Software

CH 3: INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE
Recall hardware …
But we still need the software!
• Helps the computer

perform essential
operating tasks and
enables the
application software
to run
• and…
3.1 Definition
Recall software is the non-physical parts of the computer. A computer
uses software to get the job done. They are the instructions given to the
computer.
Software needs to be accessed before it can be used. There are many

terms used for process of accessing software including running,
executing, starting up, opening, and others.
Computer software is classified as follows:

• System Software - Software that handle the running of your
computer's hardware. It controls the location and usage of hardware
resources and enables the application software to run.
• Application Software - Software that has been developed to solve a
particular problem, or perform specific task for the user.
System Software
Application Software
System Software vs. Application Software
System Software Application Software

• Coordinates instructions • Programs used to complete
between software & hardware tasks
• Includes • Includes
– Operating system – Productivity software
– Utility programs – Specialty software
– Entertainment Software
– Educational and Reference
Software
– Personal Software
3.2 Types of Software

The three basic types of software are:
Commercial - prepackaged and is available from software stores and through

the Internet.
Shareware - Software that allows users to run it for a limited time

free of charge. Developed by individual and small companies that cannot
afford to market their software worldwide or by a company that wants to release
a demonstration version of their commercial product.
Freeware - Copyrighted software you can get for free but cannot be modified.
Open source software - created by generous programmers and released into

the public domain for public use free of charge. The public can modify it.
3.3 Using Software

As stated earlier software are instructions given to the computer to make
it carry out a certain task.
This task is carried out as follows:

•Switch on the computer.
•Open the application software
•Input data
•Processing
•Store/Output
•Close file
•Close the application
•Turn off the computer.
3.4 Folders & Directories

Storage devices can be organized into directories or folders to help the
user locate their files. Folder help in grouping common files together.
For example you could organize your files as follows:

Intro
Web Images
Disk
These are displayed in the computer as follows:
Users can create and delete directories or folders as the need arises.
Most hard disks have many directories or folders and files can be
stored in any of them.
Modern systems have a folder called my documents that users can

store their work.
NB: although a user can store their files in any folder, this is the most
appropriate folder. It ensures that the user can trace their documents.
• File path - Location of the file
Secondary Filename
folders
C:\My Documents\Tech in Action\TIA Pics\dotmatrix.gif

Drive Primary
folder
Viewing and Sorting Files and Folders
Tiles View – Name Only Thumbnail View - Preview

Viewing and Sorting Files and Folders
Icon View – Emphasis on Icon List View - Details

List View Details - Viewing and Sorting Files and
Folders
3.5 Common features of Computer Software
3.5.1 Saving a file
Used to store your files in a disk. Most software's have this command.
When saving the information in a file the user is required to:
– Give the file a name and the extension (optional)
– Specify where to save the file (i.e. device and folder).
Extension describes the type of software that created the file. This enables
the operating systems to match a file to the program that created it. Note
the only characters not legal in filenames are: \ ⁄ : * ? " <
> ¦ all others are allowed
• Filename extensions - Used by programs
Extension Type of Document Application

.doc Word processing Microsoft Word;
document Corel Word Perfect
.xls Workbook Microsoft Excel
.ppt PowerPoint Microsoft
presentation PowerPoint
.mdb Database Microsoft Access
.bmp Bitmap image Windows
.zip Compressed file WinZip
.pdf Portable Document Adobe Acrobat
Format
.htm Web page Hypertext Markup
or .html Language
3.5 Common features of Computer Software

3.5.2 Printing Files
The promise of a paperless office has not happened though conservation is
catching on and it is possible to reduce paper consumption by using your
computer more effectively.
To print a file the computer has to be connected to a printer. Many computers
are attached to printers and there are many reasons to print out documents
that you create on your computer.
3.5.3 Exit or Quit

It is important to Exit from the software before shutting off the computer
or when you have finished with it as it takes up memory.
3.5.4 Dialog boxes

Sometimes when you select a menu item (a command) the computer
requires additional information before executing that command.
It does this by displaying a popup window with the query. This is known
as a dialog box.
A dialog box is a window the software displays requesting the user for
additional information before executing the uses commands.
Example: the dialog box alongside

which appears when the user gives
the computer the save command to
save a document for the first time.
It wants the user to specify the file
name and the storage
device/location.
3.6 Installing New Software

Putting software into a computer is known as installing.
Most software’s sold today have an automated install sequence that is activated
with the press of a button.
The installation process:

