NCMB 210: Computer Software
COMPUTER SOFTWARE concept in the evolution of the
→ General term for various kinds of
programs used to operate computers
and related devices
1. Programs
2. Package
PURPOSES
» Translate instructions created in
human language into machine
language.
» Packaged or stored software is
needed to make the computer an
economic work tool.
BRIEF HISTORY OF COMPUTER
PROGRAMMING AND SOFTWARE
AUGUSTA ADA BYRON (1815-1852)
 Countess of Lovelace
 Mathematician who described the
concept of a stored computer program.
 Loop Concept - Use of automatic
repetitious arithmetic steps that the
analytical engine would follow to solve
a problem.
 First programmer in computer history.
CHARLES BABBAGE (1792-1871)
 Invented (but never built) a device that
he named the analytical machine.
 It could perform mathematical
functions and instructions
communicated the machine.
JOHN VON NEUMANN (1903-1957)
 Proposed that both data and
instructions could be stored in the
computer and that the instructions
could be automatically carried out.
 Stored program concept was
subsequently implemented as a major
computer.
AUGUST 2, 1790
America’s founders decreed that a census
be taken every 10 years and the first
census was done.
1860
Found out that manual method of
processing census were inadequate.
JOSEPH JACQUARD
 A weaver from France and invented the
Jacquard Loom
 Jacquard Loom - A device that uses
blocks of wood with holes drilled in
such a way that the threads to be
woven into cloth could form a program
to the loom.
 The program varied the way the cloth
was worked by the loom so that a
particular design would be produces in
the fabric.
HERMAN HOLLERITH (1860-1929)
 Used Jacquards ideas but developed a
machine that could read punched cards
and tabulate the result.
 (1884) Patented his machine and
punched-card system.
 Formed a company called “Tabulating
Machine” and was soon became “
International Business Machine (IBM)”
1984
IBM discontinued selling its card puncher
thus stopped the promotion of the
punched-card method of entering
programs and data into computers.
MID -1980s
NCMB 210: Computer Software
Keypunch machines and punched-card
readers were withdrawn from the
computer centers.
REAR ADMIRAL GRACE MURRAY HOPPER
 Mother of Computing
 Worked with the first digital mainframe
computers (Mark I and Mark II)
 Developed many concepts and
mathematical foundations of computer
programming science.
 Debugging – checking the program to
ensure that the computer is free of
error.
 Recognized that obscure assembly and
machine-like programming languages
limited access to the computer and
therefore the utility of the machines.
 Her work formed the foundation for
the first truly English-like language
(COBOL)
 Had an early vision of computers
working independently and together so
that more could be accomplished.
COMPUTER SOFTWARE TYPES
SYSTEM SOFTWARE
→ A program that manages and supports
the computer resources and operations
of a computer system while it executes
various tasks such as processing data
and information, controlling hardware
components, and allowing users to use
application software.
→ Starts up and initializes the computer
system.
1. Basic I/O System
- Considered the first level of system
control since it searches the OS in the
hard drive and loads it in the RAM as
the computer is turned on.
- Consists of instructions permanently
burned onto a computer chip.
2. OS
- Responsible for the management and
coordination of activities and the
sharing of the resources of the
computer
- Acts as a host for applications that are
run on the machine.
- Handle the details of the operation of
the hardware relieving application
programs from managing these details
and makes it easier to write
applications.
3. OS-DOS
- A medium through which the user and
external devices attached to the system
communicate with the system.
- Translate the command issued by the
user in the format that is
understandable by the computer and
instruct computer to work accordingly.
- Also translates the result and any error
message in the format for the user to
understand.
4. OS-GUI
- A program that enables a person to
communicate with a computer through
the use of symbols, visual metaphors,
and pointing devices.
- Replaced the arcane and difficult
textual interfaces of earlier computing
with a relatively intuitive system that
has made computer operation not only
easier to learn but more pleasant and
natural.
- Is now the standard computer
interface, and its components have
become unmistakable cultural artifacts.
5. UTILITY PROGRAM
- Designed to enhance the functions of
the OS or to add facilities that the basic
OS does not offer.
NCMB 210: Computer Software
- Include programs that provide
algorithms (formulae) for efficiently
sorting a large set of numbers or
character-based items, copying files or
parts of files, security programs, and
the like.
- Language Translation Utilities, www
and Web browsers
6. APPLICATION SOFTWARE
- Programs that specify the information
processing activities required for the
completion of specific tasks of
computer users.
7. DOCUMENTATION SOFTWARE
A. Word Processing Software
- Writing tasks such as keying in reports,
letters, tables, as well as merging
documents, editing, revising,
formatting, copying, storing, printing
and availability of font styles and sizes
to make the document attractive can
be performed easily.
B. Spreadsheet Software
- Permits performance of an almost
endless variety of quantitative tasks
such as budgeting, keeping track of
inventory, preparing financial reports,
or manipulating numbers in any fashion
C. Presentation Software
- Organizes a slide show for an audience
including text, graphics, sound, and
movies.
D. Standard Office Software
- Most common software packages sold
with computers
- Includes: Word processing,
spreadsheet, presentation and
database management system
programs
- Open Office, Free Office, Microsoft
Office Suites
8. CONTENT ACCESS SOFTWARE
I. Web browsers
- Software application for retrieving,
presenting, and traversing information
resources on the Worldwide Web
(www)
- Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet
Explorer, Opera, Safari
II. Media Players
- For playing back multimedia files
(music, videos or both)
9. MEDIA CREATION SOFTWARE
a) 3D Graphic Computer Software
- Programs used to create 3D computer
generated imagery.
- 3DsMax, Maya, SketchUp, Blender
b) Game Development Tool
c) Animation Software
- Used for generating animated images
by using computer graphics.
COMMON SOFTWARE USED IN NURSING
PRACTICE
HOSPITAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (HIS)
Admission, Discharge and Transfer (ADT)
systems that help with patient tracking and
Medication Administration Record (MAR)
software.
Charting Software that computerizes at
least some parts of the nursing record.
Computerized Patient Acuity System used
to help with nurse staff allocation.
Hospital e-mail system used for hospital
communications.
COMMUNICATION SOFTWARES
Chat Rooms - Electronic conference calls
where multiple users can send and receive
messages at the same time.
(SYNCHRONOUS)
Social Network- Refers to any number of
web addresses designed to create online
communities that are focused around
NCMB 210: Computer Software

