Jeselo O.

Gorme, RN, MN
Computer Software and Systems
Computer Software
 Software is the general term applied to the
instructions that direct the computer’s hardware to
perform work.
 Hardware consists of physical components, whereas
software consists of instructions communicated
electronically to the hardware.
 2 purposes:
1. Computers do not directly understand human
language, and software is needed to translate
instructions created in human language into machine
language.
2. Packaged or stored software is needed to make the
computer an economical work tool.
 Programming is the term used to call writing
software instructions.
 Software is supplied as organized instruction sets
called programs or more typically as a set of related
programs called a package. (example of a program is
Microsoft Office and the package is the Microsoft
OS)
 Augusta Ada Bryon, Countess of Lovelace (1816-1852)
was the first programmer in computer history.
 She was a mathematician and co-researcher of
Charles Babbage (1791-1871), who was the first to
describe the concept of a machine that could perform
mathematical functions, he called the analytical
machine.
 She theorized the use of automatic repetitious
arithmetic steps that the analytical engine would
follow to solve a problem, namely, the loop concept.
 Robert Von Newmann (1888-1976) proposed that
both data and instructions could be stored in the
analytical machine and that the instructions could be
automatically carried out.
 Ultimately, the development of data processing
machines were taken from the field of textiles.
 Joseph Jacquard, a French weaver invented the
Jacquard loom, a device that used block of woods
with holes drilled in such a way that the threads to be
woven into cloth could form a “program” or set of
machine instructions, to the loom. The instructions
varied the way the cloth was worked by the loom so
that a particular design( such as a flower) would be
produced into the fabric.
 In 1881, Herman Hollerith developed a machine that
could read punched cards and tabulate the results. He
patented his machine and punched card system and
formed a company called Tabulating Machine which
was eventually became the International Business
Machines (IBM).
 Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper is known as
“The Mother of Computing”.
 She greatly advanced the power of computers through
her innovations in computer programming and
program languages.
 She is said to have written the third program ever on
the Mark I, which was the first large-scale, digital
computer in history.
 Throughout her career, she developed many of the
concepts and mathematical foundations of computer
programming science.
 Debugging is a term used that means checking the
program to ensure that it is free of error and it was a
term first coined by Grace Hopper.
 She formed the foundation for the first truly English-
like language – the Common Business-Oriented
Language (COBOL). It was the first “universal”
programming language.
 2 basic types of software:
 System software which “boots ups” (starts up and
initializes) the computer system; controls input, output
and storage and controls the operations of the
application software.
 Application software which includes the various
programs that users requires to perform day-day tasks.
 Some users claim a third type of software called the
utility programs which are programs that are used to
help maintain the system, clean up unwanted programs,
protect the system against virus attacks, access the world
wide web and the like.
System Software
 It consists of a variety of programs that control the
individual computer and make the user’s application
programs work well with the hardware.
 System software helps speed up the computer’s
processing, expands the power of the computer by
creating cache memory, reduces he amount of
confusion when multiple programs are running
together, “cleans up” the hard rive so that storage is
managed efficiently, and performs other such system
management tasks.
Basic Input Output System (BIOS)
 It is the first level of system control and is stored on a
ROM chip on the motherboard.
 It is the first part of the computer to function when the
system is turned on.
 It first searches for an operating system (OS) and loads
it into the RAM.
 BIOS consists of a set of instructions permanently
burned into a computer chip.
Operating Systems
 These are actual software, loaded from the hard drive
into RAM as soon as the computer is turned on.
 Oss handle the connection between the central
processing unit (CPU) and peripherals. (The
connection between the CPU and a peripheral is called
an “interface”)
 The OS manages the interface to peripheral hardware,
schedules tasks, allocates storage in memory and
disks, and provides an interface between the machine
and the user.
User Interfaces
 Disk Operating Software
 Essentially, DOS OSs present a blank screen to the user,
and the user submits typed commands.
 As computers became more popular and their
application became more useful to the general
population, DOS was found to be very difficult as it
