What Is A Computer?
What Is A Computer?
What Is A Computer?
This means it can execute a programmed list of instructions and respond to new instructions that it is given. Today, however, the term is most often used to refer to the desktop and laptop computers that most people use. When referring to a desktop model, the term "computer" technically only refers to the computer itself -- not the monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Still, it is acceptable to refer to everything together as the computer. If you want to be really technical, the box that holds the computer is called the "system unit." Some of the major parts of a personal computer (or PC) include the motherboard, CPU, memory (or RAM), hard drive, and video card. While personal computers are by far the most common type of computers today, there are several other types of computers. For example, a "minicomputer" is a powerful computer that can support many users at once. A "mainframe" is a large, high-powered computer that can perform billions of calculations from multiple sources at one time. Finally, a "supercomputer" is a machine that can process billions of instructions a second and is used to calculate extremely complex calculations.
What is a Computer? A computer is an electronic device, which executes software programs. It consists of 2 parts-hardware and software . The computer processes input through input devices like mouse and keyboard. The computer displays output through output devices like color monitor and printer. The size of a computer varies considerably from very small to very big. The speed of computers also has a very large range. Computers have become indispensable in todays world. Millions of people use computers all over the world. There are several uses of computers: Word Processing - Word Processing software automatically corrects spelling and grammar mistakes. If the content of a document repeats you dont have to type it each time. You can use the copy and paste features. You can printout documents and make several copies. It is easier to read a word-processed document than a handwritten one. You can add images to your document.
Internet - It is a network of almost all the computers in the world. You can browse through much more information than you could do in a library. That is because computers can store enormous amounts of information. You also have very fast and convenient access to information. Through E-Mail you can communicate with a person sitting thousands of miles away in seconds. There is chat software that enables one to chat with another person on a real-time basis. Video conferencing tools are becoming readily available to the common man.
Digital video or audio composition Audio or video composition and editing have been made much easier by computers. It no longer costs thousands of dollars of equipment to compose music or make a film. Graphics engineers can use computers to generate short or full-length films or even to create three-dimensional models. Anybody owning a computer can now enter the field of media production. Special effects in science fiction and action movies are created using computers.
Desktop publishing - With desktop publishing, you can create page layouts for entire books on your personal computer. Computers in Medicine - You can diagnose diseases. You can learn the cures. Software is used in magnetic resonance imaging to examine the internal organs of the human body. Software is used for performing surgery. Computers are used to store patient data.
Mathematical Calculations - Thanks to computers, which have computing speeds of over a million calculations per second we can perform the biggest of mathematical calculations.
Banks - All financial transactions are done by computer software. They provide security, speed and convenience. Travel - One can book air tickets or railway tickets and make hotel reservations online. Telecommunications - Software is widely used here. Also all mobile phones have software embedded in them. Defense - There is software embedded in almost every weapon. Software is used for controlling the flight and targeting in ballistic missiles. Software is used to control access to atomic bombs.
E-Learning Instead of a book it is easier to learn from an E-learning software. Gambling-You can gamble online instead of going to a casino. Examinations-You can give online exams and get instant results. You can check your examination results online. Computers in Business - Shops and supermarkets use software, which calculate the bills. Taxes can be calculated and paid online. Accounting is done using computers. One can predict future trends of business using artificial intelligence software. Software is used in major stock markets. One can do trading online. There are fully automated factories running on software.
Certificates - Different types of certificates can be generated. It is very easy to create and change layouts. ATM machines - The computer software authenticates the user and dispenses cash.
Marriage - There are matrimonial sites through which one can search for a suitable groom or bride. News-There are many websites through which you can read the latest or old news. Classmates-There are many alumni websites through which you can regain contact with your classmates. Robotics - Robots are controlled by software. Washing Machines - They operate using software. Microwave Oven - They are operated by software. Planning and Scheduling - Software can be used to store contact information, generating plans, scheduling appointments and deadlines. Plagiarism - Software can examine content for plagiarism. Greeting Cards - You can send and receive greetings pertaining to different occasions. Sports Software is used for making umpiring decisions. There are simulation software using which a sportsperson can practice his skills. Computers are also to identify flaws in techhnique.
