MODULE ON INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING

Course Title: Introduction to Computing

Course Number: CMSC 102
Course Description:
The course introduces the basic concepts of computer programming languages
specifically using Python Programming. This course also discuss the structures of
program, proper declaration of variables, data types, functions, objects, inheritance, and
polymorphism in regards to Object Oriented-Programming (OOP). The students will
acquire skills and knowledge in working with codes using Python Programming
Language.

Total Learning Time: 94 hours

Pre-requisites: None
Overview:
This module serves as a guide on basic concepts of computer programming. The
students will acquire skills and knowledge in working with codes using Python
Programming Language.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the topic, students should name and explain the components of
computer system, basic computer operations, distinguish the different types of computer
according to its applications, know the advantages and disadvantages of a High Level
and Low Level Languages, Understand on how to make a Python Classes in the
Integrated Development Environment (IDE) of Python Programming Language, and
Understand the different data types used in the Python Program.

Indicative Content:
• Data Processing
• Types of Data Processing
• Data Processing Cycle
• What is a Computer
• Characteristics of a Computer
• Basic Computer Operations
• Components of a Computer
• Types of Input Devices
• Types of Output Devices
 Discussion:

CHAPTER 1. ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING

DATA PROCESSING
Every day we read newspaper, watch television and listen to the radio to know what is
happening around us. We attend classes, take down notes from lectures and references and
read our books to increase our knowledge. In all these activities we receive different kinds of
data. These data that we acquire through different forms of media are not left idle in our
minds.
We fit into what we already know and process these data by organizing and analyzing
them, and sometimes recording them. Ounce processed, they become more meaningful and
are transformed into what we call information.

What is Data Processing?

o Is the manipulation and transformation of data into meaningful results. It is process of
obtaining desired results from available data gathered.
o Is the act of changing and transforming data into information.

Data vs. Information

DATA
The word data refers to any collection of facts about people, things, BSCS 18 Computer
ideas and events. Score Juan Dela Cruz
Data are raw facts which information is derived 89 90 98 100 78 75
Data maybe in a form of numbers, letters, symbols or any physical
form like light and sounds

INFORMATION Name: Juan Dela Cruz

Age: 18
Information – is the processed data. It is data organized
Course: Computer Science
and presented in a meaningful form to make them useful. Average Grade: 85%

Example:

December is a month and twenty five (25) is a numeric data. Put them together they become
December 25- which Christmas Day. Take note that we transformed our two data into
something meaningful. We manipulated them. And the result is called information.
Types of Data Processing
Data Processing can be:
1. Manual data Processing
2. Manual Mechanical Data Processing
3. Electronic Data Processing

Manual Data Processing

Is characterized by the absence of any device in processing data. The persons
involved do all the activities from the accumulation of data, their manipulation and the
creation of results.

Manual – Mechanical Data Processing

Majority of work is performed by a person with some assistance provided by a
machine. The machine can be typewriter, an Abacus or a calculator.

Electronic Data Processing

Refers to the use of the computer in processing data. A person works with the
computer in performing a tasks.

The Data Processing Cycle

As EDP Machine Computer regularly does the following:
1. It accepts data and instructions
2. It process data
3. It produces an output
4. It stores data and information
Compute - to calculate
We all are familiar with calculations in our day to day life. We apply mathematical
operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc. and many other formulae for
calculations. Simpler calculations take less time. But complex calculations take much longer
time. Another factor is accuracy in calculations. So man explored with the idea to develop a
machine which can perform this type of arithmetic calculation faster and with full accuracy.
This gave birth to a device or machine called ‘computer’.

The computer we see today is quite different from the one made in the beginning. The
number of applications of a computer has increased, the speed and accuracy of calculation
has increased. You must appreciate the impact of computers in our day to day life.
Reservation of tickets in Air Lines and Railways, payment of telephone and electricity bills,
deposits and withdrawals of money from banks, business data processing, medical diagnosis,
weather forecasting, etc. are some of the areas where computer has become extremely useful.

However, there is one limitation of the computer. Human beings do calculations on

their own. But computer is a dumb machine and it has to be given proper instructions to carry
out its calculation. This is why we should know how a computer works.