requires some programming skills to use the DOS
interface effectively.
User Interfaces
 Graphical User Interface
 In 1979, Steve Jobs of Apple Computers made a strategic
decision to abandon the DOS interface and move to a
GUI system for a new product called Macintosh.
 People could begin to use computers with minimal
training, using built-in tutorials, and online answers to
questions.
User Interfaces
 Graphical User Interface
 Bill Gates, founder and CEO of the Microsoft
Corporation, quickly recognized the need to provide a
GUI product and immediately began the development
of Windows, the GUI of the IBM PC platform.
 The GUI OS supports use of graphic images called
“icons” to represent commands to the computer. Each
icon image is designed to look like the physical
representation of the operation the user wishes to
employ.
User Interfaces
 Graphical User Interface
 The GUI Oss also support the operation of menus
which provides a narrative list of common commands or
operations which the computer can execute.
 In complex programs that have hundreds or thousands
of commands, the GUI supports nested menus.
User Interfaces
 Graphical User Interface
 Nested menus are submenus and sub-submenus; that is,
the user clicks on a menu item, and instead of executing
a command, the computer presents another menu of
items.
Utility Programs
 These are programs designed to enhance the function
of the OS or perhaps add facilities that the basic OS
does not offer.
Language Translation Utilities
 People and computers do not speak the same
languages.
 Translation programs are needed to convert
instructions written in an English-like language into
binary.
The World Wide Web and Web
Browsers
 The WWW is a sort of network system utility program
for the internet. It provides a protocol for document
transfer across the Internet.
 A Web browser is a utility program that allows the
user to access the Web and the materials available
through the Web.
 Tim Berners-Lee conceived the WWW as a system
utility program that requires all users to adhere to a
standard set of text retrieval protocols (i.e., a standard
command syntax for transfer of text from one
computer to another).
 This set of protocols is called the hypertext transfer
protocol (HTTP).
 Hypertext refers to the facility that permits a standard
text-linking command to be incorporated into
documents. Text linking occurs when one content in
one document refers to another document, and the
user can click on the linking text and have the protocol
automatically move the user from the first document
to another.
 The WWW also needed to have a standard addressing
system, so that every document would have only one
address. This addressing system is called the
universal resource locator (URL).
 Finally, it needed a way to have documents formatted
so that colors, fonts, spacing, tables, and images could
be created and transmitted across the Internet. The
language developed for the internet is called
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).
Applications Software
 It includes the various programs people use to do
work, process data, play games, communicate with
others, or watch multimedia programs on a computer.
 When the user orders the OS to run an application
program, the OS transfers the program from the hard
drive, diskette, or CD-ROM into RAM and executes it.
Computer Systems
 Every functioning computer is a system; that is, it is a
complex entity, consisting of an organized set of
interconnected components or factors that function
together as a unit to accomplish results that one part
alone could not.
 At a minimum, a computer must have at least 4
components: a power source, a CPU, a peripheral to
allow input, a peripheral to allow output.
 Multiple, interconnected computers that function to
facilitate the work of groups of providers and their
support people in a system is call a network.
 The term “computer system” is used to describe the set
of peripherals, computer “box” and software that
together perform computing functions for one or more
users.
 The term is vague and could refer to anything from a
hand-held personal computer to an organization’s
entire network of computers (in hospitals its called
HIS)
 An information system is the collection and
integration of various pieces of hardware and software
and the human resources that meet the data
collection, storage, processing, and report generation
needs of an organization.
 There is a wide range of IS in health care facilities that
provide different functions. They have different names,
which overlap depending on the context in which they
are used.
Management Information System
 A MIS is defined as an organized system for managing
the flow of information in an organization in a timely
manner.
 It provides managers information about their business
operations.
 Its primary use is assisting in the decision-making
processes.
 A health care MIS typically provides information that
can be used to generate the balance sheet and cash
flow reports, helps the finance department gather
information for other financial reports, and track
