Short Notes

• What is Control Panel?

The control panel, as the name suggests is a crucial tool for controlling various settings and
features of the Windows operating system. It provides a user-friendly interface for
maintaining the system’s performance, security, and usability. In this article, we will
discuss in detail the control panel, its components, functions, and other topics related to
it.

What is a Control Panel ?

A Control panel is a centralized interface that allows users to manage various functions of
computer software, hardware, etc. These functions include Adding and removing software
and hardware, system updates, security updates, network and internet, user accounts,
clock, language, date and time, display, Programs and features, Windows Defender, etc. It
can modify the uses of default apps and settings of mouse, keyboard, sound, etc. The
control panel is available in almost every version of Microsoft Windows including Windows
2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12, etc.

• What is System Software?

System Software is the type of software that is the interface between
application software and the system. Low-level languages are used to write the
system software. System Software maintains the system resources and gives
the path for application software to run. An important thing is that without
system software, the system can not run. It is general-purpose software.
Functions of System Software
• Memory Management
• Processor Management
• File Management
• Security
• Error-detecting Aids
• Scheduling
Features of System Software
• System software is written in a low-level language.
• The size of the system Software is smaller.
• System software is complex to understand.
 • System software is present near hardware components.
Types of System Software
1. Operating System: Operating System is the main part of the Computer
System. It has the responsibility of managing all the resources such as CPU,
Printer, Hard Disk, etc. It also provides services to many other Computers
Softwares. Examples of Operating Systems are Linux, Apple, macOS,
Microsoft Windows, etc.
2. Language Processor: System Software converts Human-Readable Language
into a Machine Language and it is done by Language Processor. It converts
programs into instructions that are easily readable by Machines.
3. Device Driver: A Device Driver is a program or software that helps to
perform its functions by controlling the device. You first have to install a driver
for running the program.

• What is Application Software?

Application Software is the type of software that runs as per user request. It
runs on the platform which is provided by system software. High-level
languages are used to write the application software. It’s a specific purpose
software. The main difference between System Software and Application
Software is that without system software, the system can not run on the other
hand without application software, the Low-level maintenance system always
runs.

Functions of Application Software

• Information and data management
• Management of documents (document exchange systems)
• Development of visuals and video
• Emails, text messaging, audio, and video conferencing, and cooperation
are all options.
• Management of accounting, finance, and payroll
• Management of resources (ERP and CRM systems)
Features of Application Software
• Application software is written in a high-level language.
• Application software requires more storage space than system software.
• Only a single task is performed by each application software.
 • Application Software is easy to build in comparison to system software.
Types of Application Software
1. General Purpose Software: This Application Software is used to
perform tasks that are used for a variety of tasks, just not limited
to a specific task only. For Example, MS Word, MS Excel, etc.

2. Customized Software: It is used to perform tasks that are designed

for specific organizations. For Example, Railway Reservation
System, Airline Reservation System, etc.

3. Utility Software: It is used to support the architecture of the

Computer. It is designed for optimizing and maintaining the system
and also taking care of its requirements.

• What is mail merge?

Mail merge is a method of building personalized letters, documents, or emails with a bit of
automation. Two components necessary for a mail merge are:

A template of a letter, document, or an email with specific placeholders in the body

A spreadsheet with a set of data that should replace placeholders for each individual
recipient. These can be names, addresses, or any other custom data. Some tools even
allow for sending personalized attachments with emails.

A mail merge functionality combines these two components into one piece – a message
personalized with data relevant to you and you only.

Mail merge example

Very often, when you receive a letter from a company or an institution, you’ll see your name
and address printed on it. It will often start with “Dear John,” unless your name is Suzie,
then you’re likely to see “Dear Suzie.”
In the body, you’ll find some seemingly personalized references to your actions or further
mentions of your personal details. In many languages, you’re likely to see gender-specific
expressions.

Long Answer
• Data Validation

Data validation in Excel is a feature that allows you to control and validate the data entered
into cells, ensuring it meets specific criteria or rules.

It helps maintain data integrity and accuracy by preventing users from entering invalid or
inappropriate data.

To apply data validation, select the range of cells you want to apply it to and go to the
“Data” tab in the Excel ribbon.

Click on the “Data Validation” button to open the data validation dialog box.

In the dialog box, you can set various validation criteria for the selected cells.

The first tab in the dialog box is the “Settings” tab. Here, you can choose the type of
validation rule you want to apply, such as whole numbers, decimal numbers, dates, times,
text length, etc.

You can also specify the minimum and maximum values allowed, input messages to guide
users, and error alerts to display when invalid data is entered.

The second tab is the "Input Message” tab. Here, you can provide an input message that
appears when a user selects a cell with data validation applied. This message can give
instructions or guidelines on what type of data is expected.

The third tab Is the “Error Alert” tab. Here, you can define the error message and style that
appears when a user enters invalid data. You can choose from different error styles, such
as stop, warning, or information, and customize the error message.

Additionally, there is an “Error Alert” checkbox to allow users to override the validation if
needed.

