Introduction

to
Information
Technology
 Computer Basics
Computer is an electronic device that performs mathematical and non-mathematical operations with the help of instructions to process the
given information to achieve desired results.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTERS
Speed: Computers have tremendous processing speed. The speed of computers is calculated in MHz (Megahertz).
Accuracy: Computers are very accurate. Error can only occur due to faulty instructions or hardware malfunctioning.
Diligence: Computer being a machine, does not suffer from the human traits of tiredness and lack of concentration.
Reliability: Computers at the hardware level do not require human intervention between its processing operations.
Storage Capability: Computers can store large amounts of data and can recall the required information almost instantaneously.
Versatility: Computers can perform multiple tasks simultaneously with equal ease.
Resource Sharing: Computers allows sharing of costly resources, such as printers, scanners.

EVOLUTION OF COMPUTERS
Humans invented many tools to develop efficient computing devices before technology was advanced to computers. Some of them are:
Abacus Napier Bones Slide Rule Pascaline Stepped Reckoner
Difference Engine Analytical Engine Hollerith's Tabulator

Abacus Pascaline Stepped Reckoner Hollerith’s Tabulator

GENERATIONS OF COMPUTERS
The history of computer development is often discussed with reference to the different generations of computing devices.

First Generation Computers (1940-56) Second Generation Computers (1956-63)

 Vacuum tube based machines.  Transistor based machines.
 Very large, slow, generated heat, and unreliable machines.  Smaller as compared to first generation computers.
 Expensive to operate and used large amount of electricity.  More reliable and less prone to hardware failure.
Third Generation Computers (1964-Early 70s) Fourth Generation Computers (1970's-Till Date)
 Integrated circuit based machines.  Microprocessor-based machines.
 Portable and more reliable than the second generation.  Cheapest among all the other generations.
 Consumed less power and generated less heat.  Portable and quite reliable.

Fifth Generation Computers (Future)

 Still in the development stage.
 Will respond to natural language input.
 Will have the capability of learning and self-organisation.
 Will use artificial intelligence and knowledge-based problem solving techniques.

CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
Micro Computers: A small, low cost digital computer, which usually consists of a micro-
processor, a storage unit, an input channel, and an output channel, all of which may be on
one chip inserted into one or several PC boards. Micro computers include desktop, laptop,
and hand-held models such as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants). Laptop PDA
Mini Computers: A small digital computer, which normally is able to process and store less data than a mainframe but more than a micro
computer, while doing so less rapidly than a mainframe but more rapidly than a micro computer.
Mainframe: An ultra-high performance computer made for high-volume, processor-intensive computing which consists of a high-end
computer processor, with related peripheral devices, capable of supporting large volumes of data processing, high performance on-line
transaction processing systems, and extensive data storage and retrieval.
Super Computers: A computer that has highest processing speed for solving scientific and engineering problems. Contains a number of
CPUs that operate in parallel to make it faster.
THE COMPUTER SYSTEM
Consists of a number of interrelated components that work together with the aim of converting
data into information. A computer system comprises of four components:
Central Processing Unit (CPU): This unit performs processing of instructions and data inside
the computer.
Input Unit: This component accepts instructions and data.
Output Unit: This unit communicates the results to the user.
Storage Unit: This unit stores temporary and final results.

APPLICATIONS OF COMPUTERS
Nowadays, computer technology has revolutionised the businesses and other aspects of human
life (directly or indirectly) and are dependent on computers for information processing. They not Typical Hardware and Peripherals in a
only save time, but also save paper work. Some of the areas where computers are being used Computer System
are: Science, Education, Medicine and Health Care, Entertainment, Communication,
Engineering/Architecture/ Manufacturing, Business Application, Publishing, Banking
 Computer Organisation and Architecture
Each computer has a visible structure, which is referred to as its architecture. The concept of architecture and making these hardware
components work in a harmonised manner in order to achieve a common objective in an environment is known as computer organisation.

CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)

CPU is referred to as the brain of a computer system, which converts data (input) into meaningful information (output). A CPU controls all
internal and external devices, performs arithmetic and logic operations, and operates only on binary data (1s and 0s).

Arithmetic/Logic Unit (ALU) System Bus

ALU contains the electronic circuitry that executes all arithmetic and
logical operations on the data made available to it.
Arithmetic unit: It contains the circuitry that is responsible for
performing the actual computing and carrying out the arithmetic
calculations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and
division.
Logic unit: It enables the CPU to make logical operations based on
the instructions provided to it. The unit can compare numbers,
letters, or special characters and can then take action based on the
result of the comparison.
Registers
Registers are special purpose, high-speed temporary memory
units. These are temporary storage areas for holding various types
of information such as data, instructions, addresses, and the
intermediate results of calculations.
Control Unit (CU)
CU contains circuitry that uses electrical signals to direct the entire
computer system to carry out, or execute, stored program
instructions. The control unit controls the I/O devices and transfer of
data to and from the primary storage.
Bus is a set of connections between two or more components/
devices, which are designed to transfer several/all bits of a word
from a specific source to destination. It consists of multiple paths,
which are also termed as lines; each line is capable of transferring
one bit at a time.
Main Memory Unit
Memory is that part of the computer that holds data and instructions
for processing. Memory stores program instructions or data for only
as long as the program they pertain to is in operation. This memory
itself is implemented by two types of memory technologies.
Random Access Memory (RAM): Random access memory directly
provides the required information to the processor.
Read Only Memory (ROM): Read only memory stores the initial
start-up instructions and routines in BIOS, which can only be read
by the CPU. The contents of ROM are not lost even in case of a
sudden power failure, making it non-volatile in nature.
Cache Memory
Cache is a very high speed, expensive piece of memory, which is
used to speed up the memory retrieval process. Cache memory can
be categorised into three levels: L1 cache, L2 cache, and L3 cache.

COMMUNICATION AMONG VARIOUS UNITS

All the units in a computer system work in conjunction with each other to formulate a functional computer system. There are two types of
communication followed in the computer architecture, these are:
Processor to Memory Communication
Processor to I/O Devices Communication
INSTRUCTION FORMAT
An instruction consists of an opcode and one or more operands, which may be
addressed implicitly or explicitly. Each instruction is composed of two parts: the
op-code and the operand.
Instruction Format
INSTRUCTION CYCLE
CPU fetches an instruction stored in the memory and then executes the fetched
instructions within the CPU before it can proceed to fetch the next instruction
from memory and this process is continuous until specified to stop. A simple
instruction cycle consists of two cycles.
Fetch Cycle: Fetches the instruction from the memory buffer register.
Execute Cycle: Executes the instruction. Two-Step Instruction Cycle
INSTRUCTION SET
Processors are built with the ability to execute a limited set of basic operations. The collection of these operations are known as the
processor’s instruction set. It is necessary so that a user can create machine language programs to perform any logical and/or
mathematical operations. Based upon the instruction sets, there are two common types of architectures, namely, Complex Instruction Set
Computer (CISC) and Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC).

INSIDE A COMPUTER
To ensure better performance and increase the life of the small, sensitive, and expensive
components, they are placed inside a metal enclosure called system case or cabinet. These
components include power supply, motherboard, ports and interfaces, expansion cards,
cables, memory chips, storage devices, processors, and many others.

System Case
DATA REPRESENTATION IN COMPUTER
A number system defines a set of values used to represent quantity. The number systems can be categorised into two broad categories:
 Non-Positional Number Systems
 Positional Number Systems

Base (or Radix) of a System

In the number system, the word base or radix means the quality of admissible marks (Arabic numerals, Latin letters). This system has 10
as base and is indicated by a subscript (decimal number) and this is followed by value of the number. This implies that there are 10
symbols: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
 Number System Radix Value Set of Digits
Decimal r = 10 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Binary r=2 0, 1
Octal r=8 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Hexadecimal r = 16 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F

Conversion between Number Bases

Decimal to Binary Binary to Decimal
(16)10 (11010)2

2 16 Remainder = 1 × 2 4 + 1 × 2 3 + 0 × 22 + 1 × 2 1 + 0 × 20
2 8 0 = 16 + 8 + 0 + 2 + 0 = 26
2 4 0 Decimal equivalent of (11010)2 is (26)10
2 2 0
1 0
Binary equivalent of (16)10 is (10000)2

8 359 Remainder = 4 × 8 2 + 5 × 81 + 6 × 80
8 44 7 = 256 + 40 + 6 = 302
8 5 4 Decimal equivalent of (456)8 is (302)10
Decimal to Octal Octal to Decimal
(359)
8 10 0 5 (456)8
Octal equivalent of (359)10 is (547)8
Decimal to Hexadecimal Hexadecimal to Decimal
(5112)10 (B14)16

16 5112 Remainder = 11 × 162 + 1 × 161 + 4 × 160

16 319 8=8 = 2816 + 16 + 4 = 2836
16 19 15 = F Decimal equivalent of (B14)16 is (2836)10
16 1 3=3
16 0 1=1
Hexadecimal equivalent of (5112)10 is (13F8)16

CODING SCHEMES
Data can be arranged in a way that is very simple and easy to decode, or transmitted with varying degrees of redundancy for error
detection and correction. The most commonly used coding systems are:
American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII): The standard binary code for the alphanumeric characters is ASCII. This
code was originally designed as a 7-bit code. Several computer manufacturers cooperated to develop this code for transmitting and
processing data. In ASCII, upper case letters are assigned codes beginning with hexadecimal value 41 and continuing sequentially through
hexadecimal value 5A and lower case letters are assigned hexadecimal values of 61 through 7A. The decimal values 1 to 9 are assigned
the zone code 0011 in ASCII.
Unicode: Before the invention of Unicode, hundreds of different encoding systems for assigning numbers were used. As no single
encoding system could contain enough characters to assign the numbers, this made the task very difficult. Even for a single language like
English, no single encoding was adequate for all the letters, punctuation, and technical symbols in common use. Moreover, these encoding
systems also conflicted with one another. Therefore, to overcome these issues, Unicode encoding system was developed.
 Computer Memory and Storage
Memory refers to the electronic holding place for instructions and data where the computer’s microprocessor can reach quickly. Memory
can classified into two broad categories: primary memory and secondary memory.

Memory Representation
The basic unit of memory is bit. Digital computers work on only two states, ON (1) and OFF (0). The various units, used to measure
computer memory, are: bit, byte, kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, and terabyte.

Unit Symbol Bytes

Byte B 20 = 1 byte
Kilobyte KB 210 = 1024 bytes
Megabyte MB 220 = 1024 KB
Gigabyte GB 230 = 1024 MB
Terabyte TB 240 = 1024 GB

MEMORY HIERARCHY
The processor is the “brain” of the computer where all the essential
computing takes place. The memory in a computer system is of three types:
Internal Processor Memory: Includes cache memory and special registers.
Primary Memory: Includes Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only
Memory (ROM), also known as main memory.
Secondary Memory: Includes hard disk, magnetic disk, and magnetic tapes,
also known as auxiliary memory.

Memory Hierarchy
RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM)
RAM allows the computer to store data for immediate manipulation and to keep track of what is currently being processed. It is the place in a
computer where the operating system, application programs, and data in current use are kept so that they can be accessed quickly by the
computer's processor.

Types of RAM
Static RAM: This RAM retains its contents as long as power remains applied to the memory chips. SRAM does not need to be 'refreshed'
(pulse of current through all the memory cells) periodically.
Dynamic RAM: This RAM must be continually 'refreshed' in order to maintain the data. This is done by placing the memory on a refresh
circuit that rewrites the data several hundred times per second.

READ ONLY MEMORY (ROM)

A computer system needs special instructions (special boot programs) during a login operation. These instructions are stored in the special
chips, which enables the computer system to perform start operations and transfer the control to the operating system. This special chip is
called ROM (Read Only Memory). ROM chips are also used in electronic items like washing machine and microwave oven.