– Creates a directory to store the files related to the new program
– Uncompress the files
– Copy the files to the directory
– Adds itself the desktop or (Start) menu.
Add or Remove Programs
• Installation wizard
• Uninstall wizard:
– Do not delete programs
Software Installation
3.7 Backing up Files

• Computer errors and software failures happen occasionally so it is
important to backup your files and documents.
• One simple way to backup your files is to copy them to a disk.
• You can also use a software program to automate backups or do it
manually
• Store your backup files in a safe
3.8 Compression and Decompression

•Most software you buy or get off the Internet is compressed to occupy
less space.
•The software’s however has to be decompressed to be used.
•There are special software’s used to compress and decompress files.
The most popular software for this is called zip but there are others
available as well.
3.9 System Software

System Software is the Software that handles the running of your
computer's hardware.
The two main categories are:

•Operating System - The operating system is a program that
conducts the communication between the various pieces of
hardware like the video card, sound card, printer, the
motherboard and the application software.
•Utility programs - perform tasks related to the maintaining of

your computer's health
3.9.1 Operating System

A computer can’t do much without an operating system.
The first screen you see when you turn your computer on is about the BIOS
(Basic Input/Output System) of your computer.
The BIOS is a set of instructions on a ROM chip that controls how the
hardware and the operating system communicate. It's a very
limited set of instructions.
After the BIOS the POST (Power On
Self Test) will run. This is a set of
tests of the hardware. If, for example,
your keyboard is not plugged in you
will see a message about "Keyboard
failure".
That's is all that a computer can do

without an operating system.
Next the computer looks for some kind of operating system (OS).
A computer is usually set to look for the OS in the floppy drive first, if it
doesn’t find it it looks in the hard drive. This way if your hard drive fails, you
have a way to get the system working enough to diagnose the problem.
The part of the operating system that starts the system working is known as
the kernel. It contains three files:
•command language interpreter – Interprets the users commands into
something the hardware can understand. In Windows XP/ Vista the
command interpreter is the file cmd.exe.
•config.sys – Finds the devices that are connected to the computer such
as the mouse, floppy drive, or printer. The file tells the computer where to
find directions on how to use this devices. The directions are called drivers.
•Auto executable list- Loads software that you want to start every time
your computer is turned on. Tells the computer where to look for the
software files.
Thus the Boot Process can be summarized as follows:

Step 1: The basic
input/output system (BIOS)
is activated
2
• Step 2: A Power-on-self-
test (POST) checks
attached hardware 1
• Step 3: The operating 3

system loads into memory
4
• Step 4: Configuration and
customization settings are
checked
Common Operating Systems

Originally the operating system was created by each company that
manufactured a processor and motherboard. So each operating system
was proprietary, that is, unique to each manufacturer.
Problem: changing to a new computer meant your software had to be

replaced!
So there was pressure early on to standardize things so that software

could be transferred between computers.
Today most Operating Systems can work with any hardware.

1. Microsoft Windows
• Market leader – 90% market share

• The various Windows systems are:
Introduces
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(2000)
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2. MAC OS
• First operating system with point-and-click technology

(Graphical User Interface)
• Excellent in: MAC OS X
– Graphics display
– Processing capabilities
– System reliability
– Document recovery
• Fewer software applications
3. UNIX
• Multi-user, multitask operating system

• Used primarily with mainframes
4. Linux
• Open-source operating
system
• Based on UNIX
• Stable system
• Free
• May be downloaded
through the Internet
All operating systems must handle three basic tasks:

1.Allocating System Resources - The operating system decides

what resource will be used and for how long.
The resources include:
– Time - Each task the CPU does is assigned a certain amount of
time.
– Memory - Memory must be managed by the operating system.

Data is continuously swapped between the RAM and the Hard disk
during processing.
– Input and Output - Flow control is also part of the operating

system's responsibilities. The operating system must manage all
requests to read data from disks or tape and all writes to these and
to printers by queuing and prioritizing. E.g. print spooling,.
2. Monitoring System Activities – These activities

includes:
•System Performance - A user can check to see

whether the computer or network is getting
overloaded. E.g. Using The task Manager to check
response time and CPU.
•System security - For multiple users who are not

all allowed access to everything, there must be a
login procedure where the user supplies a user ID
and a secret password. An administrator must set
up the permissions.
3. File and Disk Management - A user needs to copy, move, delete,

and rename files. This is the category of operating system functions
that the user actually sees the most. (File management)
A more technical task is that of disk management. Under some

operating systems your hard disk can be divided up, or partitioned into
several virtual disks. The operating system treats each virtual disk as
though it were a physically separate disk. Managing several physical
and/or virtual disks can get pretty complex, especially if some of the
disks are set up with different operating systems.
Types of operating systems

