Using Information Technology Chapter 3 Application Software To the instructor: This presentation attempts to cover every term in the text, sometimes via a slide, sometimes via the Notes page. Additional material beyond what is in the text is presented via: Occasional “FACTOID” notations on the Notes page, and; Occasional hyperlinks in the slides themselves. ScreenTip text has been added to each hyperlink allowing you to see in advance of selecting the hyperlink where that link will take you. In addition, the last ~20 slides are questions covering the material just presented. They can be used to increase interaction between the instructor and students at the end of each lecture, to ensure students understand the material just presented, etc. Finally, some of the Notes pages include “Discussion questions” for use in encouraging student interaction during the lecture.

Application Software: Tools for Thinking & Working More Productively 3.2 Common Features of Software 3.3 Word Processing 3.4 Spreadsheets 3.5 Database Software 3.6 Specialty Software Key Questions (from the text): 3.1 What are five ways of obtaining application software, tools available to help you learn to use software, three common types of files, and the types of software? 3.2 What are some common features of the graphical software environment? 3.3 What can you do with word processing software that you can’t do with pencil and paper? 3.4 What can you do with an electronic spreadsheet that you can’t do with pencil and paper and a standard calculator? 3.5 What is database software, and what is personal information management software? 3.6 What are the principal uses of specialty software such as presentation graphics, financial, desktop publishing, drawing and painting, project management, computer-aided design, and video/audio editing software?

3.1 Application Software Application software is software that has been developed to solve a particular problem, to perform useful work on specific tasks, or to provide entertainment. Normally executables hold applications (.exe) Command files (.com)

Application Software Commercial software Public-domain software Shareware Freeware Rentalware Copyright - the exclusive legal right that prohibits copying of intellectual property without the permission of the copyright holder. Example of freeware: Netscape Navigator & Microsoft Internet Explorer Software license - a contract you sign in which you agree not to make copies of the software to give away or for resale. FACTOID: < Show the students the software license for a Web browser. (For Internet Explorer, you can find this in the Help window. For Netscape Navigator, this can be found in the “About Communicator” page. The actual location on your computer may vary depending on which version of browser you are running.) Scroll down so that they can get an idea of the amount of “legalese” involved in a software license.> Pirated software - software obtained illegally, as when you make a copy of software that your friend has purchased. Discussion question: How serious an offense do you think it is to install software from a CD that your friend purchased and installed on his or her computer?

Commercial software Commercial software: Commercial software, also called proprietary software, is software that’s offered for sale, such as Microsoft Word or Office 2000. Copyright: The exclusive legal right that prohibits copying of intellectual property without the permission of the copyright holder. Software License: Sign a contract in which users agree not to make copies of the software to give away or for resale.

Public-domain software Public-domain software is not protected by copyright and thus may be duplicated by anyone at will.

Shareware: Copyrighted software that is distributed free of charge but requires users to make a monetary contribution in order to continue using it. Freeware: Copyrighted software that is distributed free of charge, today most often over the Internet

Rentalware: Software that users lease for a fee. Pirated Software: Software obtained illegally. Is piracy good for industry?

Tutorials & Documentation Tutorial - an instruction book or program that helps you learn to use the product by taking you through a prescribed series of steps Documentation - a user guide or reference manual that provides a narrative and graphical description of a program

Files A file is a named collection of (1) data or (2) a program that exists in a computer’s secondary storage. Three well-known types of data files: Document files Worksheet files Database files The applications on your computer are also files. File - a named collection of (1) data or (2) a program that exists in a computer’s secondary storage. Document files - files created by word processing programs, which consist of documents such as reports, letters, memos, and term papers. Worksheet files - files created by electronic spreadsheets, which usually consist of collections of numerical data such as budgets, sales forecasts, and schedules. Database files - files created by database management programs, which consist of organized data that can be analyzed and displayed in various useful ways. Importing - getting data from another source and then converting it into a format compatible with the program in which you are currently working. Exporting - transforming data into a format that can be used in another program and then transmitting it to that program.

Exchanging files between programs Importing: Defined as getting data from another source and then converting it into a format compatible with the program in which you are currently working. Demo: Comma delimited text file imported in Excel Exporting: Defined as transforming data into a format that can be used in another program and then transmitting it. Demo: Excel file exported in comma delimited file. Excel file exported in HTML format for www

Other Types of Software Productivity software - software whose purpose is to make users more productive at particular tasks Examples: Word processing Spreadsheets Database managers Industrial automation software like controlling a machine or a robot with a computer Office suite - several applications bundled together into a single large package, such as Microsoft Office, which includes: Word (word processing) Excel (spreadsheet) Access (database) PowerPoint (presentation graphics) FACTOID: Appleworks is the office suite provided with the Macintosh OS. Appleworks includes word-processing, spreadsheet, drawing, painting, database, and presentation applications. Groupware - online software that allows several people to collaborate on the same project. Discussion question: While computers can help us to work more efficiently, they can also be profoundly frustrating and unproductive. Have computers and IT really improved productivity?