Aeroplanes Pilots train on software, which simulates flying. Weather analysis Supercomputers are used to analyze and predict weather.
A computer is a device with remarkable efficiency and speed. In fact, it is described as an intelligent machine. But you must not forget that it is just a tool for man to use. It may be a powerful tool, but it is still a tool nonetheless. The following are the characteristics of a computer: 1. A computer is a machine. It is an inanimate object and, as such, will need human intervention to operate. Furthermore, it will only do things for which it is designed for. 2. A computer is electronic. It is made up of electronic circuits and runs on electrical energy. 3. A computer is automatic. Once started, it continues to run without outside intervention. 4. A computer can manipulate data. It can perform arithmetic functions such as addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication following specific rules or instructions. It cans also compare data. 5. A computer has memory. It has the capacity to remember what it has done. It can store data and instruction in its memory and retrieve these whenever they are needed during operation. 6. A computer has logical functions. It can be given a set of instructions which tells what it must do and how it must do them and can produce results
upon completion of these instructions. Very often, the instructions contain statements in which the computer is asked to make predetermined decisions.
The major functions of an OS are: -resource management, -data management, -job (task) management, and -standard means of communication between user and computer. The resource management function of an OS allocates computer resources such as CPU time, main memory, secondary storage, and input and output devices for use. The data management functions of an OS govern the input and output of the data and their location, storage, and retrieval.
The job management function of an OS prepares, schedules, controls, and monitors jobs submitted for execution to ensure the most efficient processing. A job is a collection of one or more related programs and their data.A job is a collection of one or more related programsAND
their data.
The OS establishes a standard means of communication between users and their computer systems. It does this by providing a user interface and a standard set of commands that control the hardware.
-Executing application programs. -Formatting floppy diskettes. -Setting up directories to organize your files. -Displaying a list of files stored on a particular disk. -Verifying that there is enough room on a disk to save a file. -Protecting and backing up your files by copying them to other disks for safekeeping.
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word processing
Using a computer to create, edit, and print documents. Of all computer applications, word processing is the most common. To perform word processing, you need a computer, a special program called a word processor, and a printer. A word processor enables you to create a document, store it electronically on a disk, display it on a screen, modify it by enteringcommands and characters from the keyboard, and print it on a printer. The great advantage of word processing over using a typewriter is that you can make changes without retyping the entire document. If you make a typing mistake, you simply back up the cursor and correct your mistake. If you want todelete a paragraph, you simply remove it, without leaving a trace. It is equally easy to insert a word, sentence, or paragraph in the middle of a document. Word processors also make it easy to move sections of text from one place to another within a document, or between documents. When you have made all the changes you want, you can send the file to a printer to get a hardcopy. Word processors vary considerably, but all word processors support the following basic features: insert text: Allows you to insert text anywhere in the document. delete text: Allows you to erase characters, words, lines, or pagesas easily as you can cross them out on paper. cut and paste : Allows you to remove (cut) a section of text from one place in a document and insert (paste) it somewhere else. copy : Allows you to duplicate a section of text. page size and margins : Allows you to define various page sizes and margins, and the word processor will automatically readjust the text so that it fits. search and replace : Allows you to direct the word processor to search for a particular word or phrase. You can also direct the word processor to replace one group of characters with another everywhere that the first group appears. word wrap : The word processor automatically moves to the next line when you have filled one line with text, and it will readjust text if you change the margins. print: Allows you to send a document to a printer to get hardcopy.