Types of ROM
Masked ROM: The very first ROM was a hard-wired device that
contained a pre-programmed set of data/instructions. This kind
of ROM is known as masked ROM.
Programmable ROM (PROM): Creating a ROM chip from
scratch is time-consuming and expensive. Thus, developers
created a type of ROM known as Programmable Read-only
Memory (PROM), which can be programmed.
Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM): An EPROM can be
erased by simply exposing the device to a strong source of
ultraviolet light for a certain amount of time and programmed
repeatedly.
Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM): This type of ROM can
be erased by an electrical charge and then written to by using slightly higher-
than-normal voltage. EEPROM can be erased one byte at a time, rather than
erasing the entire chip.
Flash ROM: It is a type of constantly powered non-volatile memory that can be
erased and re-programmed in blocks. It is a variation of EEPROM, which, unlike
flash memory, is erased and rewritten at the byte level. RAM, ROM, and CPU INTERACTION

SECONDARY STORAGE DEVICES

Secondary storage devices facilitates storing of information and programs permanently. There are two methods of accessing data from the
secondary storage devices:
Sequential Access: Means the computer system must search the storage device from the
beginning until it finds the desired information. The most common sequential access storage
device is magnetic tape where data is stored and processed sequentially.
Direct Access: Also known as random access, means that the computer can go directly to
the information that the user wants. The most common direct access storage are magnetic Sequential and Direct Access
and optical disks.
MAGNETIC TAPE
Magnetic tape looks similar to the tape used in music cassettes. The data is stored in the
form of tiny segment of magnetised and de-magnetised portion on the surface of the
material. The tape is divided into vertical column (frames) and horizontal rows (tracks).

Representing Data in Magnetic Tape

MAGNETIC DISK
Magnetic disks are the widely used popular storage medium for direct access secondary
storage. The surface of a disk is divided into imaginary tracks and sectors. Tracks are
concentric circles where the data is stored, and are numbered from the outermost to the
innermost ring, starting with zero. Data is represented as magnetised spots on a disk. A
magnetised spot represents a 1 (bit) and the absence of a magnetised spot represents a 0
(bit).
Organisation of Disk Surface
Types of Magnetic Disk
Floppy Disk: It is a removable, round, flat piece of mylar plastic, coated with ferric oxide and encased in a protective plastic cover.
Hard Disk: It is the primary storage unit of the computer. It consists of a stack of disk platters that are made up of aluminium alloy or glass
substrate coated with a magnetic material and protective layers.
Zip Disk: It is a removal storage device whose disk is made up of plastic material on which magnetic oxide particles are coated.

Floppy Disk Drive Hard Disk Drive Zip Disk

OPTICAL DISK
An optical disk is a flat, circular, plastic disk coated with material on which bits may be stored in the form of highly reflective areas and
significantly less reflective areas, from which the stored data may be read when illuminated with a narrow-beam source, such as a laser
diode. An optical disk consists of single long track in the form of spiral shape. This track starts from the outer edge and spirals inward to
the centre of the disk. Data can be written, but cannot be erased from an optical disk.
Types of Optical Disks
Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM): As the name implies, CD-ROM comes pre-recorded with data, which cannot be altered.
Digital Versatile/Video Disk-Ready Only Memory (DVD-ROM): These types of disks are high-capacity data storage medium. In DVD, the
tracks are placed closer together, thereby allowing more tracks per disc. The pits, in which the data is stored, are also a lot smaller, thus
allowing more pits per track.
Write Once-Read Many (WORM): These types of disks can be used to read as well as to write (usually once) data onto their surfaces.

MAGNETO-OPTICAL STORAGE DEVICES

The magneto-optical (MO) systems include basic principles of both
magnetic and optical storage systems. Magneto-Optical disk is a plastic
or a glass disk coated with a compound (often a ternary alloy of
Terbium Ferric Cobalt) with special properties. This system writes
magnetically (with thermal assist) and reads optically.

Magneto-Optical Disk Structure

MASS STORAGE DEVICES
In order to get vast amount of storage capacity in a computer system, multiple units of similar kinds of storage media are associated
together to form a chain of mass storage devices. These storage media include multiple arrays of magnetic disks or CD-ROMs as a
secondary storage device.
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disk (RAID): RAID is an idea to combine multiple hard disks into an array of disk drives to obtain high
performance, large capacity, and reliability.
Automated Tape Library: It comprises numerous set of magnetic tapes along with their drives and controllers mounted in a single unit.
CD-ROM Jukebox: It comprises numerous set of CD-ROM disks along with their drives and controllers mounted in a single unit.

Automated Tape Library

 Input Output Media
An input device is an electromechanical device that allows the user to feed information into the computer for analysis, storage, and to give
commands to the computer. After processing the input data, the computer provides the results with the help of output devices. An output
device converts machine-readable information into human-readable form.

INPUT DEVICES
Keyboard
A keyboard is the most common data entry device that allows the user
to enter data into a computer by simply pressing keys.

Pointing Devices Keyboard

A pointing device is used to communicate with the computer by pointing to locations on the monitor screen. Such devices do not require
keying of characters, instead the user can move a cursor on the screen and perform move, click or drag operations. Some of the commonly
used pointing devices are:
Mouse: Mouse is a small hand-held pointing device, which is rectangular-shaped with a rubber ball embedded at its lower side and buttons
on the top. Usually a mouse contains two or three buttons, which can be used to input commands or information.
Trackball: Trackball resembles a ball nestled in a square cradle and serves as an alternative to a mouse. In general, a trackball is as if a
mouse is turned upside down. It has a ball, which can be rotated by fingers in any direction, the cursor moves accordingly.
Joystick: Joystick is a device that moves in all directions and controls the movement of the cursor. The joystick offers three types of
control: digital, glide, and direct.
Light Pen: Light pen (sometimes called a mouse pen) is a hand-held electro-optical pointing device which when touched to or aimed
closely at a connected computer monitor, will allow the computer to determine where on that screen the pen is aimed.
Touch Screen: Touch Screen is a special kind of display screen device, which is placed on the computer monitor in order to allow the
direct selection or activation of the computer when somebody touches the screen.

Mouse Trackball Joystick Light Pen Touch Screen

Speech Recognition
Speech recognition is one of the most interactive systems to communicate with the computer. The user can
simply instruct the computer with the help of a microphone (along with speech recognition software) what
task to perform. It is the technology by which sounds, words or phrases spoken by humans are converted
into digital signals, and these signals are transformed into computer generated text or commands.

Speech Recognition
Digital Camera
Digital camera stores images digitally rather than recording them on a film. Once a snap is taken, it can be
downloaded to a computer system and then manipulated with an image editing software and printed.

Digital Camera

Scanners
A scanner scans an image and transforms the image to ASCII codes and graphics. Scanners use a light beam to scan the input data.
These can be edited, manipulated, combined, and then printed using image editing software. The two most common types of scanners are
hand-held and flat-bed.

Optical Scanners
These scanners are the alternative methods to input data instead of entering data through keyboard. The four types of optical scanners
are:
Optical Character Recognition (OCR): It is a process of scanning Magnetic-Ink Character Recognition (MICR): It refers to the
printed pages as images on a flat-bed scanner and then using special magnetic encoding, printed on the bottom of a negotiable
OCR software to recognise the letters as ASCII text. cheque. This information is machine readable via bank
reader/sorters, which read the visual patterns and magnetic
Optical Mark Recognition (OMR): It is the process of detecting
waveforms of the MICR encoding.
the presence of intended marked responses. A special device
known as optical mark reader does optical mark reading. Bar Code Reader: It is a machine-readable code in the form of a
pattern of parallel vertical lines of varying widths. These codes are
sensed and read by a bar code reader by means of reflective light.
TYPES OF OUTPUT DEVICES
Output is the data that has been processed into useful information. It can be displayed or viewed on a monitor, printed on a printer, or
listened through speakers or a headset. Output, which can be easily understood and used by human beings, are of the following two forms:
Hard Copy: The physical form of output is known as hard copy. It refers to the recorded information copied from a computer onto paper or
some other durable surface, such as printers, plotters, microfilm.
Soft Copy: The electronic version of an output, which usually resides in computer memory and/or on disk, is known as soft copy. It is
transient and is usually displayed on monitors, and audio response.
Printers
A printer prints information and data from the computer onto a paper. Printers are
divided into two categories:
Impact printers: Impact printers work by physically striking a head or needle against
an ink ribbon to make a mark on the paper. This includes dot matrix printers, daisy
wheel printers, and drum printers.
Non-impact printers: Non-impact printers use techniques other than physically
striking the page to transfer ink onto the page. This includes ink-jet and laser printers.
Dot Matrix Printer Laser Printer
Plotters
Plotter is a pen-based output device that is attached to a computer for making vector
graphics. It is used to draw high-resolution charts, graphs, blueprints, maps, circuit
diagrams, and other line-based diagrams. They are mainly used for Computer Aided
Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) applications. There are two
different types of plotters: drum plotter and flat-bed plotter.

Plotters
Computer Monitor
The monitor is the most frequently used soft copy output device. A computer
monitor is a TV like display attached to the computer on which the output can be
displayed and viewed. Nowadays, most computer monitors are based on Cathode
Ray Tube (CRT) technology. A CRT monitor displays colour pictures by using a
combination of phosphors that emit different-coloured light.
Cathode Ray Tube

Audio Output
Audio response is an output media, which produces either verbal or audio
responses from the computer system. The standard computer system can
provide audio output with the addition of two components: a speech synthesiser
that does the speaking and a screen reading software that tells the synthesiser Audio Output
what to say.
TERMINALS
Computer terminal is a special unit that can perform both input and output. A terminal is an I/O device that uses a keyboard for input and a
monitor for output. Terminals can be categorised into the following types:
Dumb Terminal: It refers to a terminal that has no processing or programming capabilities.
Smart Terminal: It has built-in processing capability and memory but does not have its own storage capacity.
Intelligent Terminal: It has memory and it has inbuilt microprocessors, therefore, it is also known as a user-programmable terminal.
 Operating System
Operating system is a collection of system programs that together control the operation of a computer system. Operating system along
with hardware, application and other system software, and users constitute a computer system.

EVOLUTION OF OPERATING SYSTEM

In the early days, the computers lacked any form of operating system. The programs were loaded through punched paper tape into the
machine, and then the machines were set to work. Then came machines with libraries of support code (initial operating systems), which
were linked to the user’s program to assist in operations such as input and output. This state of affairs continued until 1960s when IBM
developed the S/360 series of machines. Then came the small 4 bit and 8 bit processors known as microprocessors.

TYPES OF OPERATING SYSTEM

Batch Processing Operating System Multi-User Operating System Multi-Tasking Operating System
Real-Time Operating System Multi-Processor Operating System Embedded Operating System

FUNCTIONS OF OPERATING SYSTEM

Process Management Memory Management File Management
Device Management Security Management User Interface

Process Management
As a process manager, the operating system handles the creation and deletion of processes, suspension and resumption of processes,
and scheduling and synchronisation of processes.
Life Cycle of a Process
A process is an execution of sequence of instructions or program
by CPU. Various states that a process changes during execution:
New: The process is being created.
Ready: The process is ready to be assigned to the processor.
Running: The process is being executed.
Waiting: The process is waiting for signal from other process.
Terminated: The process has finished its execution.

