Computer Application in Business

Unit -I

1. Computer:-

A computer is an electronic machine that takes in data and instructions (Input) works with the data
(Processing) puts out information (output).

"Common Operating Machine Purposely Used for Technological and Educational Research”

2. Characteristics of Computer:-

Speed
A computer works with much higher speed and accuracy compared to humans while performing
mathematical calculations. Computers can process millions (1,000,000) of instructions per second. The time
taken by computers for their operations is microseconds and nanoseconds.
Accuracy
Computers perform calculations with 100% accuracy. Errors may occur due to data inconsistency or
inaccuracy.
Diligence
A computer can perform millions of tasks or calculations with the same consistency and accuracy. It doesn’t
feel any fatigue or lack of concentration. Its memory also makes it superior to that of human beings.
Versatility
Versatility refers to the capability of a computer to perform different kinds of work with the same accuracy
and efficiency.
Reliability
A computer is reliable as it gives consistent results for similar set of data i.e., if we give same set of input any
number of times, we will get the same result.
Automation
Computer performs all the tasks automatically i.e. it performs tasks without manual intervention.
Memory
A computer has built-in memory called primary memory where it stores data. Secondary storage are
removable devices such as CDs, pen drives, etc., which are also used to store data.
3. Areas of Computer Application
Home
Computers are used at homes for several purposes like online bill payment, watching movies or shows at
home, home tutoring, social media access, playing games, internet access, etc. They provide communication
through electronic mail. They help to avail work from home facility for corporate employees. Computers
help the student community to avail online educational support.
Medical Field
Computers are used in hospitals to maintain a database of patients’ history, diagnosis, X-rays, live
monitoring of patients, etc. Surgeons nowadays use robotic surgical devices to perform delicate operations,
and conduct surgeries remotely. Virtual reality technologies are also used for training purposes. It also helps
to monitor the fetus inside the mother’s womb.
Entertainment
Computers help to watch movies online, play games online; act as a virtual entertainer in playing games,
listening to music, etc. MIDI instruments greatly help people in the entertainment industry in recording
music with artificial instruments. Videos can be fed from computers to full screen televisions. Photo editors
are available with fabulous features.
Industry
Computers are used to perform several tasks in industries like managing inventory, designing purpose,
creating virtual sample products, interior designing, video conferencing, etc. Online marketing has seen a
great revolution in its ability to sell various products to inaccessible corners like interior or rural areas. Stock
markets have seen phenomenal participation from different levels of people through the use of computers.
Education
Computers are used in education sector through online classes, online examinations, referring e-books,
online tutoring, etc. They help in increased use of audio-visual aids in the education field.
Government
In government sectors, computers are used in data processing, maintaining a database of citizens and
supporting a paperless environment. The country’s defense organizations have greatly benefitted from
computers in their use for missile development, satellites, rocket launches, etc.
Banking
In the banking sector, computers are used to store details of customers and conduct transactions, such as
withdrawal and deposit of money through ATMs. Banks have reduced manual errors and expenses to a great
extent through extensive use of computers.
Business
Nowadays, computers are totally integrated into business. The main objective of business is transaction
processing, which involves transactions with suppliers, employees or customers. Computers can make these
transactions easy and accurate. People can analyze investments, sales, expenses, markets and other aspects of
business using computers.
Training
Many organizations use computer-based training to train their employees, to save money and improve
performance. Video conferencing through computers allows saving of time and travelling costs by being able
to connect people in various locations.
Arts
Computers are extensively used in dance, photography, arts and culture. The fluid movement of dance can be
shown live via animation. Photos can be digitized using computers.
Science and Engineering
Computers with high performance are used to stimulate dynamic process in Science and Engineering.
Supercomputers have numerous applications in area of Research and Development (R&D). Topographic
images can be created through computers. Scientists use computers to plot and analyze data to have a better
understanding of earthquakes.
4. Components of Computer
Input Unit

A computer will only respond when a command is given to the device. These commands can be given using
the input unit or the input devices.