Word processors that support only these features (and maybe a few others) are called text editors. Most word processors, however, support additional features that enable you to manipulate
Definition of: word processing The creation of text documents. Except for labels and envelopes, it has replaced the electric typewriter in most offices, because of the ease in which documents can be edited, searched and reprinted. Advanced word processors function as elementary desktop publishing systems. Although there are still machines dedicated only to word processing, most word processing is performed on general-purpose computers using word processing software such as Microsoft Word and WordPerfect. Functions of a Full-featured Word Processor Text Editing Text can be changed by deleting it, typing over it or by inserting additional text within it. Word Wrap and Centering Words that extend beyond the right margin are wrapped around to the next line. Text can be centered between left and right margins. Search and Replace, Move and Copy Any occurrence of text can be replaced with another block of text. You can mark a block of text and move it elsewhere in the document or copy it throughout the document. Layout Settings Margins, tabs, line spacing, indents, font changes, underlining, boldface and italics can be set and reset anywhere within the document. Headers, Footers and Page Numbering Headers and footers are common text printed on the top and bottom of every page. Headers, footers and page numbering can be set and reset anywhere within the document. Page numbering in optional Roman numerals or alphabetic letters is common. Style Sheets After designing a document, its format can be used again. Layout codes (margins, tabs, fonts, etc.) can be stored in a style sheet file and applied to a new document. Mail Merge Creates customized letters from a form letter and a list of names and addresses. The list can be created as a document or can be imported from popular database formats. Math and Sorting Columns of numbers can be summed and simple arithmetic expressions can be computed. Lines of text can be reordered into ascending (A-Z) or descending (Z-A) sequence. Preview, Print and Group Print A document can be previewed before it is printed to show any layout change that may not normally show on screen (page breaks, headers, footers, etc.). Documents can be printed individually or as a group with page numbers consecutively numbered from the first to the last document. Footnotes and Endnotes Footnote entries can be made at any place in the document, and the footnotes printed at the end of a page or document. Spelling Checker and ThesaurusSpelling can be checked for an individual word, marked block of text
or an entire document. When words are in doubt, possible corrections are suggested. Advanced systems can correct the misspellings automatically the next time. A thesaurus displays synonyms for the word at the current cursor location. File Management Documents can be copied, renamed and deleted, and directories, or folders, can be created and deleted from within the program. Advanced systems set up a purge list of names or glimpses of document contents in order to allow a user to easily rid the disk of unwanted files. Advanced Functions Windows Allows two or more documents to be worked on at the same time. Text can be moved or copied from one document to the other. Columns Columns can be created in all word processors by tabbing to a tab stop. However, true column capability wraps words to the next line within each column. Columns are required for writing resumes with employer information on the left and work history on the right. Script writing also requires column capability. Magazine-style columns flow words from the bottom of one column to the top of the next. Tables of Contents and Indexes Tables of contents and indexes can be generated from entries typed throughout the document. Desktop Publishing Graphics can be merged into the text and either displayed on screen with the text or in a preview mode before printing. A graphic object can be resized (scaled), rotated and anchored so that it remains with a particular segment of text. Rules and borders can also be created within the text. Graphics Vs. Text Based Graphics-based programs (Windows, Macintosh, etc.) show a close facsimile on screen of the typefaces that will be printed. Earlier text-based DOS programs always show the same type size on screen. Text-based word processors are fine for typing letters and documents with a simple format. They are also very responsive and good for creative writing. Some authors still use ancient DOS word processors because they are more flexible than many GUI-based products, and they run fine under Windows. Graphics-based systems are necessary for preparing newsletters and brochures that contain a variety of font styles and sizes. Format Standards Every major word processing program has generated its own proprietary codes for layout settings. For example, in the earlier WordStar program,^PB turned on and off boldface. In WordPerfect, [BOLD] turns boldface on, and [bold] turns it off. Conversion programs are used to translate documents from one format to another. If a conversion program does not exist for the two required formats, multiple search & replace commands can be performed on the original document. However, if the same code turns a mode on as well as off, as in the WordStar example above, the codes have to be changed manually one at a time. The User Interface
Word processing programs run from the ridiculous to the sublime. Some of the most awkward programs have sold well. As a novice, it is difficult to tell a good one from a bad one. It takes time to explore the nuances. Also, what is acceptable for the slow typist can be horrendous for the fast typist.