Older operating systems could run only one application
software at a time.
New operating systems were designed that allowed
multiple programs to run at the same time. There are
various ways that an operating system achieves this:
Multitasking - The programs take turns with the

processor. It allows a single user to have the spreadsheet
and the word processor open at the same time, and even
more.
Multiple users - On a network several users can be

using the same computer or even the same program on
that computer. This is called time-sharing.
Multiprocessing- Rather than a single CPU giving out

turns to various programs, we can have different CPUs
working simultaneously. Speed increases immensely. Of
course cost does, too!
3.9.2 Utility programs
Maintaining of your computer's hardware or data. While the
operating systems come with some of them there, are better
versions for you to buy.
They are classified as follows:

•File Management programs help the user find files, create
and organize directories, copy, move, and rename files.
•Disk Management programs help format and de-fragment

disks.
– Formation - creation of tracks and sectors on disk to allow
writing of data.
– De-fragmenting - removing the spaces on a disk so that the
whole file is in sequence. This reduces the time to access
the file.
• Memory Management software handles RAM (where programs put their
current data). They move unneeded items out of the way.
• Backup program, which also restores the backed up data, is a must if you have
any data at all that you want to keep around for a while.
• Data Recovery - attempt to recover deleted or damaged (corrupted) files.
• Data Compression programs squeeze out the space generated by the

formatting schemes.
• Anti-virus - monitor the computer for the activity of viruses, ( little programs
that copy themselves to other disks)
System Maintenance Utilities
• Disk cleanup - Cleans • Disk defragmenter

unnecessary files • ScanDisk:
– Error checker
System Maintenance Utilities…Cont
• Task manager • System Restore:

– Restores the system settings
back to a specific date
Accessibility Utilities – Start  Programs  Accessories  Accessibility
– Magnify screen image

– Screen contents narration
– On-screen keyboard
Desktop features
B MY DOCUMENTS
____________ I
• Desktop features:TOOLBAR
_________
C MY COMPUTER
____________
– Shortcut icons
–CUT
MyICONS
Documents
A _______________
SHORT
– Start button
– Quick launch
– Open
OPEN programs
__________
PROGRAMS
– Taskbar
________
___________
D ____________
START BUTTON
F tray
TASKBAR
_________ SYSTEM TRAY
– System
E QUICKLAUNCH
____________ G H
– toolbar
Desk Top:- The main purpose of the Desktop is to hold shortcut icons that will
help you work efficiently. The Desktop is really just a folder inside the Windows
folder, so it can hold anything that any other folder can hold. It can be decorated
with interesting textures or pictures. We'll discuss how later.
Display Utilities
• Change the appearance of:

– Desktop
– Windows colors
– Font sizes
– Screen savers
– Screen resolution
Start Menu
Click to view Start
menu features
____________
USER NAME A
_______________
PINNED ITEMS LIST B
_______________
SPECIAL FOLDERS
G _______________
SYSTEM AREA
MOST FREQUENTLY _______________
HELP
_______________
USED LIST
C
ALL PROGRAMS
___________ D F
BUTTON
SHUT DOWN/RESTART
_______________
USER LOG OFF
_____________ E
• Clicking on the Start Menu brings up a list of shortcuts to start your

programs. An item with an arrow at the right, such as Programs or All
Programs, will open another list. There can be several levels of such
lists.
• Each open application will have an button on the Taskbar like the one
shown here for MS PowerPoint 2006. Word has been minimized so all
we can see is its button on the taskbar. If there is room, you will see the
name of the document that is open in Word. When an application is
maximized, its window takes up all the space above the taskbar.
• A shortcut points to the file that runs a program, like MS Word, or to a
document, like the web page Astronomy Picture of the Day. A shortcut
can be placed wherever you want to put it - on the Desktop, in a folder, in
the Quick Launch area.
• Files can actually be stored as part of the Desktop. This icon represents
a document rather than a shortcut to the application. There is no arrow at
the bottom left like there is for a shortcut.
• Across the bottom of the screen we see the Taskbar. Normally it is in
view all the time. The Taskbar's main job is to show what applications
are currently running.
• Windows - A window is a rectangular area on the desktop which usually