Threads Life Cycle of Process

A thread is a task that runs concurrently with other tasks within the Process Scheduling
same process. Also known as lightweight process, a thread is the The operating system determines how to allocate processor time
simplest unit of a process. The single thread of control allows the among all the ready processes. This allocation is referred as
process to perform only one task at one time. scheduling. There are different levels of scheduling:
High-level Scheduling: In this level of scheduling, decisions are
made on whether a new process should be initiated in the system.
Medium-level Scheduling: In this level of scheduling, the
operating system decides whether to introduce a process to the
waiting state from running state or to put back a process from
waiting state to the ready state.
Low-level Scheduling: In this level of scheduling, decisions are
made on which processes in the ready state should be dispatched
to the CPU for execution.
Deadlock
In multiprogramming environment, several processes may compete
for a limited number of resources. A process requests for the
required resource and if it is not available then the process has to
wait for it. There might be a situation when the process has to wait
endlessly because other waiting processes may hold the requested
resource. This type of situation is known as deadlock.

Preemptive and Non-preemptive Scheduling

 First-Come-First-Served (FCFS) (Image of FCFS)
 Round Robin (Image of Round Robin)

Life Cycle of Process

Memory Management
As a memory manager, the operating system handles allocation and deallocation of memory space as required by various programs.

Relocation Memory Allocation

Each process must have enough memory to execute. When a
process is to be executed, it has to be loaded from the secondary
storage (like hard disk) to the main memory (RAM).
Protection and Sharing
A process should not run into another process’s memory space. It
is done to protect the already used memory location from being
allocated to some other processes running concurrently.
Paging
Paging is a technique employed by the operating system to
allocate memory to processes in fixed size chunks called page
frames.
The memory manager must keep track of the processes that are
running and in which memory locations, and must also determine
how to allocate and de-allocate available memory when new
processes are created and old processes have finished execution.
Best Fit, First Fit, and Worst Fit are the three most popular memory
allocation strategy.
Concept of Virtual Memory
Virtual memory is an imaginary main memory supported by
operating system in conjunction with the secondary memory, that is,
way of making the real memory of a computer system effectively
larger than it really is.

File Management
The operating system is responsible for creation and deletion of files and directories. It also takes care of other file-related activities such as
organising, storing, retrieving, naming, and protecting the files.

Device Management
Operating system provides input/output subsystem between process and device driver. It handles the device caches, buffers, and
interrupts. Operating system also detects device failures and notifies the same to the user.
Spooling
Spooling refers to storing jobs in a buffer, a special area in memory or on a disk
where a device can access them when it is ready. Spooling is useful because
devices access data at different rates. The most common spooling application is
print spooling.

Spooling
Security Management
The operating system protects system resources and information against destruction and unauthorised access. Various security techniques
employed by the operating system are, user authentication and backup of data.

User Interface
Operating system provides the interface between the user and the hardware. A user interface is a set of commands or menus through
which a user communicates with the system. Common interfaces provided by different operating systems can be categorised as:
 Command Line Interface (CLI)
 Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Command Line Interface Graphical User Interface

 Microsoft Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system introduced in 2001 by Microsoft and is a part of the Windows family. Along with a redesigned look and
feel to the user interface, this new operating system uses a more stable and reliable environment. Windows XP allows you to set up
multiple user accounts where each user can use the operating system with his own settings .

THE DESKTOP
Desktop is the first screen visible after logging in Windows XP. The Desktop is
a full-screen display where all Windows activities take place. It is part of a GUI,
where icons, menus, and dialog boxes on the screen represent programs, files,
and options on computer.

Taskbar
The taskbar is used as a link to easily open and close programs. It also allows
you to switch between the open application programs and files. By default, the
taskbar is placed at the bottom of the Desktop screen. Taskbar includes Start
Menu, Quick Launch Toolbar, and System Tray.
Desktop
Desktop Icons
Customising Desktop
The Desktop includes icons, each having a specific function. Desktop icons can
Windows XP allows you to customise the desktop
be thought of as symbols that represent a program or shortcut to a program, or
according to your preference. The desktop can be
a folder. The simplest way to organise the icons is to drag them to a new
changed by modifying the colour scheme of Windows,
location with the mouse. To use Windows XP in-built feature for organising
wallpaper, screensaver, settings, and much more.
icons, right-click anywhere on the Desktop and select the desired option.

MY COMPUTER
My Computer allows users to access disk drives, view and manage files and
folders, and access other areas of operating system such as Control Panel and
installed Printers. This window has many parts, these are:
Title Bar Menu Bar
Toolbar Address Bar and Status Bar
Windows Pane Area Working with Views

My Computer Window
WORKING WITH FILES AND FOLDERS
A file is defined as an organised and structured collection of related information stored in the computer’s
memory. A folder is a collection of files and subfolders in an organised way on a computer’s hard drive or on a
removable drive. Any file or folder can be renamed, moved, or copied to any other location on the computer.
Creating Files and Folders
Since the hard drive can store tens of thousands of files, generally a common practice is to create folders to
help in keeping files organised on the hard drive. Folders can be created on Desktop, in My Documents
folder or at any other location.
Moving and Copying Files and Folders
Copying file or folder is similar to the cut operation, except that copy command retains the file or folder at the Folders and Subfolders
original place, but in case of cut, the file or folder is removed from the original location.
Renaming File and Folders
Sometimes you may be required to rename a file or folder. Right-click on the file or a folder name and select Rename, here enter the new
file or folder name and press the Enter key.
Deleting File and Folders
If you wish to delete a file or folder, select the file or folder and right-click on the file or folder and press Delete key.
Recycle Bin
The Recycle Bin is a temporary storage area where you can move any files or folders that you no longer need. An item remains in the
recycle bin until you decide to permanently delete it or restore it.

WINDOWS EXPLORER
Windows XP provides a very useful feature called Windows Explorer,
which helps you to organise files and folders stored on a computer in
an efficient manner.

WINDOWS HELP AND SUPPORT CENTER

Windows XP provides an exhaustive Help and Support Center,
which includes help topics, tutorials, troubleshooting, and other
support services. Windows help is of great use when you are
experiencing difficulty using any application or if you want to know Windows Explorer Window
more details about some application. The window pane area of
Help and Support Center groups tools and topics under four different sections: Pick a Help topic, Ask for assistance, Pick a task, and Did
the
you know?
SEARCHING IN WINDOWS XP
It is quite common to forget where you have saved a document, or any
other file, over time and it may take a long time to manually search all your
folders. The Search command is an invaluable tool in helping you locate a
document, file or folder. You can choose to search by various criteria
including file name, a specific word present in the file or the last modified
date. To search the saved documents in the computer, Windows XP
provides the Basic Search and Advanced Search.

Search Results

SYSTEM UTILITIES IN WINDOWS XP

With system utilities tools, you can ensure good performance from both operating system and your hard drive. The basic utilities such as
Disk Cleanup, Check Disk, and Disk Defragmenter help maintain your hard drive to ensure maximum efficiency. The main utilities are:
Narrator, Magnifier, On-Screen keyboard, System Restore, Disk Cleanup, and Disk Defragmenter.

Magnifier Opening Window System Restore Window Disk Defragmenter Window

 Information Technology Basics
Information is the collection of facts gathered through various means of communication (for example, people, newspaper, and television)
and plays a vital role in drawing a conclusion. It is the representation of knowledge such as facts, data, or opinions, in any medium or form,
including textual, numerical, graphic, or audio-visual forms.

INFORMATION
Information is the processed data, on which decisions are taken and the
subsequent actions are performed thereafter. For decisions to be meaningful and
useful, the information must possess the following attributes: Accurate, Timely,
Complete, Precise, and Relevant.

Need for Information

Information is required for carrying out all the decisions making activities of an
organisation. Some common needs for information are:
Information and Decision-Making
Information and Communication Prerequisites of Information
Information and Knowledge
Information and Productivity

TECHNOLOGY
Technology is the study of science. It is the specific information and knowledge required for the practical purposes like development in
various fields. Some of the advantages of technology are:
Makes work Easy
Fast
Helpful in Performing Creative Work

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Information Technology (IT) refers to scientific, technological, and engineering
disciplines as well as management technologies used in information handling,
communication, processing, their applications and associated software, equipment
and their interaction. The essential components of IT comprises of Hardware,
Software, Data, and People.

Components of Information Technology

ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Information technology plays a vital role in today’s global economy. It has made a
significant impact in research and development. The research is being carried out in
networking, computing, data representation, and many other areas for exploring the
existing methodologies. The major areas impacted by the advent of information
technology include:
IT in Business IT in Manufacturing
IT in Mobile Computing IT in Public Sector
IT in Defence Services IT in Media
IT in Education IT in Publication
IT in Business

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND INTERNET

Internet is a massive network, which connects several computers globally forming a
network in which any computer can communicate with each other. It provides a user
access to a wide variety of services. These services are:
Electronic Mail Newsgroups
Web-cast Services Intranet
Internet Chatting

Intranet
CAREERS IN IT INDUSTRY
The fast spread of IT has generated versatile jobs such as programmer, systems
analyst, network administrator, database administrator, web designers, information
security analyst, and many more.

Careers in IT
 Multimedia Essentials
Multimedia can be described as an integration of multiple media elements together to influence the given information so that it can be
presented in an attractive and interactive manner.

BUILDING BLOCKS OF MULTIMEDIA

The most commonly used multimedia mediums in computers are:
Text: The on-screen display of words, that is, text, is the base of most applications. The
use of different styles, fonts, and colours can be used to emphasise specific points.
Graphics: Seeing a picture of an object has more impact than merely reading about it.
Graphics include conventional artwork, computer-generated artwork, and photographs or
captured video frames.
Audio: This includes speech, audio effects, ambient sound (for example, the background
sound of the sea) and music.
Video: Anything that you see visually on the screen (digital movie) is a video.
Animation: Animation is the timed sequence of a series of graphic images or frames
together to give the appearance of continuous movement.

Building Blocks of Multimedia

MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM
A multimedia system is a system capable of processing multimedia data
and applications. It is characterised by processing, storage, generation,
manipulation, and rendition of multimedia information.

Desired Features of a Multimedia System

High Processing Power High Storage and Memory
Supporting Operating System Software Tools
Sound and Display Cards Efficient Input/Output Devices
Network Support

Typical Components of Multimedia Computer

MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS
The growing technology of computer’s hardware and software made multimedia suitable for a wide range of applications and users.
Some of the areas of multimedia applications are:
Education Entertainment Training
Business Interactive Kiosks

Using Multimedia Using Multimedia Using Multimedia in Multimedia

In Education In Training Business Presentation Kiosks

VIRTUAL REALITY
Virtual reality can be described as an artificial environment that is created by using special
computer hardware and software, which is presented to the user in such a manner that it appears
and feels like a real three-dimensional world. Some of the devices that are used in virtual reality
are:
Head Mounted Display (HMD): HMD has two miniature display screens and an optical system
that channels the images from the screens to the eyes, thereby, presenting a 3D view of the
virtual world.
Data Gloves: Glove is equipped with sensors that sense the movements of the hand and
interfaces those movements with a computer.
Software: Software gives the wearer of this special headgear and gloves the interactive sensory
experience that feels like an alternative to real-world experiences. Using HMD and Data Gloves
 Computer Programming and Languages
Computers work on a set of instructions called computer program, which clearly
specify the ways to carry out a specific task.

Program Development Cycle

Development cycle of a program includes:
Analyse/Define the Problem Task Analysis
Developing Algorithm Testing the Algorithm for Accuracy
Coding the Solution Test and Debug the Program
Documentation Implementation
Maintenance and Enhancement
Program Development Cycle
ALGORITHM
An algorithm is defined as a finite sequence of explicit instructions, which when provided with a set of input values produces an output and
then terminates. To be an algorithm, the steps must be unambiguous and after a finite number of steps, the solution of the problem is
achieved.