Repetitive functions such as centering and changing display attributes (boldface, italics, etc.) should be a snap. Changing margins, tabs, indents and fonts should also be easy.
The most important component in word processing has nothing to do with software. The keyboard is the primary interface between the user and the machine, and the feel of the keys is critical. Key placement is also important.
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Input Devices
Keyboard
The computer keyboard is used to enter text information into the computer, as when you type the contents of a report. The keyboard can also be used to type commands directing the computer to perform certain actions. Commands are typically chosen from an on-screen menu using a mouse, but there are often keyboard shortcuts for giving these same commands. In addition to the keys of the main keyboard (used for typing text), keyboards usually also have a numeric keypad (for entering numerical data efficiently), a bank of editing keys (used in text editing operations), and a row of function keys along the top (to easily invoke certain program functions). Laptop computers, which dont have room for large keyboards, often include a fn key so that other keys can perform double duty (such as having a numeric keypad function embedded within the main keyboard keys). Improper use or positioning of a keyboard can lead to repetitive-stress injuries. Some ergonomic keyboards are designed with angled arrangements of keys and with built-in wrist rests that can minimize your risk of RSIs. Most keyboards attach to the PC via a PS/2 connector or USB port (newer). Older Macintosh computers used an ABD connector, but for several years now all Mac keyboards have connected using USB.
Pointing Devices
PC Keyboard (you have one in front of you that you can see for a closer look)
The graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in use today require some kind of device for positioning the on-screen cursor. Typical pointing devices are: mouse, trackball, touch pad, trackpoint, graphics tablet, joystick, and touch screen. Pointing devices, such as a mouse, connected to the PC via aserial ports (old), PS/2 mouse port (newer), or USB port (newest). Older Macs used ADB to connect their mice, but all recent Macs use USB (usually to a USB port right on the USB keyboard).
Mouse
The mouse pointing device sits on your work surface and is moved with your hand. In older mice, a ball in the bottom of the mouse rolls on the surface as you move the mouse, and internal rollers sense the ball movement and transmit the information to the computer via the cord of the mouse. The newer optical mouse does not use a rolling ball, but instead uses a light and a small optical sensor to detect the motion of the mouse by tracking a tiny image of the desk surface. Optical mice avoid the problem of a dirty mouse ball, which causes regular mice to roll unsmoothly if the mouse ball and internal rollers are not cleaned frequently. A cordless or wireless mouse communicates with the computer via radio waves (often using BlueTooth hardware and protocol) so that a cord is not needed (but such mice need internal batteries). A mouse also includes one or more buttons (and possibly a scroll wheel) to allow users to interact with the GUI. The traditional PC mouse has two buttons, while the traditional Macintosh mouse has one button. On either type of computer you can also use mice with three or more buttons and a small scroll wheel (which can also usually be clicked like a button).
Touch pad
Most laptop computers today have a touch pad pointing device. You move the on-screen cursor by sliding your finger along the surface of the touch pad. The buttons are located below the pad, but most touch pads allow you to perform mouse clicks by tapping on the pad itself. Touch pads have the advantage over mice that they take up much less room to use. They have the advantage over trackballs (which were used on early laptops) that there are no moving parts to get dirty and result in jumpy cursor control.
Trackpoint
Some sub-notebook computers (such as the IBM ThinkPad), which lack room for even a touch pad, incorporate atrackpoint, a small rubber projection embedded between the keys of the keyboard. The trackpoint acts like a little joystick that can be used to control the position of the on-screen cursor.
Trackball
Trackpoint Trackball
The trackball is sort of like an upside-down mouse, with the ball located on top. You use your fingers to roll the trackball,
and internal rollers (similar to whats inside a mouse) sense the motion which is transmitted to the computer. Trackballs have the advantage over mice in that the body of the trackball remains stationary on your desk, so you dont need as much room to use the trackball. Early laptop computers often used trackballs (before superior touch pads came along). Trackballs have traditionally had the same problem as mice: dirty rollers can make their cursor control jumpy and unsmooth. But there are modern optical trackballs that dont have this problem because their designs eliminate the rollers.