inpatient occupancy rates by unit or department, clinic
visits, procedures and so forth.
Bibliographic Retrieval Systems
 It is a retrieval system that generally refers to
bibliographic data, document information, or
literature.
 Such a system is primarily used to store and retrieve
data and not to conduct any computations per se.
 An example is MEDLINE developed by the National
Library of Medicine (NLM) which can be accessed
through http://ihm.nlm.nih.gov/
Stand-Alone, Dedicated, or Turnkey Systems
 It is a special purpose system.
 It is developed for a single application or set of
functions.
 Most of these systems are described by their purpose,
such as pharmacy or laboratory system or an imaging
system in the radiology department.
Transaction Systems
 It is used to process predefined transactions and
produce predefined reports.
 It is designed for repeated operations using a fixed list.
From the list, displayed on a computer terminal, a user
selects the names of transactions to be processed.
 An inventory system is an example of a transaction
system.
Physiologic Monitoring Systems
 Examples are heart monitor, FHT monitors, brain wave
monitors, and intraventricular pressure monitors.
 All of these devices are a form of oscilloscope which
is an electronic device that senses electric impulses
and converts them into waveforms on a monitor
screen.
Decision Support Systems
 It is a computer system that supports some aspect of
the human decision-making process.
 It works with the user to support, but not replace,
human judgment in a decision-making situation.
 Business and engineering applications for decision
support include linear programming, computer
simulation modeling, trend analysis, and forecasting.
 Another form of this is the optimization program
which take all the information about a problem
situation and generate a variety of possible solutions.
Then each solution is implemented through a
simulation and the results of the simulations are
compared. Then the optimization program selects the
best solutions based on the outcomes.
Expert Systems
 It is a computer system containing the information
and decision-making strategies of an expert to assist
non-experts in decision-making.
 It is designed for users to simulate the cause and effect
reasoning that an expert would use if confronted with
the same situation in a real live environment.
 2 parts:
1. A knowledge base containing facts and data pertinent
to the problem area
2. An inference engine programmed to replicate the
reasoning and decision-making strategies of expert
clinicians.
 The format for decision-making allows the rule,
“What if?-then…” rule of logic.
Artificial Intelligence Systems
 An AI is a system that attempts to model human
reasoning processes.
 The field is concerned with symbolic inference and
knowledge representation.
 Symbolic inference is concerned with deriving with
deriving new knowledge from known facts and the use
of logical inference rules. (ex. If A>B and B>C, then A
must be greater than C)
 Knowledge representation is the field concerned with
devising ways to represent and use abstract knowledge
and then store those representations and use rules in a
computer system.
 Once abstract phenomena can be represented, and the
rules about how to combine facts about phenomena
can be determined and programmed into the
computer, then new facts can be added as they are
discovered.
Natural Language Systems
 It is a system that can understand and process
commands given in the user’s own natural, spoken
language.
 It requires the computer to understand a wide range of
words, speech styles (accents), syntax, and sentence
structures.
Hospital Information Systems
 It is also called a medical information system (MIS) or
patient care system (PCS).
 It provides support for a wide variety of both
administrative and clinical functions.
 The purpose is to manage information needed to
facilitate daily hospital operations by all health care
personnel.
 Administrators manage financial budgets and
establish charges for services; physicians diagnose,
treat and evaluate patient conditions; nurses assess,
plan, and provide patient care; other personnel
provide ancillary services; and a variety of other
personnel support the delivery of patient care services.
Network Systems
 A network is a set of interconnected computers that,
through hardware and software technology, work
cooperatively for the purpose of information and
application program interchange.
Types of Network
Local Area Network
 A LAN is a data network intended to serve a single
building or a group of buildings in close proximity to
each other.
 Hard wiring is the term used to call the physical
wiring used to establish a network due to the restricted
physical area rather than through telephone lines or
satellite transmission technology.
Wide Area Network
 A WAN is a system of connected computers spanning a
large geographical area, often a continent or country.
 This network is usually constructed with serial lines,
telephone lines, satellites, and FDDI (fiber-optic
distributed data interface) cables for WANs.
