID is a must.

Send message

Fig. 10.20

l Type subject of your message in the “Subject:” field.

l Use the large text box to enter the contents of your
message.
l In the “Cc:” field, enter the email address of those to whom
you would like to send a “carbon copy” of your message.
All recipients of the message will be able to see that the
person you designated as a “Cc:” has received a copy of the
message.
l In the “Bcc:” field, enter the e-mail address of those to
whom you would like to send a “blind carbon copy” of your
message. This is nearly identical to the “Cc:” feature, except
 Introduction to Internet :: 259

that “Bcc:” recipients are invisible to the “To:” and “Cc:”

recipients of the message as well as to each other.
l Click on Attach files to attaching file(s) and Insert Photos
to attach Photos if required.
l Click on send button to send the message.
Reading, Replying/ Forwarding a message

l Click on Check Mail or Inbox to Read/Reply a message, it

follows the screen

Inbox that holds the email messages Read message

Fig. 10.21

l Click on the subject of the message to read.

l One can Reply/ Forward the message by clicking appropriate
button.
Telnet

Telnet is a network protocol used on the Internet or local area

network LAN connections.

The Telnet program runs on your computer and connects your

PC to a server on the network. You can then enter commands
through the Telnet program and they will be executed as if you
are entering them directly on the server console. This enables you
to control the server and communicate with other servers on the
network. To start a Telnet session, you must log in to a server by
entering a valid username and password. Telnet is a common way
to remotely controlled Web servers.
260 :: Data Entry Operations

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

FTP or File Transfer Protocol is a commonly used protocol for

exchanging files over any network that supports the TCP/IP
protocol (such as the Internet or an Intranet).

There are two computers involved in an FTP transfer. The first

computer is an FTP server (host computer). This computer listens
on the network for connection requests from other computers.
Another computer (called the client) can make a connection to
the FTP server by using FTP client software. Once connected, the
client can do a number of file manipulation operations such as
uploading files to the server, download files from the server,
rename or delete files on the server and so on.

FTP is used

l To promote sharing of files (computer programs and/or

data).
l To encourage indirect or implicit use of remote computers.
l To transfer data reliably and efficiently.

INTEXT QUESTIONS
1. Write True or False for the following:
(a) The World Wide Web is a collection of electronic
documents called web pages .
(b) Web server is an electronic document that links to
another place in the same document or to an entirely
different document.
(c) POP stands for Post Office Protocol.
(d) Electronic Mail is a paperless method of sending
messages.
(e) File Transfer Procedure is a commonly used protocol
for exchanging files over any network.
2. Fill in the blanks:
(a) FTP is used to promote ———————————— files.
(b) —————-is a network protocol used on the Internet.
 Introduction to Internet :: 261

(c) ————————refers to the mail server.

(d) A search engine is a program designed to —————
————- stored on a computer.
(e) ——————-is the standard for resolving names to
addresses.

10.12 WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT

In this lesson you learnt about different types of internet
connections and applications of internet. Here you got acquainted
with different terminologies used in Internet. You also learnt
about search engine, E-mail, Telnet and FTP.

10.13 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. Explain the different types of connections available to get
connect to Internet.
2. Explain Internet Addressing Schemes and Domain Name
System.
3. Define the following terminologies used in Internet; WWW,
Hyperlink, Web page, Website and URL.
4. Yahoo and Hotmail offer free-email registration. Go to any
of these sites and open an e-mail account in your name.
Send an e-mail to a friend whose address you know.
5. What do you mean by a search engine? Mention two
important search engines available on the Internet? What
are basic tips to use to get the best results while searching?

10.14 FEEDBACK TO INTEXT QUESTIONS

1. (a) True (b) False
(c) True (d) True
(e) False
2. (a) sharing of files (b) Telnet
(c) domain name (d) find information
(e) DNS