Joysticks
Joysticks and other game controllers can also be connected to a computer as pointing devices. They are generally used for playing games, and not for controlling the on-screen cursor in productivity software.
Touch screen
Some computers, especially small hand-held PDAs, have touch sensitive display screens. The user can make choices and press button images on the screen. You often use a stylus, which you hold like a pen, to write on the surface of a small touch screen.
Graphics tablet
A graphics tablet consists of an electronic writing area and a special pen that works with it. Graphics tablets allows artists to create graphical images with motions and actions similar to using more traditional drawing tools. The pen of the graphics tablet is pressure sensitive, so pressing harder or softer can result in brush strokes of different width (in an appropriate graphics program).
Scanners
A scanner is a device that images a printed page or graphic by digitizing it, producing an image made of tiny pixels of different brightness and color values which are represented numerically and sent to the computer. Scanners scan graphics, but they can also scan pages of text which are then run through OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software that identifies the individual letter shapes and creates a text file of the page's contents.
Microphone
(usually through a sound card input or circuitry built into the motherboard). The sound is digitizedturned into numbers that represent the original analog sound wavesand stored in the computer to later processing and playback.
MIDI Devices
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a system designed to transmit information between electronic musical instruments. A MIDI musical keyboard can be attached to a computer and allow a performer to play music that is captured by the computer system as a sequence of notes with the associated timing (instead of recording digitized sound waves).
Output Devices
CRT Monitor
The traditional output device of a personal computer has been the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor. Just like a television set (an older one, anyway) the CRT monitor contains a large cathode ray tube that uses an electron beam of varying strength to paint a picture onto the color phosphorescent dots on the inside of the screen. CRT monitors are heavy and use more electrical power than flat panel displays, but they are preferred by some graphic artists for their accurate color rendition, and preferred by some gamers for faster response to rapidly changing graphics. Monitor screen size is measured diagonally across the screen, in inches. Not all of the screen area may be usable for image display, so the viewable area is also specified. The resolutionof the monitor is the maximum number of pixels it can display horizontally and vertically (such as 800 x 600, or 1024 x 768, or 1600 x 1200). Most monitors can display several resolutions below its maximum setting. Pixels (short for picture elements) are the small dots that make of the image displayed on the screen. The spacing of the screens tiny phosphor dots is called the dot pitch (dp), typically .28 or .26 (measured in millimeters). A screen with a smaller dot pitch produces sharper images. Your computer must produce a video signal that a monitor can display. This may be handled by circuitry on the motherboard, but is usually handled by a video card in one of the
computers expansion slots; often the slot is a special one dedicated to video use, such as an AGP slot (Accelerated Graphics Port). Video cards are also called video display adapters, and graphics cards. Many video cards contain separate processors and dedicated video memory for generating complex graphics quickly without burdening the CPU. These accelerated graphics cards are loved by gamers.
Flat Panel Monitor
A flat panel display usually uses an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen to display output from the computer. The LCD consists of several thin layers that polarize the light passing through them. The polarization of one layer, containing long thin molecules called liquid crystals, can be controlled electronically at each pixel, blocking varying amounts of the light to make a pixel lighter or darker. Other types of flat panel technology exist (such as plasma displays) but LCDs are most commonly used in computers, especially laptops. Older LCDs had slow response times and low contrast, butactive matrix LCD screens have a transparent thin film transistor (TFT) controlling each pixel, so response, contrast, and viewing angle are much improved. Flat panel displays are much lighter and less bulky than CRT monitors, and they consume much less power. They have been more expensive than CRTs in the past, but the price gap is narrowing. You will see many more flat panels in the future. As with CRTs, the display size of a flat panel is expressed in inches, and the resolution is the number of pixels horizontally and vertically on the display.