common interests, goals, or simply away PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

for people to interact.
→ A programming language is a
Electronic Bulletin Board- An early form of means of communicating with the
computer conferencing but may be called computer.
discussion boards or electronic forums
CATEGORIES OF PROGRAMMING
where users can post messages at the time
LANGUAGES
of their convenience. (ASYNCHRONOUS)
1ST LEVEL
REFERENCE SOFTWARES
MACHINE LANGUAGE
Ҩ Drug guides
Ҩ Medical Dictionaries  The true language of the computer.
Ҩ Consult guides  Consist of binary numbers 1 and 0.
Ҩ Nursing Books (E-Books)  Machine-dependent (unique)
BASIC COMPUTER PROGRAMMING ASSEMBLER LANGUAGE
PROGRAM - Result of  Intermediate languages that are very
expressing the close to machine language
algorithm in a
 One command in machine language is a
programming
single instruction to the processor
language
 Instructions have a one to one
- Organized
instruction sets correspondence with a machine
ALGORITHM - Set of language instruction.
instructions 2ND LEVEL
and the order
in which they HIGH LEVEL PROCEDURAL LANGUAGE
have to be
performed.  Requires the programmer to specify
- Sequence and both what the computer is to do and
steps the procedure for how to do it.
PROGRAMMING The process of  Far more English-like language
writing an  A single comma or letter out of place
algorithm using will cause the program to crash.
programming  The style and sequence of a language
language are called its SYNTAX.
PROGRAMMER The person writing
the set of HIGH LEVEL PROCEDURAL LANGUAGE (3rd
instructions using Generation Language)
programming
languages FORTRAN

 First high-level computer language and

the progenitor of many key high-level
concepts, such as variables,
expressions, statements, iterative and
NCMB 210: Computer Software
conditional statements, separately
compiled subroutines, and formatted
input/output.
COBOL
 First universal programming language
 The first truly English-like language
 A language that can be run on any
computer makes and models.
 Designed for writing business programs
with minimum of time and effort
C
 It was named after an earlier prototype
program called simply B.
 Most popular computer language for
writing new OS and other system
programs
C++
 Used for a variety of applications,
especially those that allows users to
interact with electronic companies
through the Internet.
JAVA
 Was developed by Sun Microsystems to
be a relatively simple language that
would provide portability across
differing computer platforms and the
security needed for use on a huge,
public network like the internet.
 Critical for any serious web developers
VISUAL PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
 Developed to facilitate program
development in graphics-based
environments.
 Beginners’ All-purpose Symbolic
Instruction Code (BASIC) - The first
lingua franca of microcomputers
 Often taught to beginning
programmers
2ND LEVEL
NON-PROCEDURAL LANGUAGE
 Are specialized application programs
that requires more involvement of the
user in directing the program to do the
necessary work.
 A user specifies what the program is to
do, but not how the program is to
perform the task.
 The how is already programmed by the
manufacturer of the language program.
 Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS)- A statistical analysis program,
the user enters a command that tells
the computer to compute a chi-square
statistic on a particular datasheet. The
formula is already a part of the
program; the user does not have to tell
SPSS how to calculate
3RD LEVEL
NATURAL LANGUAGE
 The user tells the machine what to do
in the user’s own natural language or
through use of a set of very English-like
commands.
 Any user could give understandable
commands to the computer in his or
her own word style and accent is being
performed.
 Voice recognition technology is
integrated with the language so that
voice commands are recognized and
executed
COMPUTER PROGRAMMING: STEPS
PROBLEM Involves
DEFINITION identification of
the problem to be
solved regarded as
the most crucial
step in
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programming.
PROGRAM DESIGN Where the process
designing takes
place
WRITING THE Includes structure
CODE AND and narrative
PROGRAM documentation
PREPARATION
ALPHA TESTING Alpha testing (desk
checking) where
components are
checked to see if
all the processes
appear to be
functioning as
specified in the
flow charts,
functional
specifications and
design spec.
BETA TESTING Involves
AND PROGRAM installation to
IMPLEMENTATION actual user
environment that
signals program
implementation.