Transcript Computer Software - :: Naresuan University
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Computer Software
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Learning Objectives
• Describe several important trends occurring in computer software.
• Give examples of several major types of application and system software.
• Explain the purpose of several popular software packages for end user productivity and collaborative computing.
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Learning Objectives (continued)
• Outline the functions of an operating system.
• Describe the main uses of software programming languages and tools.
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Section I
• Application Software: End User Applications
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Software
• Types of software – Application software – System software • Application software for end users – Application-specific – General-purpose • Perform common information processing jobs • Sometimes known as productivity packages
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Software Suites and Integrated Packages
• Suites are a number of productivity packages bundled together – Microsoft Office – Lotus SmartSuite – Corel WordPerfect Office – Sun StarOffice
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Software Suites and Integrated Packages (continued)
• Advantages of suites – Cost – Similar graphical user interface – Share common tools – Programs are designed to work together • Disadvantages of suites – Large size – Many features never used by many end users
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Software Suites and Integrated Packages (continued)
• Integrated Packages – Combine SOME of the features of several programs – Cannot do as much as individual packages or suites
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Web Browsers
• Key software interface to the hyperlinked resources of the World Wide Web and the rest of the Internet – Internet Explorer – Netscape Communicator
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Electronic Mail and Instant Messaging
• E-Mail – Has changed the way people work and communicate • Instant Messaging – An e-mail/computer conferencing hybrid technology – Allows real time communication/collaboration
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Word Processing and Desktop Publishing
• Word Processing – Has computerized the creation, editing, revision, and printing of documents.
– Advanced features • Desktop Publishing – Design and print newsletters, brochures, manuals, and books – Page design process • Page makeup or page composition • WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get)
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Electronic Spreadsheets
• Used for business analysis, planning, and modeling • Involves designing its format and developing the relationships (formulas)
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Electronic Spreadsheets (continued)
• Allows end users to perform: – What-if – Goal-seeking – Sensitivity analysis • Strength – Computation and calculation
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Database Management
• Performs four primary tasks – Database development • Define/organize content, relationships, and structure of the data – Database Interrogation • Selectively retrieve and display information • Produce forms, reports, & other documents
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Database Management (continued)
• Four primary tasks (continued) – Database maintenance • Add, delete, update, and correct the data – Application development • Develop prototypes of web pages, queries, forms, reports, and labels
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Database Management (continued)
• Strength – Storage of large amounts of data • Weakness – Computation and calculation
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Presentation Graphics
• Helps convert numeric data into graphic displays • Helps prepare multimedia presentations • Easy to use
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Personal Information Managers
• For end user productivity and collaboration – Store, organize, and retrieve information • Information about customers • Appointments • Contact lists • Task lists • Schedules
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Groupware
• Collaboration software • Helps workgroups and teams work together to accomplish group assignments • Combines a variety of software features and functions – E-mail – Discussion groups and databases – Scheduling – Task management – Audio and videoconferencing – Data sharing
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Other Business Software
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Section II
• System Software: Computer System Management
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System Software Overview
• Programs that manage and support a computer system and its information processing activities • Serves as the software interface between computer networks and hardware and the application programs of end users
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System Software Overview (continued)
• Two major categories – System management programs • Operating systems • Network management programs • Database management systems • System utilities – System development programs • Programming language translators & editors • CASE (computer-aided software engineering)
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Operating Systems
• Integrated system of programs that – Manages the operations of the CPU – Controls the input/output and storage resources and activities of the computer system – Provides various support services as the computer executes application programs
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Operating Systems (continued)
• Performs five basic functions – Provides a user interface • Allows humans to communicate with the computer – Command-driven – Menu-driven – Graphical user interface
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Operating Systems (continued)
• Five basic functions (continued) – Resource management • Manages the hardware and networking resources of the system • Virtual memory capability
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Operating Systems (continued)
• Five basic functions (continued) – File management • Controls the creation, deletion, and access of files of data and programs • Keeps track of the physical location of files
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Operating Systems (continued)
• Five basic functions (continued) – Task management • Manages the accomplishment of the computing tasks of end users • Multitasking – Multiprogramming – Timesharing
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Operating Systems (continued)
• Popular Operating Systems – Windows • 95, 98, ME • NT • 2000 • XP • Popular operating systems (continued) – UNIX – Linux – Mac OS X
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Network Management Programs
• Perform functions such as – Automatically checking client PCs and video terminals for input/output activity – Assigning priorities to data communication requests from clients and terminals – Detecting and correcting transmission errors and other network problems – Sometimes functions as middleware that allows diverse networks to communicate with each other
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Database Management Systems
• Controls the development, use, and maintenance of databases.