Ink Jet Printer
For hardcopy (printed) output, you need some kind of printer attached to your computer (or available over a network). The most common type of printer for home systems is the color ink jet printer. These printers form the image on the page by spraying tiny droplets of ink from the print head. The printer needs several colors of ink (cyan, yellow, magenta, and black) to make color images. Some photo-quality ink jet printers have more colors of ink. Ink jet printers are inexpensive, but the cost of consumables (ink cartridges and special paper) make them costly to operate in the long run for many purposes.
Laser Printer
A laser printer produces good quality images by the same technology that photocopiers use. A drum coated with photosensitive material is charged, then an image is written onto it by a laser (or LEDs) which makes those areas lose the charge. The drum then rolls through toner (tiny plastic particles of pigment) that are attracted to the charged areas of the drum. The toner is then deposited onto the paper, and then fused into the paper with heat. Most laser printers are monochrome (one color only, usually black), but more expensive laser printers with multiple color toner cartridges can produce color output. Laser printers are faster than ink jet printers. Their speed is rated in pages per minute (ppm). Laser printers are more expensive than ink jets, but they are cheaper to run in the long term if you just need good quality black & white pages.
Other Printers
Multi-function printers are available that not only operate as a computer printer, but also include the hardware needed to be a scanner, photocopier, and FAX machine as well. Dot matrix printers use small electromagnetically activated pins in the print head, and an inked ribbon, to produce images by impact. These printers are slow and noisy, and are not commonly used for personal computers anymore (but they can print multi-layer forms, which neither ink jet or laser printers can).
Sound Output
Computers also produce sound output, ranging from simple beeps alerting the user, to impressive game sound effects, to concert quality music. The circuitry to produce sound may be included on the motherboard, but high quality audio output from a PC usually requires a sound card in one of the expansion slots, connected to a set of good quality external speakers or headphones. Multimedia is a term describing computer output that includes sound, text, graphics, movies, and animation. A sound card is an example of a multimedia output device (as is a monitor that can display graphics).
to jump from page to page. Basically, hyperlinks allow people to browse information at hyperspeed.
A hyperlink has an anchor, which is the location within a document from which the hyperlink can be followed; the document containing a hyperlink is known as its source document. The target of a hyperlink is the document, or location within a document, to which the hyperlink leads. Users can activate and follow the link when its anchor is shown, usually by touching or clicking on the anchor with a pointing device. Following the link has the effect of displaying its target, often with its context.
1. b) TEXT a. The original words of something written or printed, as opposed to a paraphrase, translation, revision, or condensation. b. The words of a speech appearing in print. c. Words, as of a libretto, that are set to music in a composition. d. Words treated as data by a computer. 2. The body of a printed work as distinct from headings and illustrative matter on a page or from front and back matter in a book. 3. One of the editions or forms of a written work: After examining all three manuscripts, he published a new text of the poem. 4. Something, such as a literary work or other cultural product, regarded as an object of critical analysis. 5. A passage from the Scriptures or another authoritative source chosen for the subject of a discourse or cited for support in argument. 6. A passage from a written work used as the starting point of a discussion. 7. A subject; a topic. 8. A textbook. A) FRONT PAGE :- Microsoft FrontPage is a website development tool that allows users to
create and manage web pages. FrontPage is designed to be easy to use by those who are not familiar with programming languages or traditional website authoring methods.
1. Function
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In addition to website authoring, FrontPage also allows webmasters to publish those pages directly to a Web server. FrontPage's built-in reports also provide detailed information about website performance to ensure better site management. Features Microsoft FrontPage utilizes dynamic design templates to help you quickly create and edit your website. The sites created with Microsoft FrontPage range from simple personal web pages to complex corporate Intranet and Internet sites. Considerations
Production of Microsoft FrontPage ended in 2006 and has since been replaced by Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer and Microsoft Expression Web. SharePoint Designer should be used only on sites built on the SharePoint platform, and Expression Web is used on other non-SharePoint developed sites. According to the Microsoft FrontPage to Expression Web transition guide, "With Expression Web and FrontPage on the same computer, you can continue to manage your FrontPage website and use the new tools and features included in Expression Web to take your FrontPage to the next level."