Data validation can also be applied using formulas. In the “Settings” tab, you can select the
“Custom” option and enter a formula that evaluates to TRUE or FALSE. If the formula
returns FALSE, the data is considered invalid.

After setting up the data validation rules, click “OK” to apply them to the selected cells.
When users try to enter data that violates the validation rules, Excel displays an error
message and prevents the entry until valid data is provided.

Data validation rules can be copied across multiple cells or ranges to ensure consistency
and efficiency in data entry.

• Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting is a feature in Excel that allows you to apply formatting to cells
based on specific conditions or criteria.

It helps highlight Important information, identify trends, and visually analyze data by
automatically applying different formatting styles to cells that meet specified conditions.

To apply conditional formatting, select the range of cells you want to format and go to the
“Home” tab in the Excel ribbon.

Click on the “Conditional Formatting” button to access the conditional formatting options.

In the dropdown menu, you can choose from various pre-defined formatting rules or create
custom rules.

The pre-defined rules include options like highlighting cells that contain specific text,
dates, or numbers, highlighting top or bottom values, data bars, color scales, and icon
sets.

If you choose a pre-defined rule, Excel automatically applies the formatting based on the
selected rule. You can modify the formatting style, color, or icon set as needed.

If you choose to create a custom rule, the “New Formatting Rule” dialog box opens.

In the dialog box, you can define the conditions or criteria that determine when the
formatting should be applied.

You can choose from options like cell value, formula, or rules based on specific data
ranges.

For example, you can apply formatting to cells that are greater than a certain value, contain
specific text, or meet a particular formula criteria.

Once you define the condition, you can specify the formatting style, font color, cell fill
color, borders, and other formatting options.
You can add multiple rules and prioritize them based on their order to control how Excel
applies the formatting.

Excel evaluates the rules from top to bottom and applies the formatting based on the first
rule that meets the condition.

You can also manage and edit the conditional formatting rules using the “Conditional
Formatting” dropdown menu or the “Manage Rules” option.

Conditional formatting is dynamic and updates automatically as the data in the cells
change, allowing you to have real-time visual cues based on the conditions you’ve set.

Conditional formatting can be applied to individual cells, entire rows or columns, or

specific ranges based on your needs.

It provides a powerful tool for data visualization, trend analysis, and highlighting important
information in your Excel worksheets.

• Views in Presentation Tool

Microsoft PowerPoint provides different types of tools to make presentations presentable

and interactive for different purposes like for business, for class, for projects, etc. Layout
and Views tools are one of the presentation tools. The View in power points is the look of
the working space that helps you to modify your slides as you desire. Slide Layout depicts
the layout of your slide it contains placeholder boxes, various formatting and positioning
contents like titles, body text, charts, SmartArt, videos, etc. In this article, we will discuss
Layout and Views tools in detail.

Views Tool

View tool is all about looks that matter same with the presentation viewing presentation
differs according to the need of users. Or we can say that this tool allows you to view your
presentation in different ways according to your requirement. For example, if a user wants
to read the presentation, wants to make a note of it, wants to sort the slides according to
their use. Then he/she can use the presentation view.

Views in PowerPoint are divided into two parts:

 1. Presentation Views: This part of views contains all the views that are required for the
purpose of presenting your slides to others or as well as for you too. It is divided into
five types and each of them has a specific purpose.

Normal View: It’s the basic view when you start building your slides. It is generally used for
writing and designing a presentation and consists of two default boxes one is for title or
heading and the second is for multiple tasks.

Outline View: It is made up of main text, titles, and any important images from each slide in
an outline manner.

Slide Sorter: Mainly used when user wants to sort their slides in a manner they desired. Or
we can say that this view option is used when the user wants their slides in the thumbnail
form.

Notes Page: It is the important view among all the views. It makes the slides look like a page
and using this view you can make your notes easily from the slides.

Reading View: This view is used to read your slides in a way that you are reading some
books.

2. Master Views: This part of view allows you to change the standard slide layouts that
are in-built in PowerPoint. Or we can say that it allows modifying slide and slide
layouts.

Slide Master: It allows you to instantly modify your slides and allows you to apply various
formatting styles on your slides.

Handout Master: This view converts your slides into a page that has a by default header and
footer. And you can print these slides into handouts as well. It contains 6 slides on one
page. If you modify the handout master the same changes will appear on all the pages of
the printed handout.

Notes Master: This view is mainly used when user wants to take print of their slides and
notes. It contains 2 slides on one page. Or we can say that it changes the look of the
presentation into the notes pages view. You are allowed to change the content of the not
master.

• Formulas for calculating sums, averages, and products in Excel:

SUM
Adds numbers in a range of cells. For example, =SUM(A2:A6) adds the numbers in cells A2
through A6.

AVERAGE

Calculates the mean of a range of numbers. For example, =AVERAGE(number1, [number2],

…) calculates the average of the values in cells B1 to B10.

SUMPRODUCT

Multiplies and then adds the components of multiple arrays. For example,
=SUMPRODUCT(B2:B7,C2:C7)/SUM(C2:C7) divides the total cost of all orders by the total
number of units ordered.