FLOWCHART
A flowchart is a pictorial representation of an algorithm in which the steps are drawn in the form of different shapes of boxes and the logical
flow is indicated by interconnecting arrows. The boxes represent operations and the arrows represent the sequence in which the
operations are implemented.
Benefits of Flowcharts
Makes Logic Clear Communication Effective Analysis
Useful in Coding Proper Testing and Debugging Appropriate Documentation
Limitations of Flowcharts
Complex Costly Difficult to Modify
No Update

Flowchart Symbols
A flowchart uses special shapes to represent different types of actions or steps in a process. Some standard symbols, which are frequently
required for flowcharts, are:

Flowchart Symbols
PSEUDOCODE
Pseudocode is a generic way of describing an algorithm without using any specific programming language-related notations. It is an outline
of a program, written in a form, which can easily be converted into real programming statements.

Benefits of Pseudocode Limitations of Pseudocode

Pseudocode provides a simple method of developing the program Although pseudocode is a very simple mechanism to simplify
logic as it uses everyday language to prepare a brief set of problem-solving logic, it has its limitations.
instructions in the order in which they appear in the completed  The main disadvantage is that it does not provide visual
program. Some of the most significant benefits of pseudocode are: representation of the program’s logic.
 Language independent  No accepted standards style of writing pseudocodes.
 Easier to develop a program from pseudocode than a flowchart  Cannot be compiled or executed and there are no real
 Easy to translate pseudocode into a programming language formatting or syntax rules.
 Pseudocode is compact and does not tend to run over many
pages
 Pseudocode allow programmers who work in different computer
languages
PROGRAM CONTROL STRUCTURES
Program statements that affect the order in which statements are executed, or that affect whether statements are executed, are called
control structures. There are three control structures, which are used in case of designing a solution for a problem. They are sequential,
selection, and repetition.
Sequence construct is a linear progression where one task is performed sequentially after another.
Selection (Decision) structure allows the program to make a choice between two alternate paths, whether it is true or false.
Repetition (Looping) causes an interruption in the normal sequence of processing and directs the system to loop back to a previous
statement in the program, repeating the same sequence again.

PROGRAMMING PARADIGMS
Different types of programming paradigms have been developed in order to minimise the programming efforts. Programming paradigm
refers to how a program is written in order to solve a problem. Programming can be classified into three categories:
Unstructured Programming: Unstructured style of programming refers to writing small and simple programs consisting of only one main
program. All the actions such as inputs, outputs, and processing are done within one program only.
Structural Programming: Using structural programming, a program is broken down into small independent tasks that are small enough to
be understood easily, without having to understand the whole program at once. Each task has its own functionality and performs a specific
part of the actual processing. These tasks are developed independently, and each task can carry out the specified task on its own, without
the help of any other task. When these tasks are completed, they are combined together to solve the problem.
Object-Oriented Programming: Object-oriented programming is a style of computer programming, which promotes building of
independent pieces of code that interact with each other. It allows pieces of programming code to be reused and interchanged between
programs.
Characteristics of a Good Program
Portability Readability Efficiency Structural
Flexibility Generality Documentation

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
Programming language is a language that a user employs to interact with the computer. They can be divided into three major categories:
Machine Language: It is the native language of computers. It uses only 0s and 1s to represent data and the instructions written in this
language, consist of series of 0s and 1s.
Assembly Language: It correspondences symbolic instructions and executable machine codes and was created to use letters instead of
0s and 1s to run a machine. Together, machine and assembly language are also known as low-level languages.
High-level Language: These languages are written using a set of words and symbols following some rules similar to a natural language
such as English. The programs written in high-level languages are known as source programs and these programs are converted into
machine-readable form by using compilers or interpreters.

GENERATIONS OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

Since early 1950s, programming languages have evolved tremendously. This evolution has resulted in the development of hundreds of
different languages. We can illustrate the development of all the languages in five generations.
First Generation Language: This generation language is the machine language in which instructions are in the form of 0s and 1s.
Second Generation Language: This generation language is the assembly language in which mnemonic code is assigned to each
machine language instruction to make it easier to remember and write.
Third Generation Language: This generation language is machine independent and use language translators to translate the high-level
code into machine code.
Fourth Generation Language: This generation language is also known as non-procedural languages, use minimum syntax rules and is
categorised into query languages, report generators, and application generators.
Fifth Generation Language: This generation language is in the development stage. The computer will be able to accept, interpret, and
execute the instruction in the natural language of the user.

Features of Good Programming Language

Ease of Use Portability Reliability Naturalness for the Application
Safety Performance Cost Promote Structural Programming
Compact Code Maintainability Concurrency Support Provides interface to other Language
Reusability Standardisation
 Computer Software
Computer software is a generic term for organised collection of computer data and
instructions. It is responsible for controlling, integrating, and managing the hardware
components of a computer and to accomplish specific tasks.

TYPES OF SOFTWARE
Software can be categorised as system software and application software.

System Software
System software contribute to the control and performance of the computer system and
Software Categories
permit the user to use the system more conveniently. Some examples of system software
are operating systems, device drivers, language translators, and system utilities.
Operating System: Operating system is responsible for performing basic tasks such as
recognising input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of
files and directories on the hard disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as printers
and modems.
Device Drivers: Device drivers are responsible for proper functioning of devices. Every
device or hardware, whether it is a printer, monitor, mouse or keyboard, has a driver
program for support. System Software, Application Software
Language Translators: Language translators are tools, which translate a program written and Hardware
in a programming language to machine language. Along with every programming
developed,
language a language translator is also developed, which accepts the programs written in a programming language and execute them by
transforming them into a form suitable for execution.
System Utility: System utility programs perform day-to-day tasks related to the maintenance of the computer system. They are used to
support, enhance, expand, and secure existing programs and data in the computer system.

Application Software
Application software is used to accomplish specific tasks rather than just
managing a computer system. Application software may also include a larger
collection of programs (a software suite), related but independent programs
and packages, which have a common user interface or shared data format,
such as Microsoft Office suite. Some examples of application software are word
processors, spreadsheets, image editors, database management systems,
presentation applications, and desktop publishing software.

Relationship between Application and System Software

Word Processors: A word processor is a software used to compose, format, edit, and print electronic documents. Word processing is one
of the earliest applications for office productivity and the personal computer. It involves checking the spelling and grammar of the text, use
different typefaces, include pictures, graphs, charts and many other things within the text of the document.
Spreadsheets: A spreadsheet application is a rectangular grid, which allows text, numbers, and complex functions to be entered into a
matrix of thousands of individual cells. The spreadsheet provides sheets containing cells each of which may contain text and/or numbers.
Cells may also contain equations that calculate results from data placed in other cells or series of cells.
Image Editors: Image editor programs are designed specifically for capturing, creating, editing, and manipulating images. These graphics
programs provide a variety of special features for creating and altering images.
Database Management Systems: Database management software is a collection of computer programs that allow storage, modification,
and extraction of information from a database in an efficient manner. It supports the structuring of the database in a standard format and
provides tools for data input, verification, storage, retrieval, query, and manipulation.
Presentation Applications: A presentation is a means of assessment, which allow users to create a variety of visually appealing and
verbal elements.
Desktop Publishing Software: Desktop publishing is a technique of using a personal computer to design images and pages, and
assemble type and graphics, then using a laser printer to output the assembled pages onto paper, film, or printing plate.

INSTALLING AND UNINSTALLING SOFTWARE

Once a software (system or application) is carefully selected and purchased, needs to be
installed on the computer so that it can be executed. The process of copying software
from CD-ROM (or floppy disks) to the hard disk and configuring it to work with the
computer hardware is known as the software installation. Sometimes a software is
installed just for test purpose, or perhaps it has been superseded by better software.
Hence, unwanted software should be uninstalled, that is, cleanly removed.

Software Install
SOFTWARE PIRACY
Software piracy is the unauthorised copying of an organisation’s internally developed software or the illegal duplication of commercially
available software. A software license is a type of proprietary licence, which acts as a memorandum of contract between the producer and
the end user.
Types of Software Piracy
The six basic forms of software piracy are:
Softloading Software Counterfeiting Internet Downloading Renting
Hard Disk loading License misuse

SOFTWARE TERMINOLOGY
Some common terms used in the field of software are:
Public-domain software Freeware Shareware Commercial Software
Open Source Software Proprietary Software Firmware
 Word Processing with Microsoft Word 2000
Word processing is the manipulation of characters, words, texts, numbers, sentences,
and paragraphs in the document so that it is error-free and looks attractive.

Microsoft Word Environment

To open Microsoft Word double-click the Microsoft Word icon located on the desktop
or click Start, point to All Programs, and then select Microsoft Word. When Microsoft
Word is opened, the main screen of the program appears. This main window has many
parts to it; these parts are:
Title bar Menu bar Toolbar Ruler
Status bar Work Area Document View
Microsoft Office provides an exhaustive help system to provide assistance when you are
Main Microsoft Word Window
experiencing difficulty using any Office application.

WORKING WITH WORD 2000 DOCUMENTS

The steps required to produce a Word document from scratch include:
Creating a new document: If Word is already running, and you want to create a new
document, click on New Blank Document button on the Standard Toolbar.
Opening an existing document: You can open an existing document by clicking on the
Open button on the Standard Toolbar or select Open from the File menu to display the
Open dialog box.
Saving a document and making a backup copy: Once a document is created, you can
start typing the text, inserting graphics, and table. When this is done, you must save the
document for future references. To save the document, Microsoft Word provides two menu
Open Dialog Box
options, namely, Save and Save As.
Closing the document and Word application: After finishing all the word processing activities, you may want to close the document.
Click the Close Window button at the upper right corner of the Word window to close the current document.

WORKING WITH TEXT

Now you will learn how to select and format text. Apart from these activities, you will also learn how to align and indent the text, copying
and moving text, finding and replacing words, undo and redo operations, making lists, and inserting headers and footers.
Selecting Text: Selecting text in a document is done to mark the text whose attribute is to be changed. Selection of text is a necessary
step before performing operations such as moving and copying text or images. Essentially, selecting or highlighting text is required for
formatting, moving, copying, and finding and replacing text.
Aligning and Indenting Text: Alignment and indentation operations are a part of paragraph formatting. These operations are performed to
give a well-defined ‘structure’ to the document. This gives the document a professional look.
Formatting the Text: As you enter and edit text, you can change its appearance to add emphasis and make the document easier to read.
Formatting is the process of determining how the typed text will appear on a printed page. Formatting is applied by altering the
appearance of text by setting the typeface (font), size, line spacing, and colour. Formatting can be done by using the Formatting toolbar.
Formatting Style: When a document contains many pages, or when consistent formatting is crucial, you should use Styles. A style is a set
of formatting specifications that can automatically be applied to the text. Styles significantly reduce the time it takes to format a document.
Format Painter: A handy feature for formatting text is the Format Painter. If you are formatting a paragraph heading with a certain font
face, size, and style, and you want to format another heading the same way, you need not manually add each attribute to the new
headline. Instead, you can use the Format Painter button, which is a time saving feature for quickly copying the format of a block of text.
Using Cut, Copy, and Paste in Word: If text is to be moved within the same document or to another document, it should be first cut and
then pasted. When you choose to cut the text, Word removes it from the current document and places it in the clipboard, a temporary
storage area in computer memory. Copying the text is similar to the cut operation, except that copy retains the text at the original place, but
in case of cut, the text is removed from the original location.
Finding and Replacing Text: Find and replace option in Word will swiftly and unerringly locate a particular word, phrase, or set of
character in a document, and replace it with new text.
Undo and Redo: Microsoft Office is a very powerful suite of applications. These applications remember all the actions that you performed
on a file. If a portion of a document is deleted or changed, you can revert to the original state by using the Undo command. Word has
virtually unlimited capacity of performing undo action, as long as you do not close the document. If an undo action is set and then you want
to reverse it then Redo command can be used to reverse the undo action.
Bullets and Numbering: In many situations, you need to prepare a list of actions. For example, while writing an algorithm it is always
advisable to use bullets and numbering to list all the steps. If these steps are written in a paragraph form, separated only by colons or
commas, it may become difficult to understand the text. Microsoft Word 2000 supports list-makers with its bulleting and numbering
features. Bullets and numbering can be applied to the selected text by selecting Bullet and Numbering button on the Formatting toolbar.
Header and Footer: Headers are text that appears at the top of every page, and footers contain text that appears at the bottom of each
page. Every Word document contains header and footer areas where you can put a document title, author name, page number, graphics,
and any other essentials that you want to repeat over several (or all) pages in the document. If nothing is inserted in the headers and
footers, they still exist, but are left blank and take up no space on the page.