TABLE In computer programming, a table is a data structure used to organize information, just
as it is on paper. There are many different types of computer-related tables, which work in a number of different ways. The following are examples of the more common types. I) In data processing, a table (also called an array) is a organized grouping of fields. Tables may store relatively permanent data, or may be frequently updated. For example, a table contained in a disk volume is updated when sectors are being written. 2) In a relational database, a table (sometimes called a file) organizes the information about a single topic into rows and columns. For example, a database for a business would typically contain a table for customer information, which would store customers' account numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and so on as a series of columns. Each single piece of data (such as the account number) is a field in the table. A column consists of all the entries in a single field, such as the telephone numbers of all the customers. Fields, in turn, are organized as records, which are complete sets of information (such as the set of information about a particular customer), each of which comprises a row. The process of normalizationdetermines how data will be most effectively organized into tables. 3)A decision table (often called a truth table), which can be computer-based or simply drawn up on paper, contains a list of decisions and the criteria on which they are based. All possible situations for decisions should be listed, and the action to take in each situation should be specified. A rudimentary example: For a traffic intersection, the decision to proceed might be expressed as yes or no and the criteria might be the light is red or the light is green. A decision table can be inserted into a computer program to direct its processing according to decisions made in different situations. Changes to the decision table are reflected in the program.
4)An HTML table is used to organize Web page elements spatially or to create a structure for data that is best displayed in tabular form, such as lists or specifications. Home > graphics
graphics
icture
(p k ch r) n. 1. A visual representation or image painted, drawn, photographed, or otherwise rendered on a flat surface. 2. A visible image, especially one on a flat surface or screen: the picture reflected in the lake; focused the picture on the movie screen. 3. a. A vivid or realistic verbal description: a Shakespearean picture of guilt. b. A vivid mental image. 4. A person or object bearing a marked resemblance to another: She's the picture of her mother. 5. A person, object, or scene that typifies or embodies an emotion, state of mind, or mood: Your face was the very picture of horror. 6. The chief circumstances of an event or time; a situation. 7. A movie. 8. A tableau vivant.
PICTURE 1. To make a visible representation of. 2. To form a mental image of; visualize. 3. To describe vividly in words; make a verbal picture of: pictured their heroism in glowing language. See Synonyms at represent.
(n.) Refers to any computer device or program that makes a computer capable of displaying and manipulating pictures. The term also refers to the images themselves. For example, laser printers and plotters are graphicsdevices because they permit the computer to output pictures. A graphics monitor is a display monitor that can display pictures. A graphics board (orgraphics card) is a printed circuit board that, when installed in a computer, permits the computer to display pictures. Many software applications include graphics components. Such programs are said to support graphics. For example, certain word processors supportgraphics because they let you draw or import pictures. All CAD/CAM systemssupport graphics. Some database management systems and spreadsheet programs support graphics because they let you display data in the form of graphs and charts. Such applications are often referred to as business graphics. The following are also considered graphics applications : paint programs : Allow you to create rough freehand drawings. The images are stored as bit maps and can easily be edited. illustration/design programs: Supports more advanced featuresthan paint programs, particularly for drawing curved lines. The images are usually stored in vector-based formats. Illustration/design programs are often called draw programs. presentation graphics software : Lets you create bar charts, pie charts, graphics, and other types of images for slide shows and reports. The charts can be based on data imported from spreadsheet applications.
animation software: Enables you to chain and sequence a series of images to simulate movement. Each image is like a frame in a movie. CAD software: Enables architects and engineers to draft designs. desktop publishing : Provides a full set of word-processing features as well as fine control over placement of text and graphics, so that you can create newsletters, advertisements, books, and other types ofdocuments.