• Helps organizations use their integrated collections of data records and files • Allows different user application programs to easily access the same database • Simplifies the process of retrieving information from databases
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Other System Management Programs
• Utility Programs – Perform miscellaneous housekeeping and file conversion functions • Data backup • Data recovery • Virus protection • Data compression • Data defragmentation – Performance monitors and security monitors
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Programming Languages
• Allows a programmer to develop the sets of instructions that constitute a computer program • Machine Language – First generation language – Written using binary codes unique to each computer
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Programming Languages (continued)
– Assembler Language • Second generation • Requires language translator programs called assemblers • Allows a computer to convert the instructions into machine instructions • Frequently called symbolic language
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Programming Languages (continued)
– High-level Languages • Third generation • Uses instructions, called statements, that use brief statements or arithmetic expressions • Uses translator programs called compilers or interpreters • Syntax and semantics
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Programming Languages (continued)
• Fourth-generation Languages (4GLs) – More nonprocedural and conversational than prior languages – Natural languages – Ease of use gained at the expense of some loss in flexibility
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Programming Languages (continued)
• Object-Oriented Languages (OOP) – Ties data elements to the procedures or actions that will be performed on them into “objects” – Easier to use and more efficient for programming GUIs
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Programming Languages (continued)
• HTML, XML, and Java – Important for building multimedia Web pages, websites, and Web-based applications – HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) • A page description language that creates hypertext or hypermedia documents
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Programming Languages (continued)
– XML (extensible Markup Language) • Describes the contents of web pages by applying identifying tags or contextual labels to the data • Makes the web site more searchable, sort able, and easier to analyze – Java • Designed for real-time, interactive, Web based network applications • Applets
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Programming Software
• Helps programmers develop computer programs • Two basic categories – Programming language translators – Programming tools
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Programming Software (continued)
• Language Translator Programs – Assembler • Translates symbolic instruction codes into machine language instructions – Compiler • Translates high-level language statements – Interpreter • Translates and executes each statement in a program one at a time
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Programming Software (continued)
• Programming Tools – Programming editors and debuggers – Provides a computer-aided programming environment or workbench – Diagramming packages – Code generators – Libraries of reusable objects & code – Prototyping tools – CASE
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Discussion Questions
• What major trends are occurring in software? What capabilities do you expect to see in future software packages?
• How do the different roles of system software and application software affect you as a business end user? How do you see this changing in the future?
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Discussion Questions (continued)
• Why is an operating system necessary? Why can’t an end user just load an application program in a computer and start computing?
• Should a Web browser be integrated into an operating system?
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Discussion Questions (continued)
• Are software suites, Web browsers, and groupware merging together? What are the implications for a business and its end users?
• How are HTML, XML, and Java affecting business applications on the Web?
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Discussion Questions (continued)
• Do you think Windows 2000 and Linux will surpass Unix and Netware as operating systems for network and Web servers?
• Which application software packages are the most important for a business end user to know how to use?
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References
• James A. O'Brien; George M. Marakas. Management Information Systems: Managing Information Technology in the Business Enterprise 6th Ed., Boston: McGraw-Hill/ Irwin,2004