Formatting Text Aligning Text Bulleted and

Numbered Text
WORKING WITH TABLES
Tables are one of the most powerful features of Microsoft Word. They provide a means of presenting information in an organised and
attractive manner that displays text in a grid of rows and columns of cells that you can fill with text and graphics.
Table Properties: The Table Properties dialog box is used to modify the alignment of the table with the body text and the text within the
table. This dialog box shows the current settings for the selected table in four different tabs: Table, Row, Column, and Cell.
Moving and Resizing Table: When you place the mouse over the table, a four-sided moving arrow and open box resizing handle will
appear on the corners of the table. Click and drag the move handle to move the table and release the mouse button when the table is
positioned where you want it. Click and drag the resize handle to resize the table. You can also change the column width and row height.
Move the mouse pointer onto the column line at the right of the column whose width you wish to alter.
Adding and Deleting Rows and Columns: New rows can be added to an existing table. The simplest way to do this is to move the cursor
to the last column of the last row and press the Tab key. For deleting rows and columns from the table, click inside the row or column that
you wish to delete or select several rows or columns to delete.

Inserting Table Dialog Box Tables and Borders Toolbar Table Properties Dialog Box

CHECKING SPELLING AND GRAMMAR

Microsoft Word allows you to check spelling and grammar in the desired text in a document. Spelling and grammar errors are highlighted in
the document with a red and green underlines, respectively, and may make corrective suggestions. It thus help you become better spellers,
even broaden your vocabulary. There are various ways to check spelling and grammar, some of them are:
Using the Auto Spell and Auto Grammar Features Using Spelling and Grammar dialog box
Using AutoCorrect Using Synonyms and Thesaurus

ADDING GRAPHICS TO DOCUMENT

Graphics are frequently used with text to add emphasis and visual impact in Word documents. Microsoft Word 2000 uses two basic types of
graphics: pictures and drawing objects.
Pictures: Pictures are used in the document to enhance its readability and understandability of the text. These are bitmaps, scanned
pictures, photographs, and clip art. You can use any image editing software to create photographs, line drawings, and other graphics, as
long as you can save the file in a format that Word 2000 recognises. Some common formats are .BMP, .GIF, .JPG, and .WMF. Once an
image is
inserted, it can be changed and enhanced by using the Picture toolbar. Image effects can also be changed by using the Picture toolbar.
When you select a picture, the Picture toolbar appears with tools that you can use to crop the picture, add a border to it, or adjust its
brightness and contrast.
Drawing Objects: Word allows you to add objects such as lines, curves, and Word Art. The drawing objects include AutoShapes and
WordArt.

Inserting ClipArt Inserting AutoShapes WordArt in Document

PRINTING A DOCUMENT
A major part of any word processing software is to print a document. Microsoft Word allows you
to choose what part of the document to print (such as the current page, multiple pages or the
entire file). In addition, you can specify which printer to use and how many copies to print.
Setting Page Margins: Page margins determine the distance between the text and the edge of
the paper. To specify the margins in the document, choose Page Setup from the File menu to
display the Page Setup dialog box. The Page Setup dialog box also allows you to format the size
and orientation of the paper. To change the size of the paper, click the Paper Size tab and select
the desired size (letter, A4, etc.) from the Paper size list. Page Setup Dialog Box
Print Preview: Print preview is a way to review the appearance of the printed document on-
screen before printing the final output. Previewing the document is a great way to catch
formatting errors, such as incorrect margins, overlapped text, boldfaced text, and other text
enhancements. To view document in print preview mode, choose Print Preview from File menu
or click the Print Preview button on the Standard Toolbar.
Printing the Document: Once you are ready with all the formatting and editing, you can print the
document. To print a document, click the Print button on the Standard toolbar or select Print
from the File menu to display the Print dialog box. This dialog box allows you to select the
number of copies and how many pages of the document you want to print.

Print Preview
 Spreadsheets and Microsoft Excel 2000

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that allows you to perform various

calculations, estimations, and formulations with data. It is the electronic counterpart
of a paper ledger sheet, which consists of a grid of columns (designated by letters)
and rows (designated by numbers). It also provides various facilities like inserting
charts, creating graphs, analysing situations and helps in decision-making. It is one
of the best management tools.

Microsoft Excel Environment

To open Microsoft Excel double-click the Microsoft Excel icon located on the desktop
or click Start, point to All Programs, and then select Microsoft Excel. When Microsoft
Excel is opened, the main screen of the program appears. This main window has
many parts to it; these parts are:
Main Microsoft Excel Windw
Name box and formula bar Sheet tabs and scrolling buttons
Status bar Worksheet and workbook Column, rows, and cells
WORKING WITH EXCEL 2000 WORKBOOK
The steps required to produce a Excel workbook from scratch include:
Creating a new workbook: If Excel is already running, and you want to create a new
workbook, click on New button on the Standard Toolbar.
Open an existing workbook: You can open an existing document by clicking on the
Open button on the Standard Toolbar or select Open from the File menu to display the
Open dialog box.
Saving a workbook and making a backup copy: Once a workbook is created, you
can start typing the text, inserting graphics and charts, and so on. When this is done,
you must save the workbook for future reference. To save the workbook, Microsoft Excel
provides two menu options, namely, Save and Save As.
Closing the workbook and Excel application: After finishing all the work in Excel
spreadsheet, you may want to close the document. Click the Close Window button at Save As Dialog Box
the upper right corner of the Excel window to close the current workbook.

WORKING WITH WORKSHEET

Now you learn how to enter data in cells, select and format cells. Apart from these activities, you will also learn how to insert and delete
worksheets, copy and move data, and perform undo and redo operations.
Entering Data in Cells: In Excel, you can enter three types of data in a worksheet: labels (text), values (number), and formulae. Cells
can also contain date and time. By default, labels are left aligned while values, time, and date are right aligned.
Navigating through Cells: You can use either the mouse or the keyboard to navigate the Excel spreadsheet. To use the mouse, simply
click in the desired cell. The keyboard offers a wider range of options for jumping to a particular location.
Naming of a Range of Cells: A range of cells is formed by selecting a group of adjacent cells in a worksheet. Naming a cell or range of
cells adds clarity and speeds up productivity especially when dealing with a complex spreadsheet.
Editing a Worksheet: While working with worksheets you need to edit cell contents, add, or delete cells, rows and columns in worksheets,
and so on. Excel provides a number of ways to format a spreadsheet. This includes different items such as the fonts, colours, and borders.
Using Cut, Copy, and Paste in Excel: If text is to be moved within the same worksheet or to another worksheet, it should be first cut and
then pasted. When you choose cut or copy, the cells are surrounded by dotted line, and their contents are not actually moved until you click
in the cell where you want to Paste. Copying the text is similar to the cut operation, except that copy retains the text at the original place,
but in case of cut, the text is removed from the original location.
Finding and Replacing Cells: Find and replace option in Excel will swiftly and unerringly locate a particular word, phrase, or numeric
values in a worksheet, or replace it with new data.
Undo and Redo: Excel remembers the actions performed on a file. If a portion of a worksheet is deleted or changed, you can revert to the
original state by using the Undo command. This feature instructs the application to ignore the last action (whether it was deleting, copying,
or moving). Note that Excel can undo or redo up to previous 16 changes only as compared to Word, which allowed user to undo or redo
action until the document is closed.

Naming a Range Using Cut and Paste Undo and Redo Action

FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS

One of the distinguishing features of Excel is that it makes use of formulas and functions to dynamically calculate results from data present
in worksheets. Both Functions and formulas are widely used in simple as well as advance computing. They provide the power to analyse
data extensively.
Functions: Microsoft Excel contains many predefined or built-in formulas, which are known as
functions. These can be used to perform simple or complex calculations. They perform calculations
by using specific values, called arguments, in a particular order. Functions have three parts: = sign,
function name, and arguments on which particular function operate. Some of the functions used in
Excel are:
Mathematical Functions Logical Functions Statistical Function Function Syntax Window
Text Functions Date and Time Functions
Using AutoSum: The SUM function is used more often than any other function. To make this function more
accessible, Excel includes an AutoSum button on the Standard toolbar, which inserts the SUM function into
a cell. It is a great tool to use when you want to quickly add contents of a range of cells.

Using AutoSum
Formulas: Formulas are mathematical expressions built in Excel that instruct the computer to carry out
calculations on specified sets of numbers in the rows and columns. A formula always begins with an equal
sign (=) followed by some combination of numbers, text, cell references, and operators.

Using Formulas

INSERTING CHARTS
In Excel, numerical data can be easily converted into a chart for graphical presentation of the data, which
provides more visual clarity than tables of data and, therefore, have more impact. The range of chart types
includes pie charts, bar charts and line charts. Microsoft Excel allows a chart to be placed in two ways:
Embedded chart
Chart sheet

Chart Type Dialog Box

PRINTING IN EXCEL
Printing in Excel is similar to printing in other Windows based applications. Several options particularly those concerned with arranging the
page, are specific to the application.
Setting Page Layout: Page Layout option is used to view the existing page layout or to set a new layout. To set a new layout, select Page
Setup from the File menu to display the Page Setup dialog box. This dialog box splits page layout into four tabs: Page, Margins,
Header/Footer, and Sheet.
Print Preview: Print preview is a way to view the appearance of the printed document on-screen before printing the final output.
Previewing the document is a good way to identify formatting errors, such as incorrect margins, overlapped text, boldfaced text, and other
text enhancements. This helps in saving costly printer paper, ink, and time.
Printing Worksheets: Once you have completed formatting and editing worksheets(s), you can print the whole sheet (Active sheet), part
of the sheet (selection), or several sheets (workbook).
 Making Presentation with Microsoft PowerPoint 2000
In today’s highly competitive world, representing ideas effectively has become the
need of the hour. One of the best ways of expressing the ideas is visual images,
which includes usage of graphics and pictures. Graphics, when used to convey
ideas, expression, or thoughts are known as presentation graphics or business
graphics. A good presentation can truly convince, motivate, inspire and educate its
audience.
Microsoft PowerPoint Environment: When Microsoft PowerPoint is opened, the
main screen of the program appears. This main window contains many parts; these
parts are:
The title bar is located at the very top of the PowerPoint window and it displays the Main Microsoft PowerPoint Window
name of the application and active presentation. Below this bar is the menu
bar, contains different menus that control all options, functions, and commands for the entire PowerPoint application. Generally, a toolbar
which
is positioned just below the menu bar. Below the toolbars, on the left side outline pane is located, which is used to organise and develop
content for the presentation, move slides from one position to another, and edit titles and body text. The different screen layouts available
are Normal, Outline, Slide, Slide Sorter, and Slide Show views.