The Internet
 It is a network of networks.
 It is a collection of thousands of networks linked by a
common set of technical protocols that make it
possible for users of anyone of the networks to
communicate with or use the services located on any
of the other networks.
 These protocols are referred to as Transmission
Control Protocol over Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
 To be part of the internet, a network must be based on
the TCP/IP protocol.
Navigating the Internet
 In order to enter the internet, the user must have an
Internet Service Provider (ISP) and a Web Browser.
 Private home users typically purchase ISP services
from public companies such as Smart or Globe
TelCom.
 Today, cable companies have developed the technology
to let users access the Internet directly from their cable
provider.
 To search the internet efficiently, a search engine is
essential. Examples are the following:
1. Altavista. Created by Digital Computer Corporation
for scientific searches, this is highly effective and
efficient engine. URL: http://altavista.com
2. Yahoo! Originally developed by graduate students
Jerry Yang and David Filo at Stanford University. URL:
http://www.yahoo.com
3. Google. One of the most popular and most highly
advertised. URL: http://www.google.com
Web Browser
 It is a software program allows users of the interface to
communicate and send/receive files, sound, and
graphics.
 It is the user’s window into the internet.
 Examples are:
1. Netscape
2. IE
3. Mozilla Firefox
4. Google Chrome
5. Safari
 It works by using a special protocol called HTTP.
 Documents on the Internet contain special
instructions (written in HTML) that tell the browser
how to display the document on the user’s screen.
Hypertext & Hyperlinks
 Hypertext is a document, written in HTML, which
contains automated links (hyperlinks) to other
documents, which may or may not also be hypertext
documents.
 Hyperlinks are usually a bright blue color and are also
often underlined as well, and often, when the reader
places the cursor on the hyperlink, it changes color to
be sure the user knows the text is a hyperlink.
Data Processing
Definition
 Data are raw uninterrupted facts that are without
meaning. (Ex. Patients weight is 140 lb) Without
additional information like patient’s age the datum
cannot be interpreted.
 For data to be interpreted and information produced,
the data must be processed.
 Some common approaches include sorting, classifying,
summarizing and calculating.
 A database is an organized collection of related data.
An example is a phonebook and a patient’s medical
record.
 The possibility of finding information in these
databases depends on several factors like:
1. How the data are named (indexed) and organized
2. The size and complexity of the database
3. The type of data within the database
4. The methodology or tools used to search the databases
Types of Data
Computer-Based Data Types
1. Alphanumeric Data
 These include letter and numbers in any combination;
however, the numbers in an alphanumeric data cannot
perform numeric or arithmetic function.
 Ex. Addresses and social security numbers
Computer-Based Data Types
2. Numeric Data
 These are used to perform numeric functions
including adding, subtracting, multiplying, and
dividing.
 These can be long integer, currency, or scientific.
 Ex. Date
Computer-Based Data Types
3. Logic Data
 These are data limited to two options.
 Ex include YES or NO, TRUE or FALSE, 1 or 2, and ON
or OFF.
Conceptual Data Types
 These reflect how users view the data.
 These can be based on the source of the data.
 For example, the lab produces lab data, and the X-ray
department produces image data.
 Conceptual data can also be based on the event that
the data are attempting to capture for example, are
assessment data, intervention data, and outcome data.
Database Management Systems
 These are computer programs used to input, store,
modify, process, and access data in a database.
 The process of configuring the DBM software to
manage data specific to the project is called database
system design.
 3 interacting parts of a DBMS:
1. Data
2. The DBMS configured software program
3. The query language makes it possible for the user to
find information in the files of data
 Examples of DBMS are computerized library system,
automated teller machines, & flight reservation
systems.
 In a manual system in the medical records section, the
record sheets are the data. The folders and file cabinets
are the DBMS. The labels on the folders and the file
cabinets are the database system design. The index
and query language are usually in the user’s heads.
Advantages of Automated Database
Management Systems
 It decreases data redundancy which occurs when the
same data are stored in the database more than once.
 It prevents data inconsistencies which happens when
the same data are stored in different manuals or
databases. One could be updated with changes while
the other will not.
 It also improves access to the data.
Fields, Records, & Files
ID F-NAME L-NAME ADDRESS-1 ADDRESS-2 CITY ST

