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Chapter 2
Application software

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Software

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A- Application Software

Application software is end user software that

is used to accomplish a variety of tasks

Two categories

I – Basic applications
II – Specialized applications
Also there are Mobile apps programs
designed for mobile devices

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I- Basic applications

Basic applications (general purpose
applications):widely used in nearly every
discipline & occupation and all career areas.

Examples include:
I-1 – Word processors
I-2 – Spreadsheets
I-3 – Database management systems
I-4 – Presentation graphics

I-5- Web browsers….
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I-1 – Word processors

Used to create text-based documents
– Memos, letters, Reports…
– Newsletters, manuals, Flyers…

Word processing programs
– Microsoft Word(most widely used)
– Mac: Pages

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I-2 – Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets organize, analyze and graph
numeric data such as budgets and financial
reports using Formulas, functions, charts. It is
widely used by nearly every profession.
Spreadsheet programs
– Microsoft Excel
– Mac: Numbers
Excel workbook is a collection of worksheets
and charts. The worksheet is a set of rows
and columns, the intersection of which is
called a cell.
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I-3 – Data base management system
A database is a collection of related data used
to retrieve information easily.

A Database Management System (DBMS)
is a program that structures or sets up the
database.

It also provides tools to enter, edit, retrieve
data from database.

Ex. Universities use databases to keep
records on their students, instructors and
courses. Organizations of all types maintain
employee databases.
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I-3 – Data base management system

Relational database is most widely used

database structure.
Data is organized into related tables.
Tables are made up of rows called
records, each containing a number of
columns called fields.

Database programs
– Microsoft Access
– Corel Paradox
– Lotus Approach

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I-4 – Presentation graphics

Presentation graphics are programs that

combine visual objects to create interesting
and professional presentation for
communicating a message .

Presentation programs

– Microsoft PowerPoint
– Corel Presentations
– Lotus Freelance Graphics
(Open office impress, apple keynote)
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 I-5-Web Browsers

A web browser Programs that provide access to
Web resources. Allow us to surf the Internet.
Address or location of the resource must be specified :
URL (uniform resource locator)
(URI :http//www.usek.edu.lb)

Well-known browsers

– Mozilla Firefox
– Google Chrome
– Microsoft Internet Explorer
_ Apple’s Safari

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Most commonly used web browsers

Reference: http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-most-u-s-popular-web-
browsers/

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 Software suite

A Software suite (also called productivity
suite) is a group of application programs.
The best known is Microsoft Office. Other
well-known productivity suites are: Office
Suite, Apple iWork, etc.

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 Cloud Suites or online suites

Stored at a server on the internet.

Available anywhere you can access the internet.

Easy to share created documents and collaborate with
others.

Dependent on the server providing the application to be
available whenever you need it (importance of backup
copies).

Ex. Google Docs, Zoho, Microsoft Office Web Apps.

Need an account.

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 II-Specialized applications

Specialized applications (special-purpose
applications): Narrowly focused on specific
disciplines and occupations. Examples include:
 Graphics programs
 Audio/video editors
 Multimedia creation
 Web authoring
 Artificial Intelligence
– Virtual Reality
– Knowledge-based Systems(Expert systems)
– Robotics

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 II-1.Graphics programs

Graphics are widely used by professionals in

the graphic arts. They use desktop publishing
programs, image editing programs, and
illustration programs.

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 II-1Graphics programs

1.Desktop publishing :Programs that allow you

to create high level publications of
professionnal quality that mix text and
graphics (newspapers,textbooks..)
Popular programs
– Adobe InDesign
– Microsoft Publisher
– QuarkXPress

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 II-1Graphics programs

2.Image editors, also known as photo

editors, are programs for editing or modifying
digital photographs. They are used to touch up
photographs to remove scratches or other
imperfections.

Photographs consist of thousands of dots or
pixels (smallest element of a picture) that form
images often referred as bitmap images (.BMP,
JPEG, PNG and GIF). Popular image editors:
Microsoft Paint and Adobe Photoshop
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 II-1Graphics programs

3.Illustration Programs, also known as

drawing programs: Used to create & edit vector
images. Vector images use geometric shapes or
objects (ps, eps, pdf, svg, cgm, swf, wmf).

Popular programs: Adobe Illustrator FreeHand
and Microsoft visio.

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 II.2- MultiMedia

The integration of a variety of media into one

presentation : Video ,Music , Voice, Graphics
and Text. Multimedia is used in video games,
Web presentations.

We consider two types of multimedia:

A-Multimedia without user interactivity:
Users have no control over the content that is
being showed to them like a movie (Ex.
Windows Movie Maker – video).

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 II.2-Multimedia

B-Multimedia including user

interactivity: Users have control over
the content that is being showed to
them. Users are given navigational
control such as interactive CD, Digital
Encyclopedia (Encarta) Ex.
Macromedia Director.

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 II.3- Web Authoring Programs

Creating a site is called web authoring.

Known as Web page editors or HTML editors
– Provide support for Web site design
– Creates HTML coding

Popular programs
– Macromedia Dreamweaver
– NetObjects Fusion
– Iweb,Freeway……

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 II.4-Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is a field of computer science
 Mimics or simulates human senses, thought
processes, and actions
 Includes reasoning, learning from past actions,
and using senses such as vision and touch

Three areas of AI
a – Virtual reality
b – Knowledge-based (expert) systems
c – Robotics

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 A-Virtuel Reality

VR is an interactive, computer-
generated simulated environment with
which users can interact with an
animated 3D environment in real time
using data gloves(tactile) and head-
mounted computer-graphic displays
(audio,video).

Specific application areas including,
but not limited to, the following:
-Defence and Military
-Education and Training
-Entertainment and Gaming
-Medicine (surgical simulation)

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B.Expert Systems

An expert system is software that uses a

knowledge base of human expertise for
problem solving, or to clarify uncertainties
where normally one or more human experts
would need to be consulted.

Example : Medical diagnosis expert system.

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 C. Robotics

Robots are machines controlled by
"computers".

Robots are used in factories,
manufacturing, home security, the
military, and many other fields.

Can be programmed to do more that
one task

Often used to handle dangerous,
repetitive tasks

Types of robots
 Perception – imitate some of the
human senses
 Industrial – perform tasks in
factories, etc.
 Mobile – can move about and
perform tasks
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References

Computing essentials 2016, O'leary, O'leary

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