WORKING WITH POWERPOINT 2000

The steps required to produce a PowerPoint presentation from scratch include:
Creating a new presentation: A new presentation can be created using the AutoContent wizard,
Design Template, and Blank presentation. The AutoContent Wizard helps you to create and structure
the content of presentation in a clear and logical way. A design template includes pre-formatted
layouts, fonts, and colours, which blend together to give a consistent look to the presentation. Blank
presentation is used to start the whole process of creating presentation from scratch.
Open an existing presentation: You can open an existing presentation by clicking on the Open AutoContent Wizard Step 1
button on the Standard Toolbar or select Open from the File menu to display the Open dialog box.
Saving a presentation: Once a presentation is created, you can start typing the text, inserting graphics and charts, and save the
presentation for future reference. Once you have saved the new presentation, you can use the Save option to update changes made to a
file, while the Save As option is used to make the multiple copies of the same file.
Closing the presentation and PowerPoint application: After finishing all the work in PowerPoint, you may want to close the
presentation. Click the Close Window button at the upper right corner of the PowerPoint window to close the current presentation.
WORKING WITH DIFFERENT VIEWS
PowerPoint provides different types of screen layouts for constructing presentation in addition to
the Slide Show. View is a way in which one can see and work with presentation slides. Five types
of PowerPoint views are:
 Normal View, which makes the most commonly used components of a presentation easily
accessible to the user.
 Outline view, which enables a user to edit and display all presentation text in one location
rather than one slide at a time.
 Slide view, which displays the slides one at a time, as they will appear when printed or
displayed in a presentation.
 Slide sorter view, which displays all the slides in a presentation as thumbnails and transition
effects can be added for moving from one slide to another in a convenient manner. Normal View
 Slide show view, which is used when you want to deliver a presentation.

DESIGNING PRESENTATION
A presentation is created using the slides, which contains text, graphics, animations, and so on.
Two ways in PowerPoint, which helps you to choose the look of your slides are:
Design Template: A design template is a presentation containing PowerPoint masters with
custom formatting, fonts, color scheme, placeholders for text, graphics, animations, and so on.
Masters: Masters in PowerPoint are used to control many facets of the slides such as
backgrounds, font typeface, font size, colours, bullets and locations for all main components, tab,
and indent. PowerPoint has four masters, namely, Title Master, Slide Master, Notes Master, and
Handouts Master.
Working with Slides: You can insert, copy, delete, duplicate, navigate between slides, and Slide Master
change the appearance of your slide background by changing its colour, shade, pattern, or
Working
texture. with Text: There are a number of ways in which text can be added into the
slides, which are text placeholder, text box, an auto shape, and WordArt.
Formatting the Text: As you enter and edit text, you can change its appearance to add
emphasis and make the presentation easier to read. Formatting is the process of
determining how the typed text will appear on a printed page. Formatting is applied by
altering the appearance of text by setting the typeface (font), size, line spacing, and
colour. Formatting can be done by using the Formatting toolbar.
Working with Graphics: The graphical elements can help you create eye-catching
slides for a presentation. Graphics are frequently used with text to add emphasis and
visual impact. PowerPoint 2000 provides you the option of adding AutoShapes,
WordArt, and Pictures. Transition Dialog Box
Adding Multimedia: A presentation can be made interactive and interesting by
adding
multimedia effects, which helps in capturing audience’s attention. You can add multimedia effects such as animations, video, and sound to
the slides.
Running Slides: PowerPoint 2000 provides a number of ways to view and deliver presentations so that they are well designed and look
professional. You can use the Slide Show to view a presentation before printing it or to prepare to show it electronically.

Pack and Go: PowerPoint contains a useful feature called Pack and Go, which allows you to view the
presentation file on a computer that does not have PowerPoint installed.

Pack and Go - Viewer Option

PRINTING IN POWERPOINT
Printing in PowerPoint is similar to printing in other Windows based
applications. PowerPoint provides a number of choices for you to take
printouts.
Setting Page Layout: The Page Layout option is used to view the
existing page layout or to set a new layout.
Printing Presentation: Once you are ready with all the formatting and
editing, you can print the presentation.
Printing Handouts: PowerPoint 2000 allows you to print the handouts
and using handouts as an option lets you print two, three, four, six, or
nine slides per page.
Print Dialog Box
 Data Communication and Computer Networks
Data communication means sending or receiving data and information between computers, connected through a network, in a fast and
efficient manner. Networking also helps sharing expensive resources like printers, scanners, backup tape drives, and so on.

DATA COMMUNICATION
Data communication is the exchange of data between two devices using some form of
wired or wireless transmission medium. It includes the transfer of data, the method of
transfer and the preservation of the data during the transfer process.
Components of Data Communication: The five basic components in data
communication system are: Message, Sender, Receiver, Medium, and Protocol.
Data Transmission Mode: Data transmission mode refers to the direction of signal
flow between two linked devices. Data can be transmitted in the following three modes:
 Simplex: Simplex transmission is unidirectional.
 Half-duplex: Each communicating device can receive and transmit information, Data Communication
but
 Full-duplex:
not at the same time.both communicating devices to transmit and receive data simultaneously.
Allows
Analog and Digital Data Transmission: An analog signal is a continuous waveform that changes smoothly over time. The sine wave is
the most fundamental form of an analog signal. Digital signal is the data stored in the form of 0s and 1s. When the signal is at a high point,
its value is 1 and when it is low, its value is 0.
Data Communication Measurement: Fundamentally, bandwidth refers to the maximum volume of information that can be transferred
over any communication medium. The more the information needed to transmit in a given period, the more the bandwidth required. The
level of bandwidth falls into three categories, Narrowband, Wideband, and Broadband.

TRANSMISSION MEDIA
The physical or wireless medium through which two communicating devices communicate is
known as transmission media. It can be divided into:
Guided Media: This media use a cabling system that guides the data signals along a specific
path. There are three basic types of guided media: twisted pair, coaxial cable, and optical Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable
fiber.

Unguided Media: They are data signals that flow through the air. They are not guided or
bound to a fixed channel to follow. One of the common unguided media of transmission is
radio frequency propagation (microwave and satellite) where the signal is carried over carrier
waves which have frequencies in the range of radio frequency spectrum. Microwave Transmission
MODULATION
Modulation refers to the process of impressing information on a carrier wave by changing
some of the wave’s characteristics (such as amplitude, frequency or phase) so that it is more
suitable for transmission over the medium between transmitter and receiver.
Amplitude Modulation: In this modulation, the amplitude of a carrier wave is varied in
accordance with a characteristic of the modulating signal. The frequency of the carrier
remains the same, only the amplitude changes to follow variations in the signal.
Frequency Modulation: In this modulation, the instantaneous frequency of carrier wave is
caused to depart from the centre frequency by an amount proportional to the instantaneous
value of the modulating signal.
Phase Modulation: Phase modulation is the encoding of information into a carrier wave by Amplitude Modulation
variation of its phase in accordance with an input signal. In this technique, the phase of sine
wave carrier is modified according to the amplitude of the message to be transmitted.

MULTIPLEXING
Multiplexing refers to the process of transmitting more than one signal over a single link, route or channel. An analogy of multiplexing can
be made with a multilane highway.
Multiplexers: The communication device that multiplexes (combines)
several signals from the devices on the left for transmission over the
common medium is called a multiplexer (MUX). At the receiving end, a
demultiplexer (DEMUX) completes the communication process by
separating multiplexed signals from a transmission line and distributing it
to the intended receiver. There are two basic multiplexing techniques: A Multiplexed System
frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) and time-division multiplexing
(TDM).
Asynchronous and Synchronous Transmission: Asynchronous
transmission refers to the data transmission of one character at a time,
with intervals of varying lengths between transmittals, and with start bits
at the beginning and stop bits at the end of each character, to control the
transmission, whereas Synchronous transmission is a method of
communication in which data is sent in blocks, without the need for start
and stop bits between each byte.
Synchronous Transmission
SWITCHING
Switching means routing traffic by setting up temporary connections between two or more network points. This is done by devices located
at different locations on the network, called switches (or exchanges). In a switched network, some switches are directly connected to the
communicating devices while others are used for routing or forwarding information. There are three methods of switching:
Circuit Switching: It is a type of communication in which a dedicated channel (or circuit) is established between two devices for the
duration of transmission.
Packet Switching: It refers to the data transmission method whereby data is
transmitted in packets. Each packet contains addresses of the machine
sending it and the machine expected to receive it. At the destination, the
packets are reassembled into the original message.
Message Switching: It employs store and forward system, where each
message contains a destination address. It is passed from source to
destination through intermediate nodes. At each transfer point in the
connection, incoming data is stored in its entirety, and then forwarded to the
next point. This process continues until the data reaches its destination.

COMPUTER NETWORK Message Switching

A computer network is a collection of two or more computers, which are
connected together to share information and resources. Network Operating
Systems (NOS) is an interconnected system of computing devices that
provide shared and economical access to computer services. NOS are
broadly divided into two types namely, client/server and peer-to-peer
networks. Today, when talking about networks, we are generally referring to
three primary categories:
Local Area Network (LAN): LAN spans only a small geographical area such
as an office, home, or building. In LAN one computer is designated as the file
server, which stores all the software that controls the network and other
computers connected are called workstations.
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): MAN is a network of computers spread
over a metropolitan area such as city and its suburbs. Operated by one
organisation (a corporate with several offices in one city), or be shared Stand-alone and Networked Environments
resources used by several organisations in the same city.
Wide Area Network (WAN): WAN is a system of interconnecting computers over a large geographical area such as cities, states,
countries, or even the world. These kinds of networks use telephone lines, satellite links, and other long-range communications
technologies to connect.

NETWORK TOPOLOGIES
The term topology refers to the way a network is laid out, either physically or logically. It is the geometric
representation of the relationship of all the links. There are five basic topologies:
Bus: Bus topology network uses a common backbone (a single cable) to connect all devices with
terminators at both the ends.
Ring: In ring topology, every node has exactly two neighbours connected to form a ring for
communication purposes.
Star: In star topology, devices are not directly linked to each other but are connected through a hub
forming the shape of a star. Star Topology
Tree: Tree topology consists of groups of star-configured workstations connected to a bus backbone cable.
Mesh: In mesh topology, every node has a dedicated point-to-point link to every other node.

Mesh Topology
COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL
A computer protocol is a set of rules that coordinates the exchange of information. Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) is a standard
reference model for communication between two end users in a network. It consists of seven separate but related layers:
Physical Layer Data Link Layer Network Layer Transport Layer
Session Layer Presentation Layer Application Layer

NETWORK DEVICES
To communicate over a network, a particular set of network devices interconnect individual computers and ensure that they communicate
efficiently. The various types of networking devices available in the formation of computer network are as follows:
Network Interface Card Hub Repeater Switch
Bridge Router Gateway

Network Interface Card Router Gateway

 The Internet
The Internet is the world' s largest computer network made up of thousands of
networks worldwide, which allows the users to share information. It enables the
users to use applications such as e-mail and the world wide web.

EVOLUTION OF INTERNET
In 1969, US DoD created a network known as ARPANET, which linked Us scientific
and academic researchers. By 1970s, ARPA helped in the development of a new
protocol called TCP/IP for transferring data between the networks. In 1980s, Usenet
newsgroup and Electronic Mail (e-mail) came into picture. Internet really became
popular in the 1990s after the development of the World Wide Web (WWW).
In 1991, CERN developed the protocol based on hypertext (HTTP) that makes it The Internet
possible to connect content on the web with hyperlinks. Nowadays, an Internet user
gets information on all sorts of activities ranging from how to add to the design of a
functional spaceship to choosing a product for personal use.
BASIC INTERNET TERMS
Web Page: It is an electronic document written in a computer language called HTML and are linked together through a system of
connections (called hyperlinks), which enable the user to jump from one web page to another by clicking on a link.
Website: It is a set of related (linked through hypertext links) web pages, published by an organisation or individual.
Home Page: It is the starting point or a doorway to the web site.
Browser: It is a computer program used to access web pages and display them on the computer screen.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL): It is a unique address assigned to a web page.
Hypertext: It refers to the text that connects to other documents. These texts are known as hypertext link, hyperlink, hotlink, or simply links.
Internet Service Provider (ISP): It is an organisation that provides the required software, which is used to connect to the Internet.
Web Server: It is a computer equipped with a server software, which provides a specific kind of service to client software running on other
computers.
Download and Upload: Download refers to the activity of moving or copying a document, program or other data from the Internet or other
interconnected computer to one's own computer. Upload refers to the act of moving or copying data or program from one computer to
another, usually to a server, remote computer.
Online and Offline: Online is commonly referred to as 'connected to the World Wide Web via Internet‘ and Offline refers to the actions
performed when the user is not connected, via telecommunications, to another computer or a network like the Internet.
GETTING CONNECTED TO INTERNET
The basic requirements for getting online are:
 A TCP/IP enabled computer with a web browser
 An account with an ISP
 A telephone line plugged to a suitable socket
 A modem to connect the computer to the telephone line

Types of Internet Connections

Some common types of Internet access, available for the users are: Dial-up, ISDN,
Cable Modem, Leased Line, DSL, and Broadband.