01 Betty Smith SRU, SN 20 North St Pgh PA

02 Leslie Brown DBMS 408 Same St NY NY

Institute

03 Dori Jones Party Place 5093 Butler St Any VA

04 Glenn Clark Univ of Study 987 Carriage

Rd
 Each of the blocks or cells in the table is a field.
 The top row lists the field names which usually
reflect the type of data that are stored in the related
fields (ex. L-Name).
 A field attribute is the specific datum for that field
for that record (In rows 2 through 5, each cell includes
a field attribute).
 Each row represents a record.
 Each row is assigned a primary identifier which is
unique to that record (ex. ID).
 All the records in the table constitute a file.
 A file is defined as a set of related records that have the
same data fields.
 A database consists of several tables or files.
 In summary, a database is made up of files, files are
made up of records, records are made up of fields, and
fields contain data.
Types of Files
1. Data Files
 These contain data that have been captured and stored
on a computer using a software program.
 The extension for the file identifies the software
program used to create the file (DOC) and may also
indicates the format, especially if it is a standard
format used across several computer programs (TXT).
Types of Files
2. Processing Files
 The first type of processing file are executable files
which consist of a computer program or set of
instructions that, when executed, causes the computer
to open or start a specific computer program or
function.
 Example of a file extension that is executable is a SET-
UP.EXE or any files with this type of extension.
Types of Files
2. Processing Files
 The second type is called a command file which are a
set of instructions that perform a set of functions as
opposed to running a whole program.
 For example, command files are used to boot or start
the operating system when a computer is turned on.
 Examples are AUTOEXEC.BAT & CONFIG.SYS.
 These files may tell the computer to open or start a
virus checking program when the computer is booted.
The Internet: A Nursing Resource
 Ass-ignment!!!
Read about the history of the internet and make a paper
regarding what you’ve read. Use a short bondpaper,
font 11, arial narrow.

