Key Notes (Class 7) Computer

CHAPTER 1 : COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS

Types Of COMPUTER LANGUAGES:

● LOW LEVEL LANGUAGES
● HIGH LEVEL LANGUAGES

LOW LEVEL LANGUAGES: They are used for particular computer

architecture and are therefore, often described or known as
machine-oriented languages.
They can further be divided into two parts:
● MACHINE LANGUAGE
● ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE

MACHINE LANGUAGE: Machine Language is the language in which

instructions are given in 1s and 0s [Binary Language]. They do
not need any translations for the computer. Due to this, they are
executed very fast as compared to programs in other languages.

ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE: In this type of language, the instructions

are in the form of shortened words called MNEMONICS.
Examples: LD means LOADING A PROGRAM.
MOV means MOVING DATA.
They are easier to write compared to MACHINE LANGUAGE but
the require a TRANSLATOR called the ASSEMBLER. We will later
discuss about this.

HIGH LEVEL LANGUAGES: It is the language in which programs

are written the human languages such as English and symbols of
mathematics. As we know these languages, it is easy for us
(programmers) to use high-level languages.

ADVANTAGES OF HIGH LEVEL LANGUAGES:

● UNDERSTANDABILITY: They are easy to read and are
understandable.
● DEBUGGING: It is easy to find and remove the errors in
programs that are written using high-level languages.
● PORTABILITY: Programs written on one computer can be
written on other computers.

Examples of High Level Languages are C, C++, Java.

Softwares can be created with the help of these languages
easily but TRANSLATORS are required for converting High Level
Languages into Machine Languages. These Translators are called
COMPILERS and INTERPRETERS.
BINARY NUMBER SYSTEM

Machine Language is also known as Binary Language or the language of 1s

and 0s. It can only understand two states – ON (represented by 1) & OFF
(represented by 0). The Binary Language is based on the BINARY NUMBER
SYSTEM. In mathematics, we make use of digits such as 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
8, 9. It is therefore called BASE 10 or DECIMAL NUMBER SYSTEM. But in
Binary, we use only 0s and 1s. Therefore it is called BASE 2 or BINARY
DIGITS or BITS.

For Example:
1 Nibble = 4 Bits
1 Byte = 8 Bits
1 Kilobyte (1 KB) = 1024 bytes
1 Megabyte (1 MB) = 1024 KB
1 Gigabyte (1 GB) = 1024 MB
1 Terabyte (1 TB) = 1024 GB
1 Petabyte (1 PB) = 1024 TB
1 Exabyte (1 EB) = 1024 PB
1 Zettabyte (1 ZB) = 1024 EB
1 Yottabyte (1YB) = 1024 ZB

CONVERSION
1) DECIMAL NUMBERS to BINARY NUMBERS.
We have to divide it by 2 until you get 0 as your quotient. Write the
remainder on the right side. The remainders have to be read from the
bottom. The number you get will be your BINARY NUMBER.
 Example: Let’s take a number 43.

According to the above solution, the binary number for 43 is 101011.

2) CONVERTING BINARY NUMBERS TO DECIMAL NUMBERS.

 SOFTWARE & HARDWARE
A COMPUTER system can be considered to be made up of two main
components: The HARDWARE and the SOFTWARE.

HARDWARE: Hardware are the physical

components of a computer. All the
physical devices such as mouse,
keyboard, screen & the CPU that we can
touch and feel are the Hardware
components.
—-------------------------------------------
Software: Software is a set of instructions, data or programs used to
operate computers and execute specific tasks. It is the opposite of
hardware, which describes the physical aspects of a computer. Software is
a generic term used to refer
to applications, scripts and
programs that run on a
device. There are two types
of softwares:

SYSTEM SOFTWARE
APPLICATION SOFTWARE

SYSTEM SOFTWARE
System software is a type of computer program that is designed to run a
computer's hardware and application programs. If we think of the computer
system as a layered model, the system software is the interface between the
hardware and user applications. It can further be categorized into 3 categories.
They are:

● OPERATING SYSTEM
● LANGUAGE PROCESSORS
● UTILITY SOFTWARE
—--------------------------------------------------
OPERATING SYSTEM: An operating
system (OS) is the program that, after
being initially loaded into the
computer by a boot program,
manages all of the other application
programs in a computer. It serves as
an interface between the user and the
hardware. It creates an environment
in which the user can execute
programs. It also ensures that the computer hardware is used in an efficient
manner. Some Popular Operating systems are Linux, Android, Microsoft and
Windows.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LANGUAGE PROCESSORS: We had earlier discussed that a computer only
understands the language of 0s and 1s. Writing High-Level Languages require
translators such as COMPILERS and INTERPRETERS. The software program that
does this task of translation is called the LANGUAGE PROCESSOR. There are 3
types of LANGUAGE PROCESSORS. They are:

ASSEMBLERS: They convert Assembly Languages (Languages in which

programs are written in short-forms called mnemonics) into Machine Language.
COMPILERS: They convert High-Level Languages to Machine Language. They
find all the errors in one go.
INTERPRETERS: It also converts High-Level Language to Machine Languages but
does not find all the errors in one go. It goes step by step. It cannot move further
until the error is rectified (corrected).
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UTILITY SOFTWARE: They do the
maintenance work on a computer
system for smooth and clean
experience and for better
functioning. This software
includes options such as Disk
Cleanup Utility, Antivirus
softwares and Data Compression
software and so on.
 APPLICATION SOFTWARE
Application Software helps the user perform specific tasks. It is divided into two
types:
● GENERAL PURPOSE APPLICATION SOFTWARE: It is developed keeping in
mind the needs and requirements of general people.

Word Processing Software helps in creating documents such as letters, stories

and reports.
Spreadsheet Software accepts data values in rows and columns called cells and
lets us calculate, manipulate, and analyze data in the desired manner. It also
helps us make charts.
Database Management System helps us store large amounts of data in an
organized manner. It can store details about customers, employees and products
etc.
Desktop Publishing Software is used for publishing books, journals, magazines,
newspapers, print media, brochures and so on.
Graphics, Multimedia and Presentation Software: Graphic software works with
editing images. It manipulates images, adds sounds and much more.
Presentation Software; During job interviews or business meetings, a
well-delivered Presentation showcases your knowledge, confidence, and ability
to communicate ideas effectively.

● SPECIFIC PURPOSE APPLICATION SOFTWARE: It is developed keeping in

mind the requirements of an organization or an individual.
OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE
Open-source software (OSS) is
computer software that is released
under a license in which the copyright
holder grants users the
rights to use, study,
change, and distribute
the software and its
source code to anyone
and for any purpose.
Open-source software
may be developed in a
collaborative, public
manner. Open-source software is a prominent example of open
collaboration, meaning any capable user is able to participate online in
development, making the number of possible contributors indefinite.