Internet Software
To connect to the Internet, computer requires three kinds of software, TCP/IP, Dialler
Software, and Browser.
Connecting to Internet
INTERNET APPLICATIONS
Some of the important services provided by Internet are:
World Wide Web (WWW): It is a subset of the Internet and it presents text, images,
animation, video, sound, and other multimedia in a single interface. The operation of the
Web relies primarily on hypertext, as it is a means of information retrieval.
Electronic Mail (E-Mail): It is the process of exchanging messages electronically, via a
communications network, using the computer.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP): It is a system of rules and a software program that
enables a user to log on to another computer and transfer information between it and
his/her computer.
Telnet: It connects one machine to another in such a way that a person may interact
with another machine as if it is being used locally.
Internet Relay Chat (IRC): This service allows people to communicate in real time and
carry on conversations via the computer with one or more people. It provides the user
with the facility to engage in simultaneous (synchronous) online 'conversations' with Internet Applications
other users from anywhere in the world.
Chatting and Instant Messaging: Chat programs allow users on the Internet to communicate with each other by typing in real time.
Instant messaging allows a user on the Web to contact another user currently logged in and type a conversation.
Internet Telephony: It refers to the use of the Internet rather than the traditional telephone company infrastructure, to exchange spoken or
other telephonic information.
Video Conferencing: It uses the same technology as IRC, but also provides sound and video pictures. It enables direct face-to-face
communication across networks via web cameras, microphones, and other communication tools.
Commerce through Internet: It refers to buying and selling goods and
services online.
Newsgroups (Usenet): It is an international discussion group that focus
on a particular topic and helps in gathering information about that topic.
Mailing Lists (Listserver): It refers to a large community of individuals
who carry out active discussions, organised around topic-oriented forums
that are distributed via e-mail and this method is known as mailing list.

Mailing List

DATA OVER INTERNET

The data, in terms of Internet, primarily comprises the hypertext documents containing links that connects to other documents or files.
These documents may even include animations, and multimedia components. We can divide the displayed data into two categories:

Static Component
Static component includes the information displayed on the browser that does not interact with the user.

Dynamic Component
Dynamic component imparts life to a web page. This component refers to a specification by which a user can interact with a web server.
Some of the programming languages (often called scripts) used to provide dynamism to a web page are Perl, JavaScript and Jscript,
VBScript, Active Server Pages (ASP), PHP, XML, Java, and so on.
 Internet Tools
Internet has become one of the most popular means of communication and is probably the best solution that provides all kinds of
information at a single place.

WEB BROWSER
A web browser (or simply browser) is a software application, which provides a graphical
user interface (GUI) so that the user can navigate the Internet easily by clicking on
menus, icons, or buttons instead of learning difficult keyboard commands. The two most
popular web browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Internet Explorer Environment
To open Internet Explorer, double-click the Internet Explorer icon located on the
desktop or click Start, select All Programs, and select Internet Explorer. When Internet
Explorer is opened, the main screen of the program appears. This main window has
many parts to it; these parts are:
Title bar Menu bar Standard toolbar
Address bar Link bar Status bar
Main Internet Explorer Browser Window
Content Area or Document View

BROWSING INTERNET USING INTERNET EXPLORER

Browsing is an act of looking through information on the Internet by repeatedly scanning
and selecting, usually with the help of hyperlinks. It is also known as navigating or
surfing the web.
Opening and Navigating a Website: In the Address box, enter the website’s address
(URL) and press Enter to open the website. When the website opens, its home page is
displayed.
Saving Text and Images: If you wish to save any text from the Internet, first select the
text on the web page. After selecting the desired text, right-click it to open a pop-up
menu, which contains options like Cut, Copy, Paste, Select All, and Print.
Downloading Files from Links: Many web pages have links to files that are not
natively displayed in the Internet Explorer content area. Such files have to be copied on
the hard disk so that the user can use them later on. Web Page in Internet Explorer
Add to Favorites: Internet Explorer uses a feature called Favorites to put websites one
visits often within easy reach.
ELECTRONIC MAIL (E-MAIL)
Electronic mail or e-mail can be defined as the process of exchanging
messages electronically, through a communications network, using the
computer. It provides instant delivery of information and the ability to send
file attachments by using the Internet.
E-mail Address Structure: A typical e-mail address would look like:
username@website.com
Login at Mail Server
Checking E-mails: One can read received e-mails by opening his/her e-
mail account.
Sending E-mails: One of the important functions of an e-mail service is to
provide a platform to send e-mails. A user can reply to the received e-mail
or send a new e-mail.
E-mail Attachments: To send or receive files like compressed (.ZIP) files
or any executable (.EXE) files you need to ‘attach’ them in your e-mails.
How E-mail Works: To send e-mail, one needs a connection to the
Internet and access to a mail server, which forwards the mail. The
standard protocol used for sending Internet e-mail is called SMTP (Simple
Mail Transfer Protocol). It works in conjunction with POP (Post Office
Protocol) and IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) servers. Working of E-Mail System

Netiquette: Communicating online, whether by e-mail, chat rooms or message boards, is informal, quick, and easy. Netiquettes are rules
that should be followed while communicating over the Internet. Disobeying netiquettes while sending e-mail can create trouble. Like e-mail
and other online communication, the rules of netiquette are short and to the point.

E-MAIL CLIENT
An e-mail client (also known as Mail User Agent) is a computer program that runs on
a personal computer and enables the user to organise, filter, and sort all the sent and
received e-mails. Some examples of e-mail clients include Microsoft Outlook Express,
Eudora, and Pegasus Mail.
Outlook Express Environment: To open Outlook Express, double-click the Outlook
Express icon located on the desktop or click Start, select All Programs, and then
select Outlook Express. When Outlook Express is opened, the main screen of the
program appears, and it is divided into four panes: folder list, folder content, contact
list, and preview pane.
Creating an Account: Before you can send or receive e-mail using the Outlook
Express, you need to configure it to communicate with incoming and outgoing mail
servers. Outlook Express Environment
Sending E-mails Using Outlook Express: Sending mails using Outlook Express is
similar to sending mail using any web-based mail accounts.
Checking E-mails Using Outlook Express: To open the received e-mails in
Outlook Express, there is no requirement to open a web browser. Instead, Outlook
Express itself downloads the received e-mails. The e-mails sent to you are stored on
the mail server of your ISP until you retrieve them.
Creating Newsgroup Account: A newsgroup is a virtual place where people with
common interests can ask questions and get answers on just about any imaginable
topic ranging from sports to space. Newsgroups generate huge volumes of
messages for which you need a newsreader to read.

Checking for New Mails

SEARCH ENGINES
A search engine is a searchable database of Internet files which allows the user to enter keywords relating to particular topic and retrieve
information about Internet sites containing those keywords.
Searching the Internet: Some of the well-known search engines are www.google.com, www.hotbot.com, www.lycos.com, and
www.altavista.com.
Refining the Search: The major search engines allow the user to choose whether to search for the exact typed phrase, all the words in
the phrase, any of the words in a phrase, and so on.

INSTANT MESSAGING
Instant messaging is a web-based service to exchange messages in real time between two or more people over the Internet. It is a
combination of e-mail and chat room. Usually, users send their messages in text format. However, while sending instant messages, a user
can also communicate through web cam (video chatting) as well as through speakers and microphone (voice chatting).
Features of Messenger: The features of messenger that make it a favourite among Intenet users include Chatting, Emoticons/Smileys,
Audibles, Games, and Address book.
Getting Started with Yahoo Messenger: To use Yahoo Messenger, a unique Yahoo ID is required. When you start the messenger, it will
display a screen asking you to enter your yahoo mail ID and password. If you are using the messenger for the first time, you may wish to
add the e-mail addresses of all those known ones who also use Yahoo messenger. Once you and your friends are online, you can chat
and send instant messages.
Sending Instant Messages: A message can be sent to a friend whose e-mail address you have stored in your Friend List.
Sending Files: In addition to the messages, you can also send and receive text, image, audio, or graphical files using the messenger.
 Computer Security
Security has always been an overriding concern of humankind. For any organisation, information plays a fundamental role in running
businesses. Therefore, it has become essential for an organisation to take preventive measures to safeguard their confidential data from
reaching illegal hands. When data takes the shape of digital form, a different security procedure is required. This branch of security is
called computer security.

COMPUTER SECURITY
Computer security refers to the protection given to computers and the information contained in them from
unauthorised access. It involves the measures and controls that ensure confidentiality, integrity, and
availability of the information, processed and stored by a computer.
Security Threats
Computer systems are vulnerable to many kinds of threats that can cause various types of damages, which
may result in significant data loss. Such damages can range from errors that can cause harm to database
integrity to natural calamity destroying the entire computer centres. Some of the commonly occurring Computer Security
threats to a network are:
Errors and Omissions Fraud and Theft Loss of Physical and Infrastructure Support
Hacker and Cracker Malicious Code and Software Foreign Government Espionage

MALICIOUS PROGRAMS
Malicious programs perform unusual activities upon opening certain files (screen saver, game,
utility, and so on) on the internet. These programs generate threats to the computer system and
precious data and takes the form of virus, worm, Trojan horse, logic bomb, spyware, and other
uninvited software.
Virus
Viruses are programs, which are designed to replicate, attach to other programs, and perform
unsolicited and malicious actions. It executes when an infected program is executed. The different
types of viruses are:
Boot Sector Virus
Boot Sector Virus File Infecting Virus Polymorphic Virus
Stealth Virus Multipartite Virus

Other Destructive Programs

Apart from viruses, other threats, which harm computer(s) are programs known as worms, Trojan horse, and logic bombs. Each of these
programs can also be used as a medium to propagate any kind of virus.
Affecting Computer System
To safeguard computer against viruses, it is important to understand how virus spreads and what they do to infect the computer system.
Virus is designed to proliferate and propagate in computer network. Unauthorised users break into the system and easily cause destruction
by planting virus in the most sensitive locations of the computer.
Protecting Computer System
Antivirus is a software utility, which searches the hard disk for viruses and removes them on detection. Most Antivirus programs include an
auto-update feature that enables the program to download profiles of new viruses so that it checks for new viruses as soon as they are
discovered. The most popular AntiVirus programs available are Norton Antivirus and McAfee Antivirus.

CRYPTOGRAPHY
Cryptography is the process of altering messages to hide their meaning from
adversaries who might intercept them. It provides an important tool for protecting
information and is used in many aspects of computer security. Cryptography can
be done using:
Secret Key Cryptography: In secret key cryptography, a single key is used for
both encryption and decryption of data. With this form of cryptography, it is obvious
that the key must be known to both sender and receiver.
Message Exchange Using Secret Key
Public Key Cryptography: In public key cryptography, each person gets a pair of keys, one called the public key (used for encryption)
and the other called the private key (used for decryption). Each person’s public key is published while the private key is kept secret. The
need for the sender and receiver to share secret information is eliminated and all communications involves only public keys, and no
private key is ever transmitted or shared.
Hash Functions: A hash function is a one-way encryption algorithm that uses no key to encrypt or decrypt the data. It generates a
sequence of bit values of fixed length from the original message.