For example: Using a keyboard we can type things on a Notepad and the computer processes the entered data
and then displays the output of the same of the screen.

The data entered can be in the form of numbers, alphabet, images, etc. We enter the information using an
input device, the processing units convert it into computer understandable languages and then the final output
is received by a human-understandable language.

Output Unit

When we command a computer to perform a task, it reverts for the action performed and gives us a result.
This result is called output. There are various output devices connected to the computer. The most basic of
which is a monitor. Whatever we write using a keyboard or click using a mouse, is all displayed on the
monitor.

Thus, the output unit gives us the final result once the entire processing is done within the mechanism of a
device.

For example: when we visit an ATM, we enter our details like language, pin, amount to be withdrawn, etc.
and then the final money which the cash dispenser releases is our outcome. In this case, the cash dispenser
acts as an output unit.

To get a list of computer input and output devices and the function of the various I/O devices, visit the linked
article.

For better understanding and more interactive analysis of the components of the computer, candidates can
check the video given below and get detailed information reading the five major components responsible for
the functioning of a computer device.

Memory Unit

When we enter the data into the computer using an input device, the entered information immediately gets
saved in the memory unit of the Central Processing Unit (CPU). Because of the presence of some existing
programming, the Memory Unit transmits the data further to the other parts of the CPU.

Similarly, when the output of our command is processed by the computer, it is saved in the memory unit
before giving the output to the user.
Control Unit

This is the core unit which manages the entire functioning of the computer device. It is one of the most
essential components of the computer system.

The Control Unit collects the data entered using the input unit, leads it on for processing and once that is
done, receives the output and presents it to the user. It can be said to the centre of all processing actions
taking place inside a computer device.

Basically, the instructions taken, interpretation of entered data, issuing signals to execute the data and then
finally retrieving the data is all done in the Control Unit.

Arithmetic & Logical Unit

As the name suggests, all the mathematical calculations or arithmetic operations are performed in the
Arithmetic and Logical Unit of the CPU.

It can also perform actions like a comparison of data and decision-making actions. The ALU comprises
circuits using which addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and other numerical based calculations can
be performed.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The Central Processing Unit is the core of any computer devices. It comprises three major components of the
computer which have been discussed above:

Memory Unit

Control Unit

Arithmetic and Logical Unit

All these three units are elements of CPU and together help in the efficient working and processing of data. It
is also known as the “Brain of Computer” and no action can be conducted by a device without the execution
and permission of the Central Processing Unit.

The device is a close-knit circuit comparison microprocessor which helps in fetching the data and proving
suitable results to the user. Thus, CPU is the main processing unit of the computer.

5. Control Unit
A Central Processing Unit is the most important component of a computer system. A control unit is a part of
the CPU. A control unit controls the operations of all parts of the computer but it does not carry out any data
processing operations.
Control Unit
The Control Unit is the part of the computer’s central processing unit (CPU), which directs the operation of
the processor. It was included as part of the Von Neumann Architecture by John von Neumann. It is the
responsibility of the control unit to tell the computer’s memory, arithmetic/logic unit, and input and output
devices how to respond to the instructions that have been sent to the processor. It fetches internal instructions
of the programs from the main memory to the processor instruction register, and based on this register
contents, the control unit generates a control signal that supervises the execution of these instructions. A
control unit works by receiving input information which it converts into control signals, which are then sent
to the central processor. The computer’s processor then tells the attached hardware what operations to
perform. The functions that a control unit performs are dependent on the type of CPU because the
architecture of the CPU varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.
6. Input and Output Devices

Keyboard

 A simple device comprising keys and each key denotes either an alphabet, number or number
commands which can be given to a computer for various actions to be performed
 It has a modified version of typewriter keys
 The keyboard is an essential input device and computer and laptops both use keyboards to give
commands to the computer

Mouse

 It is also known as a pointing device

 Using mouse we can directly click on the various icons present on the system and open up various
files and programs
 A mouse comprises 3 buttons on the top and one trackball at the bottom which helps in selecting and
moving the mouse around, respectively
 In case of laptops, the touchpad is given as a replacement of the mouse which helps in the movement
of the mouse pointer