Other Types of Software Office suite: Bundles several applications together into a single large package. Groupware: Online software that allows several people to collaborate on the same project. e.g. MS Source safe

3.2 Common Features of Software User interface - the user-controllable display screen that allows you to communicate, or interact, with the computer Graphical user interface (GUI) - allows you to use a mouse or keystrokes to select icons and commands from menus Pointer - on-screen object that responds to mouse movements; it changes shape depending on the application GUI is pronounced as “gooey.” FACTOID: The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is the world’s first educational and scientific computing society. Founded in 1947, the ACM is organized into several SIGs—Special Interest Groups. One of these is called SIGCHI—Special Interest Group for Computer-Human Interaction. SIGCHI members are people working in the field of user interfaces.

Desktop, Icons & Menus Desktop - the system’s main interface screen, which displays pictures that provide quick access to programs and information

Desktop, Icons & Menus

Desktop, Icons & Menus Menu - a list of options to choose from--a list of commands for manipulating data Pull-down menu - a list of options that pulls down from the top of the screen

Desktop, Icons & Menus Fly-out menus - menus that seem to explode out to the right

Desktop, Icons & Menus A Pull-up menu Pull-up menu - a list of options that pulls up from the bottom of the screen Pop-up menu - a list of command options that can "pop up" anywhere on the screen when you click the right mouse button. Pop-up menu - a list of command options that can “pop up” anywhere on the screen when you click the menu button of your mouse. FACTOID: <Demonstrate a pop-up menu using the browser, by selecting the menu button on the mouse when the mouse is positioned over the background of a webpage.>

Documents, Toolbars, & Windows Toolbar - a bar across the top of the display window, which displays menus and icons representing frequently used options TOOL BAR Taskbar - the toolbar graphic at the bottom of the screen, which shows the applications that are running in Microsoft Windows. FACTOID: Macintosh OS also has a graphic at the bottom of the screen. However, it is called a “Control Strip” as it contains many of the “Control Panels” used to change various settings of the computer and desktop. Window - a rectangular frame on the computer display screen, through which you can view a file of data or an application program. Do not confuse “windows” (multiple rectangular frames) with “Windows,” Microsoft’s operating system for PCs.

Windows A window is a rectangular frame on the computer display screen. Through this frame you can view a file of data--such as a document, spreadsheet, or database--or an application program.

The Help Command Help command - a command generating a table of contents, an index, and a search feature that can help you locate answers Usually activated by F1 Key

3.3 Word Processing Use of computers to create, edit, format, print, and store text material. Creating Editing Formatting Saving Printing Web documents creation

Features of the Keyboard Special-purpose keys - used to enter, delete, and edit data, and to execute commands End Ctrl Alt Del Ins Home Word processing software - software which allows you to create, edit, format, print, and store text material, among other things.

Features of the Keyboard Function keys - keys labeled F1.. F12, etc., positioned along the top or left side of the keyboard, which are used to execute commands specific to the software being used Macro - a single keystroke or command--or a series of keystrokes or commands--used to automatically issue a longer, predetermined series of keystrokes or commands.

Macros A single keystroke or command--or a series of keystrokes or commands-- used to automatically issue a longer, predetermined series of keystrokes or commands. Demo: Record a macro to change color of a column.

Creating Documents Cursor - the movable symbol on the display screen that shows you where you may next enter data or commands

Creating Documents Scrolling - moving quickly upward, downward, or sideways through the text or other screen display

Word wrap Automatically continues text on the next line when you reach the right margin. The text "wraps around" to the next line.

Editing Documents Editing – The act of making alterations in the content of your document. Some features of editing are insert and delete, undelete, find and replace, cut/copy and paste, spelling checker, grammar checker, and thesaurus.

Insert and delete Inserting is the act of adding to the document. Deleting is the act of removing text, usually using the Delete or Backspace keys.

Find and replace The Find, or Search, command allows users to find any word, phrase, or number that exists in a document. The Replace command allows users to automatically replace it with something else.

Cut/Copy and paste In a word processing application users can select (highlight) the portion of text they want to copy or move. Then they can use the Copy or Cut command to move it to a special area in the computer’s memory called the clipboard. Once the material is on the clipboard, the user can "paste," or transfer, it anywhere in the existing document or in a new document.

Spelling checker – Tests for incorrectly spelled words. Grammar checker – Highlights poor grammar, wordiness, incomplete sentences, and awkward phrases. Thesaurus – Presents users with the appropriate word or alternative words.

Formatting Documents with the Help of Templates & Wizards Formatting - determining the appearance of a document Template - a preformatted document that provides basic tools for shaping a final document Wizard - answers your questions and uses the answers to lay out and format a document FACTOID: Your word processing software may provide a wizard feature but use a different name for it. For example, Microsoft Word has an “Office Assistant” instead of a wizard. Similarly, Appleworks provides “Assistants” rather than wizards. The concept is the same – only the name varies.

32 point Arial Formatting Documents Font - typeface and type size Comic Sans MS 24 points Tahoma 18 points Verdana 10 point Times New Roman 14 point Arial Black 16 point Courier New 32 point Arial

Formatting Documents Spacing and columns: Single-spaced Double-spaced One-column Two columns Many columns Users can choose whether they want the lines to be single spaced or double-spaced. Users can specify whether they want text to be one column, two columns, or several columns. Two-column spacing used in many magazines and books. Many-column spacing used in newspapers. Justification - to align text evenly between left and right margins, as in most newspaper columns. Left-justification - to align text evenly on the left, leaving a “ragged-right” margin, as in business letters.

Formatting Documents Users can indicate the dimensions of the margins--left, right, top, and bottom--around the text. Justify means to align text evenly between left and right margins, as for example, is done with most newspaper columns (and the text in this Instructor’s Manual). Left justify means to not align the text evenly on the right side, as in many business letters ("ragged right"). Margins and justification: Left margin Right margin Top margin Bottom margin Justification Left-justification Two-column spacing used in many magazines and books. Many-column spacing used in newspapers. Justification - to align text evenly between left and right margins, as in most newspaper columns. Left-justification - to align text evenly on the left, leaving a “ragged-right” margin, as in business letters.

Formatting Documents Pages, headers, footers: Page numbers Headers Other formatting: Borders Shading Tables Footnotes Graphics Clip art Header - common text (such as a date or document name) printed at the top of every page. Footer - the same thing printed at the bottom of every page. Clip art - collections of ready-made pictures and illustrations available online or on CD-ROM disks. Default settings - the settings automatically used by a program unless the user specifies otherwise, thereby overriding them. Saving - storing, or preserving, a document as an electronic file permanently.

3.4 Spreadsheet A grid of Rows and Columns that allows users to create tables and financial schedules by entering data into rows and columns. In Microsoft Excel a workbook is a collection of worksheets.

Spreadsheet – Organization Column headings appear across the top ("A" is the name of the first column, "B" the second, and so on). Row headings appear down the left side ("1" is the name of the first row, "2" the second, and so forth). Labels are any descriptive words, such as APRIL, RENT, or GROSS SALES Excel

The Basics: How Spreadsheets Work Where columns and rows meet: Cell - the place where a row and a column intersect Cell address - position of a cell, such as A2 Value - a number or date entered in a cell A cell pointer, or spreadsheet cursor, indicates where data is to be entered. FACTOID: When all 26 letters of the alphabet have been used up for column headings, spreadsheets start over with two-letter column headings, AA, AB, AC…AZ, BA, BB, BC…BZ, etc. Hence, a cell address of AB5 would be in the 5th row and the 28th column.

The Basics: How Spreadsheets Work Why the spreadsheet has become so popular: Formulas - instructions for calculations Functions - built-in formulas Recalculation - process of recomputing values What-if analysis What-if analysis - allows the user to see how changing one or more numbers changes the outcome of the recalculation.

The Basics: How Spreadsheets Work Analytical graphics - graphical forms that make numeric data easy to analyze

3.5 Database A database is any electronically stored collection of data in a computer system. The data may be in any form, text, picture, sound etc. Or A collection of interrelated files.

A Simple Data Management Problem: Suppose we want to save Phone Numbers… Solution 1 A blank notebook OR a phone/address book Entries recorded by pen, in time order Advantages Cheap, simple, private, reliable, space efficient Disadvantages Hard to search, update, share, expand Hard to add information, e.g. email addresses

Database software A program that sets up and controls the structure of a database and access to the data, called a Database Manager or Database management System (DBMS).

Advantages of Integrated Database Approach Sharing of Data Files owned by single user – DB is owned by organization Control of Redundancy Different users may have same data (Names of NIIT students) – DB contains only one occurrence of same data Data Consistency Effect of eliminating redundancy. Data needs to be updated only once at one place. Files are distributed and data needs to be updated in all of the files.