URL: https://www.internetsociety.org/
Who controls the Internet?
 The internet itself has no owners, censors, bosses,
board of directors, or stockholders.
 It is an example of true, modern anarchy.
 ISOC is an international, nonprofit, professional
membership organization with no governmental
allegiances.
 It is comprised of over 150 organizations and 16,000
individual members that represent over 180 nations
throughout the world.
 The society works to maintain standards, develop
public policy, provide education, and increase
membership.
The technology behind the Internet
 The standardized communication protocols are the
one that enable the internet to function.
 A protocol, in plain English, is just an agreed on
format for doing something.
 On the internet, protocols determine how data will be
transmitted between two devices, the type of error
checking that will be performed, how data
compression is accomplished, how the sending
computer will signal that it has finished sending a
message, and how the receiving computer will signal
that it has received a message.
 The main protocols on which the functioning of the
Internet is dependent are referred to as TCP & IP.
 The TCP allows computers to connect to a network
and exchange data. This protocol carries out the task
of breaking messages into small packets.
 The IP is a lower level protocol, which is responsible
for making decisions about these packets and routing
them.
 Other protocols include: hypertext transmission
protocol (HTTP) which supports the WWW; file
transmission protocol (FTP), which permits users to
send all types of electronic files over the Internet; and
Telnet, which allows users to access a distant
computer as though they were sitting in front of it.
Domain Name System
 The Internet’s DNS permits us to give globally unique
“names” to networks and computers.
 Benefit of DNS:
1. A name is easier to remember than the long string of
numbers that makes up an IP address
 A series of characters makes up each domain name.
These strings are called labels and are separated by
dots.
 The right most label in a domain name is referred to
as its “top-level domain” (TLD).
Top-Level Domain (TLDs)
 Each country has a two-letter TLD (ex .PH).
 A special TLD called .ARPA is where Internet
infrastructure databases are located.
Current Top Level-Domain Names
 .AERO For the air transport industry
 .BIZ For business
 .COM Commercial/Business organizations
 .COOP For cooperatives
 .EDU Restricted to 4-year degree granting
institutions
Current Top Level-Domain Names
 .GOV Restricted to the government
 .INFO For all users
 .INT Restricted to organizations that
were established by international
treaty
 .MIL Restricted to the military
 .MUSEUM For museums
Current Top Level-Domain Names
 .NAME For individuals
 .NET For network resources
 .ORG For nonprofit organizations
 .PRO For professions
 .biz, .info., .name, and .pro are currently unrestricted
while .aero, .coop and .museum have specific
purposes.
 Currently, .com is the largest domain accounting for
33% of all hosts.
 The fastest growing appears to be .net, increasing at
the rate of 45% annually.
 Please note that if after the universal resource locator
(URL) there is a forward slash (/) and more names,
these refer to the path to the particular document and
the name of the document.
 The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Number (ICANN) was created in October 1998 and is
responsible for the technical coordination of the
Internet.
 It is a non-profit, private-sector corporation, which is a
coalition of business, academic, technical, and user
communities which coordinates assignment of
identifiers that must be globally unique for the
Internet to operate; these include domain names, IP
addresses, and protocol parameter and port numbers.
 For more information see http://www.icann.org/
How large is the Internet
 In March 15, 2001 a survey was conducted by the
Internet Software Consortium.
 It was revealed that at that time, the Internet had over
109 million hosts in 230 countries.
 It is estimated that the Net is growing worldwide at an
amazing rate of 63 new hosts and 11 new domains per
minute.
Use of the Internet – Then & Now
File transfer Protocol
 It was the method used by early users of the Internet.
 It uses the Internet’s TCP/IP protocols for the transfer
of data.
 Uploading a file refers to the process of moving a file
from the user’s computer to another computer, while
downloading is the transfer of a file from another
computer to the user’s computer, regardless of the
physical distance between the two computers.
 When someone uses the Internet to download a file to
his computer, the browser is giving commands to an
FTP program behind the scenes.
 FTP is also used to upload or post files to a Web site.
Telnet
 It is a terminal emulation program that is part of the
TCP/ICP protocols.
 It allows a connecting computer to behave like a
terminal for a distant computer regardless of the type
of computer that is either the target or originator of
the Telnet session.
 A log in and a password are required to begin a
session.
 Once connected, the user of the client computer is
able to perform any functions as if entering the
commands directly on the server, no matter how
separated in distance the two computers may be.
Gopher
 It was based on a client-server model.
 Under this system, a client computer is one that has
software that allows it to retrieve files from a distant
computer, while a server is a computer that has
software that allows it to respond to a client by sending
the requested file.
 Users entered the number of their selection, and the
file contents were sent to the user’s computer, where
user could then read the contents.
E-mail
 It is one of the most popular uses for the Internet.
 The most popular of these include Yahoo, and gmail.
Anatomy of an E-mail Address
 An e-mail address has two parts, separated by the “@”
sign.
 The first part is what may be called the user name,
user ID, or log-in name.
 The second part after the user name are the name of
the computer that assigned the user name.
 Currently, most e-mail addresses are not case-
sensitive; omitting any characters, or typing just one
incorrectly, however will affect the address.
 User ID