Joy Stick

 It is a device which comprises a stick which is attached at an angle to the base so that it can be moved
and controlled
  Mostly used to control the movement in video games
 Apart from a computer system, a joystick is also used in the cockpit of an aeroplane, wheelchairs,
cranes, trucks, etc. to operate them well

Light Pen

 It is a wand-like looking device which can directly be moved over the device’s screen
 It is light-sensitive
 Used in conjunction with computer’s cathode ray tube

Microphone

 Using a microphone, sound can be stored in a device in its digital form

 It converts sound into an electrical signal
 To record or reproduce a sound created using a microphone, it needs to be connected with an
amplifier

Scanner

 This device can scan images or text and convert it into a digital signal
 When we place any piece of a document on a scanner, it converts it into a digital signal and displays
it on the computer screen

Barcode Reader

 It is a kind of an optical scanner

 It can read bar codes
 A source of light is passed through a bar code, and its aspects and details are displayed on the screen
 All the devices mentioned above are the most commonly used input devices. Several other such types
of equipment are used in different fields which can be counted as an input device.
7. List of Output Device

Monitor

 The device which displays all the icons, text, images, etc. over a screen is called the Monitor
 When we ask the computer to perform an action, the result of that action is displayed on the monitor
 Various types of monitors have also been developed over the years

Printer
  A device which makes a copy of the pictorial or textual content, usually over a paper is called a
printer
 For example, an author types the entire book on his/her computer and later gets a print out of it,
which is in the form of paper and is later published
 Multiple types of printers are also available in the market, which can serve different purposes

Speakers

 A device through which we can listen to a sound as an outcome of what we command a computer to
do is called a speaker
 Speakers are attached with a computer system and also are a hardware device which can be attached
separately
 With the advancement in technology, speakers are now available which are wireless and can be
connected using BlueTooth or other applications

Projector

 An optical device which presents an image or moving images onto a projection screen is called a
projector
 Most commonly these projectors are used in auditoriums and movie theatres for the display of the
videos or lighting
 If a projector is connected to a computer, then the image/video displayed on the screen is the same as
the one displayed on the computer screen

Headphones

 They perform the same function as a speaker, the only difference is the frequency of sound
 Using speakers, the sound can be heard over a larger area and using headphones, the sound is only
audible to the person using them
 Also known as earphones or headset
8. MS Word

MS Word is one of the most used programs of the Office Suite, some basic information regarding its
creation and development has been given below:

 Charles Simonyi, a developer and Richard Brodie, a software engineer, were the two creators of MS
Word
 This program was initially named “Multi-Tool Word” but later, was renamed as MS Word
 It was introduced in 1983
  Word for Windows is available standalone or as a part of MS Office suite
 MS Word for Mac was introduced by Microsoft as Word 1.0 in 1985
 The extension for any word file is “.doc or .docx.”

Moving forward, details about the features and applications of Word have been discussed.

9. What is MS Word?

Used to make professional-quality documents, letters, reports, etc., MS Word is a word processor developed
by Microsoft. It has advanced features which allow you to format and edit your files and documents in the
best possible way.

Where to find MS Word on your personal computer?

Follow these simple steps to open MS Word on your personal computer:

Start → All Programs → MS Office → MS Word.

What are the uses of MS Word?

MS Word enables users to do write-ups, create documents, resumes, contracts, etc. This is one of the most
commonly used programs under the Office suite.

10. How to create an MS Word document?

To create an MS Word doc, follow the steps mentioned above to open Microsoft Word. Then once the
program is open, click on “File” followed by “New”. This opens a new doc where something new can be
created.

Since it is used by people of all age groups, in schools, in colleges and for official purposes, having proper
knowledge of Microsoft Word is a must. The preview of the MS Doc file once it is opened is given below:
11. Features of MS Word

Now let us read more about the features and components of an MS Word doc file in detail.

