1.

UTILITY PROGRAMMES:
These are general purpose programs which carry out any given functions on
whatever data is presented to them. They are used to enhance the performance of the operating systems. They can perform
operating system tasks but are not inherent in the operating system itself. They are loaded separately into the computer.

FUNCTIONS OF UTILITY PROGRAMS:

(a). Provide an easier way of managing files.
(b). Improve use of available RAM
(c). Expand disk storage.
(d). Monitor the system’s use of memory and storage space resources.
(e). Recover lost data or as with ant virus software, prevent the loss of data.
(f). Compress large files so they require less storage space.
(g). Terminate an application before it crashes the whole system,.
(h). Protect your data from other users by denying access to your system and/or directories without a password.
(i). Protect a computer monitor when it is on for a long period of time (screensavers).

ADVANTAGES OF UTILITY PROGRAMS:

(a). Enables one to rename files using rename utilities.
(b). Its used to delete unwanted statements in true sentences that is to say delete utilities.
(c). Helps in copying data in one media to another that us to say file copying.
(d). It helps to merge or combine file from different destination in to single destination.
(e). Creates and eliminates errors from programs especially debugging and tracing.

DISADVANTAGES OF UTILITY PROGRAMS:

i) It’s vulnerable to viruses.
ii) The codes are encrypted can be easily changed.
iii) Some times not user friendly.
iv) Very little actual control over files (they get written all over the disk haphazardly and file system you see
even in MS-DOS have very little to do with reality necessitating treatment defragmentation.
v) Original copies are expensive.

EXAMPLES OF UTILITIES:
(i) SORTING UTILITY: This is the taking in and rearranging data as specified by the user.
(ii) MERGING: This is the combination of data from one or more files to form one general file.
(iii) COPYING / BACK UP: This is the duplicating / moving of the contents of a file from one location specified to a backing
storage device.
(iv) DATA COMPRESSION & DATA RECOVERY: This is the recovering of lost data.
(v) DETECTION AND REMOVAL OF VIRUSES: This is the program used to find viruses and clean them.
(vi) SOFTWARE MONITORS: These are programs designed to check the activity of specific aspects of the computer system
to ascertain where the bottlenecks exist and to remove them e.g. Disk Defragmentation.
(vii) DATA COMMUNICATION SOFTWARE: This helps in channeling of data across the communication lines e.g.
Telephone lines, Telex, Fax etc.
(viii) DEBBUGERS: These are used during the testing of a program. They are able to trace the flow of a program and display
the various values as requested.
(ix) TRACING: It involves producing diagnostic information after obeying specified instructions so tat the cycle of operation
can be traced and errors.
(x) TEXT EDITOR: it is used at terminal and provides facilities for creation and amendments of programs.

2. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES:
This is a medium used by programmers to write computer programmes in a language that is commonly understood by people
and computers.
It’s also a way computer programmer expresses a solution to a given problem so that a computer can understand and solve
it.

TYPES OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES.

(i) Low-level languages (1 GLS)
(ii) High-level languages (2 GLS)
(iii) Fourth-Generation Languages (4GLs)
(iv) Fifth Generation Languages (5 GLS)
(v) HTML (Hypertext Mark-up Language)
(vi) Language Processors

CHARACTERISTICS:
I. They use English-like statements and arithmetic notation.
II. They use symbolic coded instructions.
III. They use binary code instructions.
IV. They use natural and non-procedural statements.
V. They have grammar
VI. They have vocabulary that is a list of words accepted within a language.
VII. They have rules governing the structure of the language.
VIII. Each keyword (command) in a language has only one meaning attached to it.

(i) HIGH-LEVEL LANGUAGES: They are third generation languages also known as compiler languages. Their instructions
are called statements and closely resemble human language or the standard notation of mathematics.
Advantages of High Level Languages
 They are easily portable since they are machine independent.
 They are easy to learn and understand since they are English like statements
 They were originally built for specific operations like scientific or business purposes.

Examples include PASCAL, COBOL, BASIC, FORTRAN, C, C+/ C++ etc.

(ii) LOW-LEVEL – LANGUAGES: These use simple memories to make them easier to remember English Abbreviations
e.g. ADD for Addition, MOV for MOVE. They are closely associated with the processor than high level languages. Just
know that there are also two types of low level languages:
 Machine Code (Object Code) and Assembly Language. Processor language 0 and 1 s
 Assembly code Language - mnemonic codes that represent 0 and 1s
You will learn more of this in advanced technology or refer to o-level computer coverage for self research.

(ii) FOURTH GENERATION LANGUAGES (4GLs) : They are called 4GLs to differentiate them from machine languages,
assembler languages and high level languages. They were designed to make programming much more easier. examples:
SQL/DS, QBE, ADRS, INTELLECT, CLOUT.

(iii) 5TH Languages (5GLs): These types of languages are normally used in Intelligent Knowledge Based Systems (IKBS)
such as a robot. They manipulate various facts and rules to reach a conclusion. They think just like humans and because
of this they are commonly used in Artificial Intelligent projects like Mars exploration.