What Is a Computer?
Computer is an electronic device. As mentioned in the introduction it can do
arithmetic calculations faster. But as you will see later it does much more than that. It can be
compared to a magic box, which serves different purpose to different people. For a common
man computer is simply a calculator, which works automatic and quite fast. For a person who
knows much about it, computer is a machine capable of solving problems and manipulating
data. It accepts data, processes the data by doing some mathematical and logical operations
and gives us the desired output.
Therefore, we may define computer as a device that transforms data. Data can be
anything like marks obtained by you in various subjects. It can also be name, age, sex,
weight, height, etc. of all the students in your class or income, savings, investments, etc., of a
country. Computer can be defined in terms of its functions. It can i) accept data ii) store data,
iii) process data as desired, and iv) retrieve the stored data as and when required and v) print
the result in desired format. You will know more about these functions as you go through the
later lessons.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER
Speed
As you know computer can work very fast. It takes only few seconds for
calculations that we take hours to complete. Suppose you are asked to calculate the
average monthly income of one thousand persons in your neighborhood. For this you
have to add income from all sources for all persons on a day to day basis and find out
the average for each one of them. How long will it take for you to do this? One day,
two days or one week? Do you know your small computer can finish this work in few
seconds? The weather forecasting that you see every day on TV is the results of
compilation and analysis of huge amount of data on temperature, humidity, pressure,
etc. of various places on computers. It takes few minutes for the computer to process
this huge amount of data and give the result.

You will be surprised to know that computer can perform millions (1,000,000)
of instructions and even more per second. Therefore, we determine the speed of
computer in terms of microsecond (10-6 part of a second) or nanosecond (10-9 part of
a second). From this you can imagine how fast your computer performs work.

Accuracy
Suppose someone calculates faster but commits a lot of errors in computing.
Such result is useless. There is another aspect. Suppose you want to divide 15 by 7.
You may work out up to 2 decimal places and say the dividend is 2.14. I may
calculate up to 4 decimal places and say that the result is 2.1428. Someone else may
go up to 9 decimal places and say the result is 2.142857143. Hence, in addition to
speed, the computer should have accuracy or correctness in computing.

The degree of accuracy of computer is very high and every calculation is

performed with the same accuracy. The accuracy level is determined on the basis of
design of computer. The errors in computer are due to human and inaccurate data.

Diligence
A computer is free from tiredness, lack of concentration, fatigue, etc. It can
work for hours without creating any error. If millions of calculations are to be
performed, a computer will perform every calculation with the same accuracy. Due to
this capability it overpowers human being in routine type of work.

Versatility
It means the capacity to perform completely different type of work. You may
use your computer to prepare payroll slips. Next moment you may use it for inventory
management or to prepare electric bills.

Power of Remembering
Computer has the power of storing any amount of information or data. Any
information can be stored and recalled as long as you require it, for any numbers of
years. It depends entirely upon you how much data you want to store in a computer
and when to lose or retrieve these data.

No IQ
Computer is a dumb machine and it cannot do any work without instruction
from the user. It performs the instructions at tremendous speed and with accuracy. It
is you to decide what you want to do and in what sequence. So a computer cannot
take its own decision as you can.
 No Feeling
It does not have feelings or emotion, taste, knowledge and experience. Thus it
does not get tired even after long hours of work. It does not distinguish between users.

Storage
The Computer has an in-built memory where it can store a large amount of
data. You can also store data in secondary storage devices such as floppies, which can
be kept outside your computer and can be carried to other computers.

Elements of Computer
1. Hardware – refers to the physical components of a computer that can be touch.
2. Software – it is a set of instructions that tells the computer what to do and how to do
it. It is untouchable.
3. Peopleware – the term ‘’peopleware’’ represents the personnel involved in the
function of the computer. Computer professionals are referred to as those
persons involved in system analysis, maintenance, production, and
programming.

BASIC COMPUTER OPERATIONS

1. It accepts data and instructions
2. It process data
3. It produces an output
4. It stores data and information

1. Input – This is the process of entering data and programs in to the computer system.
You should know that computer is an electronic machine like any other
machine which takes as inputs raw data and performs some processing
giving out processed data. Therefore, the input unit takes data from us to the
computer in an organized manner for processing.
2. Processing - The task of performing operations like arithmetic and logical operations
is called processing. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) takes data and
instructions from the storage unit and makes all sorts of calculations based
on the instructions given and the type of data provided. It is then sent back to
the storage unit.
 3. Storage - The process of saving data and instructions permanently is known as
storage. Data has to be fed into the system before the actual processing
starts. It is because the processing speed of Central Processing Unit (CPU) is
so fast that the data has to be provided to CPU with the same speed.
Therefore the data is first stored in the storage unit for faster access and
processing. This storage unit or the primary storage of the computer system
is designed to do the above functionality. It provides space for storing data
and instructions.
4. Output - This is the process of producing results from the data for getting useful
information. Similarly the output produced by the computer after processing
must also be kept somewhere inside the computer before being given to you
in human readable form. Again the output is also stored inside the computer
for further processing.