contains a number of standard parts. But it does not have to have any of the
standard parts. The illustration below shows several windows in WinXP: a
Help window, a Solitaire window, an Explorer window, a Word window, and
a dialog window, usually called a dialog box (regardless of its shape or
size!). The only part that they all have in common is the Title bar!
3.11 Some Parts of a window
• The Title bar of an application window shows the title of the current
document and the name of the application.
• Right end: On the right end of the Title bar are buttons to minimize the
window to the Taskbar, maximize the window to cover the whole Desktop,
and close the window. Enlarge Screen
Minimize window
Close
Program
• Menu Bar - An application window has a menu bar which lists cascading
menus of commands for the program.
• A toolbar contains buttons for the most commonly used commands.
The icons are supposed to make it easy to guess what the button does.
Most modern applications use similar buttons for the same commands.
• The bottom of a window contains the Status Bar. It displays messages

about the status of the program. For example, it might say "Saving
document" during the saving process and then "Done" when it is
finished.
• Scroll Bars Windows that are too small to show the whole document
will have scroll bars for the width or the height of the document, or
both, if necessary. You change what part of the document is showing
by dragging the scroll box or by clicking the scroll arrow or by clicking
in the scrollbar itself.
• Document - The main area of the application window shows the active
document. For a word processing program this could be a letter, a
brochure, or a report. For a graphics programs it would be a picture.
For a browser it would be a web page.
Click to view Window

Window features
__________
TITLE BAR A
__________
MENU BAR B _______________
G SIZING BUTTONS
TOOL BARS
__________ C
F SCROLL BARS
____________
VIEW OPTIONS
______________ D
____________
STATUS BAR E
Menu bar Tool bar Format bar Title bar
Status bar Task bar
Start button
Cursor Types
• Arrow
• Busy
• Text
• Double arrow
• Hand
Opening Programs
• On desktop (as icon )
• Not on Desk top
• If program is minimized
Opening Programs
•On desktop (as icon ) » double click on icon.
•Not on Desk top » Click on “Start” button, Move cursor up to

“Programs”. After menu on the right appears
move cursor over to menu and up or down to
required program. Click on program
•If program is minimized » on task bar, click on square representing

program.
Closing programs
• Click on the X icon in the top right hand corner of the window
or
• Put your cursor on File in menu bar and click, then move cursor
down the drop-down menu to the bottom to word “Quit” or “Exit” or
“Close”. Click on the word
or
• Hold down the Alt key and press F4.

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CH 3: INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE

But we still need the software!

• Helps the computer

Software needs to be accessed before it can be used. There are many

Computer software is classified as follows:

System Software vs. Application Software

System Software Application Software

3.2 Types of Software

Commercial - prepackaged and is available from software stores and through

Shareware - Software that allows users to run it for a limited time

Open source software - created by generous programmers and released into

3.3 Using Software

This task is carried out as follows:

3.4 Folders & Directories

For example you could organize your files as follows:

These are displayed in the computer as follows:

Modern systems have a folder called my documents that users can

• File path - Location of the file

C:\My Documents\Tech in Action\TIA Pics\dotmatrix.gif

Tiles View – Name Only Thumbnail View - Preview

Viewing and Sorting Files and Folders

Icon View – Emphasis on Icon List View - Details

Extension Type of Document Application

3.5 Common features of Computer Software

3.5.3 Exit or Quit

3.5.4 Dialog boxes

Example: the dialog box alongside

3.6 Installing New Software

The installation process:

Add or Remove Programs

3.7 Backing up Files

3.8 Compression and Decompression

3.9 System Software

The two main categories are:

•Utility programs - perform tasks related to the maintaining of

3.9.1 Operating System

That's is all that a computer can do

Thus the Boot Process can be summarized as follows:

• Step 3: The operating 3

Common Operating Systems

Problem: changing to a new computer meant your software had to be

So there was pressure early on to standardize things so that software

Today most Operating Systems can work with any hardware.

• Market leader – 90% market share

• First operating system with point-and-click technology

• Multi-user, multitask operating system

All operating systems must handle three basic tasks:

1.Allocating System Resources - The operating system decides

– Memory - Memory must be managed by the operating system.

– Input and Output - Flow control is also part of the operating

2. Monitoring System Activities – These activities

•System Performance - A user can check to see

•System security - For multiple users who are not

3. File and Disk Management - A user needs to copy, move, delete,

A more technical task is that of disk management. Under some

Types of operating systems

Multitasking - The programs take turns with the

Multiple users - On a network several users can be

Multiprocessing- Rather than a single CPU giving out

They are classified as follows:

•Disk Management programs help format and de-fragment

• Data Recovery - attempt to recover deleted or damaged (corrupted) files.

• Data Compression programs squeeze out the space generated by the

System Maintenance Utilities