(iv) HTML: This a language used to create web pages for the Internet or Intranets. It allows programmers to compose text /
data, pictures, sound, animations, and video for the screen display. It allows the attachments of uniform Resource
locators (URLs), which enable the linking of different web pages to other pages on the Internet.
LANGUAGE PROCESSORS: (PROGRAMMER’S DICTIONARY)
Their main work is to translate high level programming languages into low level machine codes. They Work backwards to
the processor understanding. They include:
a) Compilers,
b) Assembler,
c) Interpreters
d) Linkers.
 Linkers: They combine compiled programs and determine where the program will be located in memory. When
it transforms an object code, an executable file is generated resulting in files with the extension. EXE.
 Assemblers: Translate assembly instructions into binary code or machine code, a format that is understood by
the processor. They normally begin from where compilers stop.
 Interpreters: Translate the source programs line by line while the program is running. This is done each time
the program is executed. A program running under an interpreter runs slowly as compared to a compiled
program.
 Compilers: Translate a program written in a high level language into machine code or into an assembly code
program. The entire program is translated into machine code at compilation time.

EXAMPLES OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES:

1. C, C+,C++ - High level structured language developed by Bell Laboratories in 1970s for use in object-oriented
programming for developing Windows and Macintosh Software.
2. BASIC (Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code): Is a high level language developed in 1964 at
Dartmouth College. Designed to make programming easy for the programmers.
3. COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language) designed by a committee of Manufacturers, government and
business experts as an English-like language specifically for business data processing applications such as
accounting, inventory control, payroll and banking systems. It was developed in 1959 and the most widely used
programming language for business applications.
4. FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslation) : The first high level programming language developed in 1954 for applications
in mathematics.
5. PASCAL: Named after the noted mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal, who invented a practical calculating
machine at age 19.

They are many Languages as much as possible evolving now and then as a result in technology!!

NB: One fact to remember is that the computer only understands one language namely MACHINE LANGUAGE and
that all Higher-Level Languages must be ultimately transformed into the basic machine level language.

APPLICATION / PROGRAME SOFTWARE

These are programs that perform specific tasks for user.

FORMS OF APPLICATION SOFTWARE:

1. Packaged/off shelves/horizontal/general purpose software.

2. Custom/tailored/bespoke/Vertical/specialized software.

1.Packaged/off the shelves software:

This is a commercial software which is copy righted and designed to meet needs of a wide variety of users.
Examples are: Word processor, Spreadsheets,Database,Presentation and Web page authorizing software.
2.Custom/tailored/bespoke software:
This is application software designed to and developed at a users request to satisfy personal data processing.

CHARACTERISTICS OF APPLICATION SOFT WARE:

1).They target a wide range of users with a common and popular objective.
2).User friendly(easy to use)Many of them have GUI which makes them easy to use
3).They are compatible to any computer systems and data can be transformed from one PC to another cheaply.

FORMS OF SOFTWARE (Examinable)

 Across-platform application is one that runs identically on Multiple Operating system
 FreeWare. This is one which is copyrighted at no cost to the users.
 Shereware.is copyrighted software that is distributed free for trial period and payment is required for
using it at the end of trial period.
 Public domain Software: is a free software donated for public use and has no copy right restrictions.
 Beta – it’s a general application downloaded from internet at no cost.
 NOTE: Application Service provider (ASP) is a third party organization that manages and distributes
software and services on online(web)

Common types of application software include:

1. word processing software
2. spreadsheet software
3. database software
4. presentation software
5. software suite
6. integrated software
7. computer-aided design software
8. desktop publishing
9. project management software
10. Personal information manager
11. accounting software
12. paint and image editing software
13. video and audio editing software
14. multimedia authoring software
15. web page authoring software
16. personal finance software
17. educational software
18. reference software
19. entertainment software
20. communication software

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE

 Portability:
This refers to the ability of an application to run on different platforms with or without minimal changes
 Readability:
The program should be written in such a way that it makes other programmers or users to follow the logic or
program without much effort.
 Efficiency:
Every program requires certain processing time and memory to process the instructions and data
 Structural:
To develop the program, the task must be broken down into a number of sub tasks, these sub tasks are
developed independently and each sub task is able to perform the assigned job without the help of any other
sub task
 Flexibility:
A program should be flexible enough to handle most of the changes without having to re-write the entire
program
 Generality:
If a program is developed for a particular task, then is should be used for similar tasks of the same domain
 Documentation:
The end user should be able to utilize the functionality of the application

POPULAR TYPES OF APLLICATION SOFTWARE:

1. Word processing
2. Spreadsheet
3. Data base
4. Presentation
5. Web page authorizing software. Examples:
 Netscape Types of Websites
 Internet explorer * Educational
 Mozira. * Commercial
 Opera. * Political
 Mozaic. * Personal

1. Word processing software.(word processor) This is application software that is used to create, print, save, format
and edit documents that contain text and graphics.

EXAMPLES OF WORD PROCESSOR SOFTWARE:

1) Ms Word 2).Lotus word pro 3).Corel wordpro.

Advantages of word processor

1. Very swift and fast when making changes.
2. Has various features that are used to create professional looks.
3. Own print preview that is used to view a document before being printed.
4. Upkeep of several documents for further or future editing.

2. SPREADSHEET SOFTWARE.
Spreadsheet is an application software that is used to organize data in rows and columns, and perform calculations on the
data.
NOTE:A cell is intersection row and column.

Popular spreadsheet software examples include:

1) Microsoft Excel
2) Lotus 1-2-3
3) Corel Quattro Pro
4) VisiCalc and superCalc
 5) Frame works

Advantages of spreadsheet software:

1) Worksheet allows making changes and corrections.
2) The inbuilt macro and mathematical operations are fast.
3) When the entered formula is correct other calculations are always accurate.
4) Drawing of charts is easy and are always available in plenty.
5) Electronic spreadsheets can be stored retrieved for future references.