The image given below shows the different elements and categories which are available in MS Word doc:

12. MS Word - Features of Microsoft Word

Home

This has options like font colour, font size, font style, alignment, bullets, line spacing, etc. All the basic
elements which one may need to edit their document is available under the Home option.

Insert

Tables, shapes, images, charts, graphs, header, footer, page number, etc. can all be entered in the document.
They are included in the “Insert” category.

Design

The template or the design in which you want your document to be created can be selected under the Design
tab. Choosing an appropriate tab will enhance the appearance of your document.

Page Layout

Under the Page Layout tab comes options like margins, orientation, columns, lines, indentation, spacing, etc.

References

This tab is the most useful for those who are creating a thesis or writing books or lengthy documents.
Options like citation, footnote, table of contents, caption, bibliography, etc. can be found under this tab.

Review

Spell check, grammar, Thesaurus, word count, language, translation, comments, etc. can all be tracked under
the review tab. This acts as an advantage for those who get their documents reviewed on MS Word.
Apart from all the above-mentioned features, the page can be set in different views and layouts, which can be
added and optimised using the View tab on the Word document. Margins and scales are also available for the
benefit of the users.

When compared with MS PowerPoint, MS Word is more of reading while PPT is more of visual and
graphical representation of data.

13. Uses of MS Word

In Education

It is considered as one of the simplest tools which can be used by both teachers and students. Creating notes
is easier using MS Word as they can be made more interactive by adding shapes and images. It is also
convenient to make assignments on MS Word and submitting them online

In Workplace

Submitting letters, bills, creating reports, letterheads, sample documents, can all easily be done using MS
Word

Creating & Updating Resume

One of the best tools to create your resumes and is easy to edit and make changes in it as per your experience

For Authors

Since separate options are available for bibliography, table of contents, etc., it is the best tool which can be
used by authors for writing books and adjusting it as per the layout and alignment of your choice

Also, creating a Doc file and converting it into PDF is a more suitable option, so it is highly recommended.

14. Creating Business Letters using Wizards

MS Word has a letter wizard that you will use to format this letter. So go ahead and open MS Word.
On the right panel you will see Office Online. On the bottom, you will see the word Open. Right
under it are two options: a yellow folder followed by Open and a white square followed by Create a
new document. Select this by clicking.
New choices appear: New (Blank Doc.XML.doc) and Templates (Search online) /Templates on
Office Online and On my computer. Click On my Computer.
Look for the Letter Wizard and click.

A letter appears and a dialog box: Welcome to the Letter Wizard. You now have to choose whether
to send 1 letter or send letters to a mailing list. Select the first circle (1 letter). And click OK.
A new dialog box appears: Letter Wizard Step 1 of 4

It has four tabs. The first one is Letter Format. It includes a checkbox for dateline and a drop
down menu in which you can choose different date formats. (The default says Current date.)
You can choose a page design in the next drop down menu. Select Contemporary.

On the right side of the dialog box, you need to choose a letter style; select Full block in the drop
down menu. Then click Next.
You’re now in Step 2 of 4; this is about the recipient’s information.
You can use your address book if it is set up or you can manually input the information. In the
box for the recipient’s name and the delivery address. Now select the circle Business. Click
Next.

Step 3 of 4 has other elements that we won’t use, so click Next.

This is step 4 of 4, the sender’s information.
Fill in your names as the sender’s name and your address in the Return address box.
Choose a Closing from the drop down menu and click Finish. In the letter, all the data
you just inputted into the Letter Wizard appears. All you need to do is to write the body
of the letter.
15. Open a Saved Document (File) in Microsoft Word

While you are creating a document, it is often important to save it for future use. The saved
document now becomes a file. A file is a complete, named collection of information, such as a
user-created document. It is the basic unit of storage that enables a computer to distinguish one
set of information from another. It is a collection of data that a user can retrieve, change, delete,
save, or send to an output device, such as a printer or e-mail program. From the foregoing
explanation, you realize that a saved document can be retrieved, viewed and reused. Here are the
steps involved in opening/retrieving a saved document/file in Word environment.