MEDIAN

Determines the numerical order of a list of values and uses the middle value as the
average.

Here are some tips for using these functions:

Use the AutoSUM button to quickly sum a range of cells.

Use the Fill Handle feature to repeat a SUM function for other columns.

To average every column, hold the cell where you have the result and drag it to the cell for
which you want to calculate the average.

When averaging cells, keep in mind the difference between empty cells and those
containing the value zero.

• What Is a Workbook in Excel?

A worksheet in Microsoft Excel is a single document comprising a grid of cells organized

into rows and columns. In worksheets, you can enter and manipulate data. The cells in an
Excel worksheet can contain text, numbers, dates, or formulas.

In Excel, a workbook refers to a document containing one or more worksheets. This is

called a workbook because it is a group of worksheets that may be treated as the pages of a
book. Within the different worksheets, you can have different types of Excel data types, but
all combine to make one workbook.
To create a workbook, simply launch the Microsoft Excel program. Anytime you launch
Microsoft Excel, the program automatically starts a default workbook named ‘book1.’

Using an Excel Workbook

Excel is one of the essential data analytics programs, and creating multiple worksheets in a
single workbook helps businesses keep their data more organized. Here are the most basic
operations:

Worksheet

A worksheet can refer to a sheet of paper or a spreadsheet in a computer program:

Sheet of paper

A worksheet can be a sheet of paper used for a rough draft, recording work in progress, or
containing exercises for students to complete. Worksheets are commonly used in school,
finance, and tax.

Spreadsheet

A worksheet in a spreadsheet program, like Excel, is a collection of cells organized into

rows and columns. Users can enter and calculate data in the cells. Worksheets are stored
in a workbook, which can contain multiple worksheets.

There are also different types of worksheets, including:

General worksheet: Provides a high-level view of a company’s financial transactions

Detailed worksheet: Used to provide more detail on the information provided by a general
worksheet

Audit worksheet: Used to help with the auditing process

Accounting worksheet: Used to verify the accuracy of a company’s financial statements

and to track the steps in the accounting cycle

Graph chart

A graph chart in a worksheet is a visual representation of data in a spreadsheet that helps

users analyze and understand the data:

Purpose
Graphs and charts help users identify patterns, trends, and relationships in data. They can
also help users compare data sets.

Types

There are many types of graphs and charts, including bar, line, pie, scatter plot, and area
charts.

Answer in Brief

• What is Hypertext?

A hypertext is a term that has emerged as a new concept in the field of Information
Technology and Computer Science as a way to facilitate the retrieval of information and as
a means to providing access to information. The term was first used by Ted Nelson in the
early 1960s to describe a system of structuring and displaying text in a manner that is not
linear in which the reader can go from one text to another within a few clicks. Through this
technology, we can link documents and the entire information infrastructure of the World
Wide Web we encounter daily.

Historical Context

The use of hypertext is older than the digital era, as one can infer from representatives of
prescient media culture. In his article “As We May Think”, written in 1945, Vannevar Bush
proposed a device known as the “Memex” that was, in fact, a microcosm of the information
environment the author foresaw and in which a subject is a machine that stores a massive
amount of information and all user interacts with it is through associations. Some of these
thoughts and concepts were further advanced by Ted Nelson in the 1960s, where instead of
the text being linked sequentially as seen in the traditional hyperlink, he proposed the
creation of the word “hypertext. ”

Technical Foundations

Hypertext operates on a simple but powerful principle: the link. A hyperlink is a go-to
reference or a navigation point in any document that a reader can use to shift from one part
of the targeted document to another document altogether. These links are normally
invisible within the article but highlighted underlined or placed within plain text that when
the user interacts with the mouse or the touch pad or moves their finger over the surface of
the touch screen their link becomes active.

HTML is the primary enabling technology of hypertext on the web which we will now
discuss in details below. HTML is the medium used by developers to design websites and
applications to be run over the Internet. It provides organization between the text and links,
the images, and any other content that is found on the web. HTML employs a set of
keywords, known as tags, to organize the content inside of document; <a> tag is an
example of tag that stands for hyperlink.

Hypertext in The World Wide Web

The World Wide Web, invented by Tim Berners Lee in the year 1989 is the most successful.
Berners-Lee opted to build a global information system that enabled documents to be
linked and consequently entail browsing of information. He created HTML, HTTP and the
first browser – so the virtual system could be realized and users could navigate the
hypertext.

• TOC can stand for Total Organic Carbon or Table of Contents:

Total Organic Carbon

A measurement of the amount of carbon in organic compounds in water or other aqueous

systems. TOC is used to assess water quality and determine the suitability of a solution for
various processes. TOC is measured by oxidizing organic compounds into forms that can
be quantified. TOC is used in many fields, including water quality assessment,
pharmaceuticals, and environmental research.

Table of Contents

A table of contents is a list of contents for a document or file. Tables of contents can be
embedded within files or be individual files with a .TOC or other file extension.

TOC may also refer to Theory of Constraints, a management philosophy and continuous
improvement method developed by Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt.