CHAPTER 1

Generic Application Softwares

Intro
Computer - an automatic, programmable electronic data processing device Hardware - refers to the external, physical and tangible parts of the computer Software - refers to the program and set of instructions

USER INTERFACE
1) CUI (Command User Interface) >>> E.g.: DOS 2) GUI (Graphical User Interface) >>>E.g.: Windows

> Windows that enables easy switching between different application programs or different files within the same application program > Icons that give easy access to commands on toolbars without use of text, dragging of files onto an application window, etc > Menus that give easy access to list of commands
> Pointing devices such as mouse

SOFTWARE
System Software
consists of programs and related data that are needed to manage the computer's hardware and software. E.g.: Windows (OS), etc

Application Software
consists of programs that allows the user to use the computer for useful purposes. E.g.: MS Word, Paint, etc FEATURS OF APPLICATION PROGRAMS + Managing files (Save As, Open, Close, etc) + Working on multiple files simultaneously + Changing the magnification + Scrolling through the work + Moving an insertion pointer + Importing text and graphics + Formatting features (e.g. font name, style, color, etc) + Multiple 'undo' and 'redo' commands + Tools for creating and editing drawings + Printing files DIFFERENT APPLICATION SOFTWARES a. DTP b. Word Processing c. Spreadsheets d. Databases e. presentation

a. DTP
# creation of a defined no. of pages, each of which retains its own structure, but which may share common margin or grid guidelines, page orientation and page size; # creation of 'master pages', each of which acts as an underlay containing standard elements that can be applied to one or more of the publication's pages; # complete control of the layout of the text boxes, drawings, photos and other elements on each page; # tools for creating and editing tables; # a wide range of formatting options for graphics, including 'washout' for a watermark image, and text, such as a drops capital or rotation of text boxes; # exporting as text, web page or graphics file, or as a mail or email 'merge' with records from a database.

b. Word Processing
# creation of a sequence of content, with pages created automatically;
# headers and footers that can hold text, graphics, etc;

# margins, borders, paper size and page orientation (portrait/landscape);

# formatting of text as single or multiple columns;

# tools for creating & editing tables;

# document statistics - such as word count & readability scores

# automated creation of a table of contents, numbered captions, crossreferences, citations, biblography and index;
# exporting as text or web page files, or as mail or email 'merge'

BESPOKE SOFTWARES
Specially designed More expensive Meets the exact needs of company/organization Used for special reasons Long development time Dependent on suppliers of the software Easier to use Can be modified and updated according to the companys requirements. Better customer support Can be customised to interface with all the other softwares within the company

OFF-THE-SHELF SOFTWARES
Readily available in the market Can be used for different purposes Less expensive May not fit the needs of the person/organization No wait for development period (immediately available) Sharing of files with other packages is easier Well-tested by previous users Support available from experienced people Cannot be modified Errors can only be fixed if software producers are responsive

BITMAP (RASTER IMAGES) Resolution dependant If size reduced interpolation If size increased jaggered effect Cannot be changed to vector Bitmap editing programs:
Microsoft paint Adobe Photoshop Corel Photopaint

VECTOR IMAGES Resolution independent Arent restricted to rectangular background can be changed to bitmap Common vector formats:
.cmx .ai

Popular vector drawing programs include:

Xara Xtreme

Common files:
.bmp .gif .jpg .jpeg .png

Different application programs used for communication

Telephony VoIP Fax Instant messaging E-mail Video conferencing