 On the Menu bar, click File, and then click Open. The Open dialog box appears.
 In the Look in list, click the drive or folder that contains the file you want to open.
 Click the file.
 You'll see a preview of the selected file in the Preview box.
 Click Open.
16. Editing Word Documents

Editing a word file means making changes in the text contained in a file. Everyone needs to edit
a word file at some point or other to incorporate the changes which may arise.

Editing a word file is one of the most basic MS office word operations. Here, we shall help you
with the tutorial steps after which you should be able to edit the word file with ease. Editing a
file covers these basic areas.

 Adding new text.

 Deleting a part of the text.
 Copying a text.
 Moving text.
 Pasting text.
 Formatting text.
Thus, we shall cover these simple operations in this tutorial so that you could muster the right
ways of editing a word file

 For Adding New Text

If you want to add new text at the end of a file, simply place the cursor to the end part and start
typing using the keyboard.

For adding text in between a document, place the cursor to the required portion and start typing.

 Deleting A Part Of The File

If you wish to delete some parts from the end of the file, take the cursor to the end point and keep
pressing “Backspace” till the text is cleared.

You can also select the part you want to clear by left clicking on the text and dragging the mouse
along. After the part has been selected, simply click “Backspace” and the text gets deleted.

 Copying A Text

If you want to copy an entire word file, simply select the whole file or use keyboard shortcut
Control + A and then right click to select the option “Copy”. You can also use keyboard shortcut
Control + C. Doing so will copy the entire text.

If you want to copy selected text, you need to select the part of the text initially by left clicking
and dragging the mouse and then follow the same procedure.

 Moving Text

If you want to move some text from one part of the document to another, simply select the part.

Right click upon the selected part and choose “Cut”.

Move to the desired location where you want to move the cut part. Place the cursor at the desired
place.

Click paste or use Control +V.

The text block has moved from one part to another.

 Pasting Text
Pasting a text is also simple as the copied contents simply need to be put in the desired place by
right clicking and using “Paste” option. Keyboard shortcut Control + V also does the same.

 Formatting A Text

Formatting refers to changing the font style, size, italics and other related parameters. A good
formatted text can help in creating a nice impression. Further, formatting is required to highlight
certain important factors and points. The main steps to consider while formatting are as follows.

Select the text that you want to format. If it is the entire document, click Control + A or select the
specific portion.

After you have selected the part, you want to format, click on the Home tab in the top row.

You can see a dropdown list with font name and adjacent to it you have another drop down list
displaying font size.

As you can see, there are various fonts and you may select the one you want.

As you can see in the above screenshot, you may alter font size with the drop box.

You can change either of them if you want another font or different size.

You can adjust more with advanced font settings.

Just below the font name and size, you have another row with options like

Bold: if you want to bold some points, click on the icon. To remove bold, click again.

Italics: for italicizing a portion, click “I”. For removing the italics, click it again.

Underline: if you wish to underline a part, click on the “U” button. Clicking on the same button
again will remove the underline.

17. Formatting Documents

 To select a word, double-tap it.

 To select a group of words or a block of text, select the first word and then drag the

handles ( ) to the end of your selection.

 To select a paragraph, triple-tap it.
You can use the formatting options available on the Home tab to format text.

 Change the font: Select some text and then tap the font name box. Choose a font from the
drop-down list.

 Change the font size: Select some text, tap the font size box, and then choose a size from the
drop-down list.

 Add bold, italics, or underlining: Select some text and then tap the appropriate icon to
apply the formatting.

 Highlight text: Select some text, tap the highlight icon, and then choose a highlight color.
 Change the font color: Tap the font color icon, and then choose a color.

 Add strikethrough: Select the text, and then tap the down arrow. Tap the strikethrough icon
on the Font menu.
 Remove formatting: Select the text that has the formatting you want to remove, and then tap
the down arrow. Tap Clear Formatting on the Font menu.
 Add subscript or superscript: Select some text, tap the down arrow, and select subscript or
superscript on the Font menu

Notes:

 If you are using your device in portrait mode, many of the formatting options will appear on
the Font menu.
 Apply a style: Select some text, tap the style icon, and then select from the list of defined
styles.