Advantages of Integrated Database Approach (cont) Improved Data Standards DBA defines organization-wide standards on how to represent data in a database. (format, conventions) Better Data Security Files are not secure. DB can give security to the very basic level. Remember you could not enter evaluation information for teacher in your evaluation database after time expired… Improved data Integrity DB gives DBA the power to define integrity constraints. E.g BIT-4 student cannot study a course offered to BIT-3 Constraints can be within the records (Intra-Record) or between the records (Inter-record)

Advantages of Integrated Database Approach (cont) Balancing of Conflicting Requirements Each department has different conflicting requirements. DB can be designed in a manner to avoid conflicts. Faster Development of New Applications A well-designed DB is always modular. When a new application is purposed DB mostly contains data for such a DB application. Better Data Accessibility Query Language support allows any user to get data required anytime. No need for a programmer. IT DEPT IN ORGANIZATIONS

Advantages of Integrated Database Approach (cont) Economy of Scale Cost and resources are pooled. So lower cost per department. More Control of Concurrency Simultaneous access by two or more users is allowed. Better Backup and Recovery Procedures Simple backup. Imagine backing up all the files of all the departments. IT DEPT IN ORGANIZATIONS

Disadvantages High Cost of DBMS SQL Server is costs around 4,000 USD for 10 Users Higher Hardware Costs Cost of high end servers is more than 100K USD Higher Programming Cost You guys wont work for FREE!  High Conversion Cost Data to be removed from files and filled into the DB Slower Processing of Some Applications Sequence of records might not be there and you may need to arrange it. Increased Vulnerability HACKERS!!!  More Difficult Recovery Unlike files there are certain rules by which DB is recovered.

Roles in the Integrated Database Environment End Users Application Programmers DBA Naïve Users Casual Users Applications In C/C++ VB, Java, ASP, JSP etc Commands To Create, Maintain, modify DB Prewritten Program SQL Interface DBMS DB

Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) A database management system in which the data is organized into related tables. Table is based upon real world entity It is based upon relational algebra i.e. Union, Join, Intersection etc. You can’t just keep mathematics out 

Organization of RDBMS Tables of rows and columns Row (record) - example: a person’s address Column (field) - example: the person’s last name Relational database - the most widely used form of database on PCs, which organizes data into tables. FACTOID: MySQL is a very popular relational database management system. It is also an “open-source” program, which means that anyone can download and use it for free.

Entity set is the Table containing entities Entity is basically a single ROW in the table. Attributes Attributes are columns in the database table Entity set is the Table containing entities

Working of RDBMS Key field – A unique identifier - a field that can be used as a common identifier. Querying - locating and displaying records The most common key field in the U.S. is the Social Security number.

Working of RDBMS Analyzing – Sorting and applying formulas Putting Search Results into Use – Saving, formatting, printing or transmitting Lab on databases will be after web development lab The most common key field in the U.S. is the Social Security number.

Personal Information Managers Personal information manager (PIM) - software to help you keep track of and manage information you use on a daily basis, such as addresses, telephone numbers, appointments, to-do lists, and miscellaneous notes Microsoft Outlook

3.6 Specialty Software Presentation Graphics Financial Software Project Management Software Computer Aided Design Computer Aided Manufacturing Desktop Publishing Drawing & Painting Programs Web page design/authoring software Video/audio editing software

Presentation Graphics Presentation graphics software - uses graphics, animation, sound, and data or information to make visual presentations This lecture is being presented via presentation graphics software--namely, Microsoft PowerPoint. Well-known presentation graphics software: Microsoft PowerPoint Corel Presentations Lotus Freelance Graphics PowerPoint has several “views”: Slide View - for creating and modifying the slides themselves. Outline View - for entering text to be automatically formatted. Notes Page View - for entering text to be used as Speaker’s Notes. Sorter View - for viewing and reordering miniatures of each slide. Slide Show View - for viewing the slides as the audience will see them. PowerPoint outline view

Financial Software Financial software - a growing category that ranges from personal-finance managers to entry-level accounting programs to business financial-management packages Personal-finance managers - let you keep track of income and expenses, write checks, do online banking, and plan financial goals. FACTOID: When the phrase “personal-finance software” is mentioned, most people immediately think of Quicken created by Intuit. Fortune magazine has named Intuit to its prestigious “100 Best Companies to Work For” list; Intuit is ranked 46th. Quicken software

Project Management Software A program to plan and schedule the people, cost, time and resources required to run and complete a project with a timeline. Microsoft Project is an excellent software. Do try it

Computer Aided Design (CAD) Programs intended to assist design of electronics circuits or other products, structures, maps etc. AutoCAD, Solid Edge are world leaders

Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) Software that allows a computer aided designed product to be manufactured over automated manufacturing machines. G-Code language

Desktop Publishing Desktop publishing (DTP) - mixing text and graphics to produce high-quality output for commercial printing, using a microcomputer and mouse, scanner, laser or ink-jet printer, and DTP software Characteristics of DTP: Mix of text with graphics Varied type and layout styles Use of files from other programs

Drawing & Painting Programs Drawing program - graphics software that allows users to design and illustrate objects and products Painting program - graphics program that allows users to simulate painting on screen Vector image Vector image - image created from mathematical calculations. Raster image - image created from many little dots. Raster image