Name of Computer

Domain Name
jake_weird03@yahoo.com
Use of Emoticons & Abbreviations
 Emoticons or smileys are often used to denote a mood.
 They were originally intended to be viewed by tilting
your head to the lift.
 The use of emoticons has become an art form.
 Abbreviations were used by internet users because
electronic communication is done quickly at the
keyboard.
Samples of Emoticons
:-) Smiling; joking, happy
;-) Winking smiley
:-( Sad
:-X My lips are sealed
:-* Sending a kiss
:-O Surprised
:-D Very happy; Laughing
:-p Tongue sticking out
Commonly Used Abbreviations
AFK Away from keyboard
BTDT Been there done that
BTW By the way
CTS Changing the subject
DQMOT Do not quote me on this
FTF Face to face
HTH Hope this helps
IMHO In my humble opinion
LOL Laughing out loud
OTOH On the other hand
WYSIWYG What you see is what you get
E-mail Etiquette
1. Using all capital letters is considered as shouting,
additionally, it is about 50% harder to read than the
traditional upper and lower case text.
2. Get into the habit of always using a subject for your
e-mail because this will help he recipient, to decide if
your message needs to be read right away or if it can
wait until he or she has more time.
3. All messages should be signed; assuming that the
recipient will know who you are leads to problems.
File Attachments
 All e-mails used to be plain text files.
 A plain text file, often referred to as an ASCII file, can
be read by all e-mail software and all processors.
 A proprietary file is a file created by a word processor
and has a file format that can only be read by the
program that created it.
Cautions and Suggestions
 Viruses can be sent as attachments so be cautioned
never to open an attachment unless you were
expecting it or you have run a virus scan.
 Spam is a word that describes unwanted e-mail, from
an unknown source, often with the intent of selling
something.
The World Wide Web
 Tim Berners-Lee was the inventor of the WWW.
 He was named as “one of the top 20 thinkers of the
twentieth century” by Time magazine
 He was also given the Knight Commander of the Order
of the British Empire honor.
 To many, the WWW has come to symbolize the
Internet, despite that fact that it is only one part of the
Internet.
How the WWW works?
 The web is built on the client/server model.
 A software program called browsers allows any
computer to be a Web client. A computer that
functions as a server has special software that allows it
to receive, interpret, and send to the client computer
the requested file.
 The Web’s use of HTTP which permits objects to be
linked to one another enables the transmitting and
interpretation of all types of files, not just text.
 In order for a browser to display a link, it first needs to
contact the server named in the link; these servers
have specific addresses called an URL.
 Web URLs start with http which indicates the
transmission protocol being used.
 The standard server side port number for http is port
80 represented by a colon (:) and two forward slashes
(//)
 Transmission Protocol

Name of Computer

Domain Name

Directory

File Name
http://www.scutari.mil/nightingale/notes.htm
 A wonderful portal to a great deal of information is the
Internet Public Library (http://www.ipl.org)
 The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a
large searchable web site www.fda.gov which provides
up-to-date information not only about prescription
drugs, but also food-borne illness, dietary
supplements, medical devices, vaccines, cosmetics,
and other products with health implications.
 Project Gutenberg has through the use of volunteers,
made over thousands of books available via the
internet. (http://www.gutenberg.org)
Searching the Web
 World Wide Web Worm (WWWW) is one of the first
Web search engines.
 Deciding which type of search service to use should
depend on the topic and when searching for
information, the completeness of a search does not
necessarily bring about the desired results.
 For example, a search for the word “cancer” will yield:
 Google 928,000,000
 Yahoo 3,230,000,000
 Google was chosen as name because it was a common
spelling for googol, which is 10100.
 Two main features used by google are link structure
and anchor text.
 Simply put, google analyzes the hypertext links and
their proximity to rank each web page. It also looks for
at not only text, but the pages a link points to. Finally,
it gives a higher weight to words which are prominent,
such as larger font, bold or highlighted.
Cookies
 It is a piece of text information, which is placed on a
client’s browser by a Web site visited.
 After a cookie is left by a Web site, the client’s browser
will put it on the hard drive when the computer is
turned off so that it is available in the future.