 Add bullet or numbered lists: Select the text and then tap the bullet or the numbered list
icon.
 You can select a bullet or numbering style.

 Indent a paragraph: Tap anywhere in the paragraph, and then tap the indent icon or the
negative indent icon.
 Align the text: Tap the text and then tap the alignment icon to align the text left, center,
right, or justified.

 Line spacing: To add or remove space before or after a line or paragraph, tap the arrow
and then select from the spacing options.

 Insert or remove tabs: Tap the place where you want the tab to be located, tap the
paragraph tab icon, and then tap the insert tab or remove tap icon.
To indent only the first line or use a hanging indent, tap the paragraph tab icon, tap Special
Indent, and then make your selection.

You can also select formatting options from the edit menu.

 Cut and paste or copy and paste: Select some text, tap the scissors icon to cut the text or
the copy icon to copy the text, tap a new location, and then tap the clipboard icon. Tap the
arrow next to the clipboard to see the Paste menu. You can select Paste, Keep Source
Formatting,Keep Text Only, or Paste Format.
 Look up a definition: Select a word and then tap Smart Lookup.

18. Spelling and grammar Check

Fix spelling and grammar as you work

1. Right-click text with a squiggly line or a double underline underneath.

2. Select the correct spelling from the list of suggestions.

Check entire file

1. Select Review > Spelling & Grammar or press F7.

2. In the Editor pane, select the correct spelling from the list of suggestions.
3. Select Change All to fix every time this word appears in your file.

Or you can select:

 Add to Dictionary: If you’d like Office to remember this spelling across all apps in the
future.
 Ignore Once: To ignore the mistake and remove the squiggly line or double underline.
 Ignore All: To ignore the mistakes and remove the squiggly line or double underline for all
instances of this text in the file.
19. Word count

When you need to know how many words, pages, characters, paragraphs, or lines are in a
document, check the status bar.

For a partial word count, select the words you want to count. The status bar shows the word
count for that selection and for the entire document.

Tip: Find the number of characters, paragraphs, and lines by clicking on the word count in the
status bar.

20. Thesaurus

1. Click the word in your document that you want to look up.
2. On the Review tab, click Thesaurus.
 3. To use one of the words in the list of results or to search for more words, do one of the
following:

 To replace your selected word with one of the words from the list, point to it, click the
down arrow, then click Insert.
 To copy and paste a word from the list, point to it, click the down arrow, then click Copy.
You can then paste the word anywhere that you like.
 To look up additional related words, click a word in the list of results.

21. Create a document

1. Select File > Home.

2. Select Blank document, select one of the templates, or open a Recommended or Recent
file.
Open a document

 Select File > Open, and select the document you want.
 If your file's saved to OneDrive and you're working offline, your revisions will be saved the
next time you connect online.
Rename a document

To rename your document:

 If your file's saved to OneDrive, select the file name at the top, and type in what you want.
 Select File > Save As, choose a location to save to, and rename your file.
Choose a save option

 Save your document to OneDrive

If your file's been saved to OneDrive, your changes are automatically saved.

 Select File > Save As.

 Select OneDrive.
 Type in a name and select Save.

Other save options

There are more ways to save your document. First, select File:

 To save your file, select Save, or select File > Save.

 To save your file as a PDF, select File > Save as Adobe PDF.

22. Mail Merge

1. On the File tab, select New and choose Blank Document.

2. On the Mailings tab, choose Select Recipients and select Type a New List.

3. In the New Address List dialog box type recipient information in each column as
appropriate. For more info on using the dialog box, see Edit Data Source.
4. For each new record, select Add New.
5. If you need more columns, such as for an order number, follow these steps:
a. In the New Address List dialog box choose Customize Columns.
b. Choose Add.

c. Type a field name and then select OK.

d. Repeat steps b and c for each column or field to add.

6. When you're done adding all the people you want to your list, choose OK.
7. In the Save Address List dialog box, give your new file a name, and then choose Save.

You can now insert mail merge fields in your document.