Components of a Computer
1. Input Devices – any hardware component that allows you to enter data and
instructions into a computer. Six, widely used input devices are the keyboard,
mouse, microphone, scanner, digital camera, and PC video camera.
2. Output devices – any hardware component that conveys information to one or
more people. Three commonly used output devices are a printer, a monitor, and
speakers.
3. System Unit – usually referred to as the central processing unit. The system unit
is a case that contains the electronic components of the computer that are used to
process data. The circuitry of the system unit usually is part of or is connected to a
circuit board called the motherboard. Two main components on the motherboard
are the processor and memory.
4. Storage Devices – storage holds data, instructions and information for future use.
A computer keeps them on storage media. Examples are the floppy disks, USB
flash drives, hard disks, CDs, DVDs, and memory cards.
5. Communication devices - a hardware component that enables a computer to send
(transmit) and receive data, instructions, and information to and from one or more
computers. A widely used communication device is a modem.

Input
Input is any data and instruction entered into the memory of the computer. Data as
input is a collection of unprocessed text, numbers, images, audio, and video. An input device
is any hardware component that allows users to enter data and instructions from the user to
the computer. Input in this category includes bar codes, speech that enters the computer
through a microphone and data entered by means of a device that converts motion to on-
screen action.

Computer keyboard
It is a keypad device with buttons or keys that a user presses to enter data characters
and commands into a computer. Keyboards emerged from the combination of typewriter and
computer-terminal technology. The most common English-language key pattern for keyboard
is called QWERTY, after the layout of the first six letters in the top row of its keys (from left
to right).

Pointing Devices
A pointing device is an input device that allows a user to control a pointer on the
screen.
Mouse - The mouse is the most widely used pointing device on Desktop
computer. The rolling causes a corresponding movement of the pointer on the screen.
Moving the mouse and then clicking it at the desired location on the screen allows
you to reposition the pointer, or the cursor. The process of communicating with the
computer by clicking on the objects on the desktop is referred to as graphical user
interfacing.

Types of Mouse
1. Mechanical mouse – has a rubber ball on its underside
2. Optical mouse – uses a device that emits and sense light to detect the mouse’s
movement . Some uses optical sensors, other uses a laser.

3. Trackball – an upside-down mechanical mouse where you roll the ball

directly with your hand. Often built on portable computers when there is
no flat surface to roll the traditional mouse. A variation of this theme is
the track pad, with your finger as the pointer.

4. Touchpad - a small, flat rectangular pointing device that is sensitive

to pressure and motion. To move the pointer using a touchpad, slide
your fingertip across the surface of the pad.

5. Touch Screen – a touch sensitive display device. Users can

interact with these devices by touching areas of the screen
.The edges of a touch screen emit horizontal and vertical
beams of light that criss-cross the screen. When a finger
touches the screen, the interrupted light beams can pinpoint
the location selected on the screen.
6. Pen Input – mobile users often enter data and instructions with a pen-
type device. With pen input, users write, draw and tap on a flat surface
to enter input. The surface may be a monitor, a screen, or a special
type of paper. Two devices for pen input are the stylus and digital pen.
A Stylus is a small metal or plastic device that uses pressure instead of
ink. A digital pen is slightly larger than a stylus, some are pressure
sensitive, and others have built in digital cameras.

7. Web Cam - any video camera that displays its output on a web page. A
Web cam attracts web site visitors by showing images that change
regularly.

8. Scanner - converts text, drawing or picture into a

computer. Optical recognition systems use a light
beam to scan input data and convert it to electrical
signals, which are sent to the computer for processing.

9. Magnetic Stripe Card Reader – Often called magstripe reader,

reads the magnetic stripe on the back of credit cards, bank cards, and
other similar cards.

10. Magnetic-Ink character Recognition - MICR involves a machine

to read characters made up of magnetized particles. The most
common example of magnetic characters is the array of numbers
found across the bottom of a personal check. These characters are
embedded on the check by using a MICR.
 11. Bar Code Reader – Also called a bar code scanner. Each product on the
store shelf has its own unique number, which is part of the Universal
Product Code (UPC). This code number is represented on the product
label by a pattern of vertical marks, or bars, called the bar code. These
zebra stripes can be sensed and read by a bar code reader, a
photoelectric device that reads the code by means of reflected light.

12. Digital Cameras – Allows the users to take pictures and store the photographed
image digitally. Digital cameras typically allow users to review, and sometimes edit,
images while they are in the camera. Some digital cameras can connect to or
communicate wirelessly with a printer, a computer or television, allowing users to
print or view images directly from the camera. Often users prefer to download, or
transfer a copy of the images from the digital camera to the computer’s hard disk
using a USB port.

13. Biometrics – is the technology of authenticating a person’s

identify by verifying a person’s characteristics. Biometric
identifier physiological or behavioral characteristics, examples
are fingerprints, hand geometry, facial features, voice, signatures
and eye pattern. Biometric devices may vary from different
recognition systems used today. The most widely used biometric
scanner is a fingerprint scanner.

Output Devices

All computers and computer programs process information in three different and
sequential stages: input, processing of input and output of the results. For the computer user
to receive the output results from the computer, the computer needs to have components that
can visually display those results. There are a variety of devices that act as computer output
devices. These devices can be connected to the computer through a wireless or wired
connection.
An output device is any electronic or electromechanical equipment connected to a
computer and used to transfer data out of the computer in the form of text, images, sounds, or
other media. Examples of output devices include speakers, headphones, printer and
screen/monitor.

Monitor
A modern computer's main way of outputting data is through its monitor. When a user
inputs a command via the keyboard, an input device, the computer processes that command
and outputs the results via the monitor. Monitors may be CRTs, flat-panel LCD screens or
touch screen.
Printers
Printers produce a physical form of output. Word processed documents or edited
photos are made into a hard copy by printing. As computer technology has evolved, so has
printer technology. There are four main types of printers: laser, inkjet, dot-matrix and
thermal.

Projector
A projector or image projector is an optical device that projects an image (or moving
images) onto a surface, commonly a projection screen. Most projectors create an image by
shining a light through a small transparent lens, but some newer types of projectors can
project the image directly, by using lasers.

Plotter
The plotter is a computer printer for printing vector graphics. In the past, plotters were
used in applications such as computer-aided design, though they have generally been
replaced with wide-format conventional printers. A plotter gives a hard copy of the output. It
draws pictures on paper using a pen. Plotters are used to print designs of ships and machines,
plans for buildings and so on.

Headphones
Headphones (or "head-phones" in the early days of telephony and radio) are a pair of
small loudspeakers that are designed to be held in place close to a user's ears. They are also
known as ear speakers, earphones or, colloquially, cans. The alternate in-ear versions are
known as ear buds or earphones. In the context of telecommunication, a headset is a
combination of headphone and microphone. Headphones either have wires for connection to
a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, CD player, portable media player, mobile
phone, electronic musical instrument, or have a wireless device, which is used to pick up
signal without using a cable.

Speakers
Computer speakers, or multimedia speakers, are speakers external to a computer, that
disable the lower fidelity built-in speaker. They often have a low-power internal amplifier.
The standard audio connection is a 3.5 mm (approximately 1/8 inch) stereo phone connector
often color-coded lime green (following the PC 99 standard) for computer sound cards. A
few use a RCA connector for input. There are also USB speakers which are powered from the
5 volts at 500 milliamps provided by the USB port, allowing about 2.5 watts of output power.
Exercises/Drills:
1. Enumerate at least 2 examples of the following:
a) Manual Data Processing
b) Manual-Mechanical Data Processing
c) Electronic Data Processing

2. Discuss briefly the data processing cycle

3. Name any component of a computer and enumerate its examples as many as you can.

References:
• A Practical Introduction to Python Programming by Brian Heinold/ebook
• Getting Started with Python and IDLE/ebook
• A Python Book: Beginning Python, Advanced Python, and Python Exercises by Dave
Kuhlman/ebook
• Python Basics/ebook

Prepared by:

RIO L. VERGABERA, ME
Course Facilitator