DIGITAL SIGNATURE
Digital signature includes markings as digitised images of paper signatures, and is
used to authenticate the electronic document. It is created and verified by
cryptography (the branch of applied mathematics) that concerns itself with
transforming messages into seemingly unintelligible forms and back again. It uses
public key cryptography technique, which employs an algorithm using two different but
mathematically related keys, one for creating a digital signature or transforming data
into a seemingly unintelligible form, and another key for verifying a digital signature or
returning the message to its original form.
Digital signature creation, uses a hash result derived from and unique to both the
signed message and a given private key. For the hash result to be secure, there must
be only a negligible possibility that the same digital signature could be created by the
combination of any other message or private key. Message Exchange Using Digital Signature
Digital signature verification, the process of checking the digital signature by reference to the original message and a given public key,
thereby determining whether the digital signature was created for that same message using the private key that corresponds to the
referenced public key.
FIREWALL
Firewall is an application, which prevents outside connections from
entering into the network. It is typically implemented using one of the
three primary architectures—packet filtering, application-level gateway,
and circuit-level gateway.
Packet filtering is a basic firewall protection technique, which operates at
the network layer to examine incoming and outgoing packets.
Application-level gateway uses server programs (called proxies) that
run on the firewall. These proxies take external requests, examine them, Firewall Software and Hardware
and forward legitimate requests to the internal host that provides the
appropriate service.
Circuit-level gateway firewall monitors connections that are found to be valid. It allows relevant packet to pass through the firewall.

USERS IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

Identification and Authentication is a critical building block of computer security as it forms the basis for establishing user’s
accountability for most types of access control.
Users Requirements: The most common form of identification and authentication is the combination of a user ID and password. This
technique is based solely on user requirement.
Users Possessions: Although some techniques are based solely on users’ requirements, most of the techniques are based on what the
users possess. This technique uses tokens system. Such tokens are divided into two categories: memory tokens and smart tokens.
Biometrics Technique: Biometric authentication technologies use the
unique characteristics (or attributes) of an individual to authenticate the
person’s identity. These include physiological attributes (such as
fingerprints, hand geometry, or retina patterns) or behavioural attributes
(such as voice patterns and hand-written signatures). Biometric
authentication technologies based upon these attributes have been
developed for computer log in applications.

Biometric Techniques
SECURITY AWARENESS AND POLICIES
Computer security awareness and policies is an issue that affects all computer users, whether they use a personal computer or terminals
connected to the mainframe computer. Awareness is used to reinforce the fact that security supports the mission of the organisation by
protecting valuable resources. Training is an activity, which teach skills to the people that enable them to perform their jobs in a more
secure manner. A security policy is a formal statement of rules for people who are given access to an organisation’s technology.
 Database Fundamentals
Data is a collection of raw items such as words, numbers, images, and sounds that have not been organised and arranged into
understandable form. When data is processed and converted into a meaningful and useful form, it is known as information. Hence,
information is a set of organised and validated collection of data. Knowledge is an act of understanding the context in which the
information is used. It can be based on learning through information, experience, guessing and/or intuition.

DATABASE: DEFINITION
A database is a collection of related data, organised in a manner that
allows access, retrieval, use, and maintenance of the data. Within the
database, data is organised into storage containers called tables, which
are made up of columns and rows.
Basic Database Terms: Field/Column, Record/Row, Table, Data type,
Key

Table
LOGICAL DATA CONCEPTS
Logical data description refers to the manner in which the programmer or end user
views data. This model is also known as entity-relationship model and is based on
the perception of the real world. It consists of the following set of basic objects:
Entity: An entity is a person, place, thing, an activity, or event for which data is
collected, stored, and maintained.
Attribute: An attribute describes characteristics of a particular entity. In a database,
entities are represented by tables and attributes by columns.
Relationships: A relationship is an association, dependency or link between two or Entities, Attributes, and Relationship
more entities. Generally, relationships are of three types: one-to-one (1:1), one-to-
many (1:M) and many-to-many (M:M).

PHYSICAL DATA CONCEPTS

Physical concepts of data refer to the manner in which the data is physically stored on the hardware (hard disk). Files are organised as:
Sequential Files: In these files, the data is stored and retrieved in a sequence.
Direct Files: These files facilitate accessing any record directly (randomly) without having to traverse the sequence of records.
Indexed Sequential Files: Indexed sequential file organisation uses a separate index file, which contains the key values and the location
of the corresponding record.

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DBMS)

DBMS can be defined as the collection of interrelated data and a set of programs to access that data. The primary goal of the DBMS is to
provide an environment that is congenial and efficient to retrieve and store information.
Benefits of Database Management System: Major advantages provided by DBMS are:
Reduction in Data Redundancy Reduction in Inconsistency Sharing of Data
Enforcement of Standards Improvement in Data Security Maintenance of Data Integrity
Better Interaction with Users Efficient System
Components of a DBMS: DBMS is a large software package that carries
out diverse tasks including the provision of facilities to enable the user to
access and modify information in the database. On one hand it is an
intermediate link between the physical database, the computer and the
operating system, and, on the other hand, the users.
Database Administrator (DBA): DBA is an information technology expert,
a well-trained, computer literate person who is responsible for technical
operations of the database in the organisation.
Database Language: A database system provides two different types of
languages. Data Definition Language (DDL) is used to create and delete
database and its objects. Data Manipulation Language (DML) is used to
retrieve, insert, modify, and delete database information. DBMS Components

DBMS ARCHITECTURE
According to ANSI/SPARC, a DBMS can be viewed as a three-layered system:
Internal Level: It is the lowest level of abstraction and it describes how the data is physically stored and organised on the storage medium,
as well as access to the data, such as through data storage in tables and the use of indexes to expedite data access.
Conceptual Level: It describes what type of data is actually stored in the database, and the relationships among the data.
External Level: It is the view that the individual user of the database has. This view is often a restricted view of the database and the same
database may provide a number of different views for different classes of users.
Data Independence
The ability to modify a schema definition in one level without affecting a schema definition in the next higher level is called data
independence. There are two levels of data independence: Logical Data Independence and Physical Data Independence.

DATABASE MODELS
Data modelling is a way of organising a collection of information pertaining to a system under investigation. Every database and database
management system is based on a particular database model. A database model consists of rules and standards that define how data is
organised in a database. There are four types of database models.
Hierarchical Database Model: In this model, data is organised in a series
like a family tree or organisation chart. As with a family tree, the
hierarchical database has branches made up of parent and child records.
Each parent record can have multiple child records, but a child record can
have only one parent.
Network Database Model: This model is similar to a hierarchical model
except that each child record can have more than one parent. Hence, this
model allows one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many relationships.
Relational Database Model: A relational database model represents all
data in the database as simple two-dimensional tables called relations that
are the logical equivalent of files. The tables in relational databases are Hierarchical Database Model
organised in rows and columns, simplifying data access, and manipulation.
Object-Oriented Database Model: An object-oriented database model stores and maintains objects. An object is an item that can contain
both data and the procedures that manipulate the data.

NORMALISATION
The process of refinement that the database designer undertakes after identifying the data objects of the proposed database, their
relationships, and defines the tables required and the columns within each table is known as normalisation. The rules of normalisation are
referred to as normal forms. There are six generally accepted rules of normal forms, namely, first normal form (1NF), second normal form
(2NF), third normal form (3NF), Boyce-Codd normal form (BCNF), fourth normal form (4NF), and fifth normal form (5NF).
TYPES OF DATABASES
Organisations are faced with questions regarding how and where to hold the corporate data.
Advances in computer technology and the rapid development of GUI-based applications,
networking, and communications have resulted in new dimensions in database management.
Primarily, organisations adopt two approaches:
Centralised Databases: In centralised databases, application processing is shared between
numerous clients and a server. The client is responsible for managing the user interface, and
the database server is responsible for database storage and access.
Distributed Databases: A distributed database system consists of a collection of
interconnected sites, where each site is a database system in its own right and the sites have
agreed to work together, so that a user at any site can access anywhere in the network as if
the data were all stored at the user’s local site.

DATA WAREHOUSING AND DATA MINING

A data warehouse is a repository of subjectively selected and suitable operational data, which
can successfully answer any ad-hoc, complex, statistical, or analytical queries. Data mining
combines work from areas such as statistics, machine learning, pattern recognition,
databases, and high performance computing for discovering interesting and previously
Data Mining Process
unknown information in data sets.
 Structured Query Language (SQL)
SQL is an ANSI/ISO standardised computer language for defining and
manipulating data sets from a database. Using SQL, the user can retrieve data
from a database, create databases and database objects, add data, modify
existing data, and perform other, more complex functions.
Communicating with Database Using SQL: SQL is a medium, which is used as
a means of communicating to the DBMS what the user wants it to do. SQL
statements describe what data to be retrieved, rather than specifying how to find
the data. The DBMS takes care of locating the requested data from the database.
There are two parties: front end and back end, which together use the SQL to
process the requested query.
Characteristics of SQL: SQL is almost universally understood by both front-ends
and back-ends. The amalgamation of SQL language and relational database
systems (RDBMS) is one of the most cherished achievement of the computer
industry. Some of the fundamental advantages of SQL are:
Standard Independent Language Cross-Platform Abilities
Easy to Learn and Use Less Programming
Universality Scaling
Speed Cost Effective Communicating Database Using SQL

GETTING STARTED WITH SQL

SQL is a query language that allows access to data residing in a database management system. To retrieve information, users execute
queries to extract information from the database using the criteria defined by the user. The main objectives of SQL queries are:
1. Defining database such as tables, attributes, data type, relational keys (primary key, foreign key, referential integrity constraints),
and
indexes.
2. Defining data access controls on tables through Grants and Views.
3. Altering, dropping, and replacing the tables and other database objects.
4. Inserting, updating, and deleting data in the tables.
5. Performing queries that involve table joins; various types of conditions and nested-queries.

The following is valid SQL input:

SELECT * FROM employee;
UPDATE employee SET salary = 10000;
DDL COMMANDS
Data Definition Language (DDL) involves definition and management of the basic structure of the database. DDL commands are used
primarily by database administrators during the set-up and removal phases of a database project. The most important DDL statements in
SQL are:
CREATE TABLE: creates a new table
ALTER TABLE: alters (changes) a table
DROP TABLE: deletes a table

DML COMMANDS
Data Manipulation Language (DML) is used to retrieve, insert, and modify database information. DML commands will be used by all
database users during the routine operation of the database. The most important DML statements in SQL are:
INSERT INTO: inserts new data into a table
UPDATE: updates data in a table
DELETE FROM: deletes data from a table
SELECT: extracts data from a table

QUERYING MULTIPLE TABLE (SQL JOINS)

SQL possesses a very powerful feature of gathering and manipulating data from across several tables. A join combines records from two or
more tables in a relational database. There exist three types of joins, namely, inner join, left outer join, and right outer join.
Syntax:
SELECT list-of-columns
FROM table-name1 [AS alias-name], table-name2 [AS alias-name]
[WHERE table1_keyfield = table2_foreign_keyfield];

Combining Queries Using UNION: UNION adds the result of a second SELECT clause to the table created by the main SELECT
command. With UNION, only distinct values are selected. To select all the values, use UNION ALL.

NESTING SELECT STATEMENTS (SUBQUERY)

A subquery is a SELECT statement that nest inside the WHERE clause of another SELECT statement. In relational databases, there may be
many situations when the user has to perform a query, temporarily store the result(s), and then use this result as part of another query.
This nesting of queries is known as subquery.
Syntax:
SELECT list-of-columns FROM table-name
WHERE condition
(SELECT list-of-columns FROM table-name
[WHERE condition]);
 Database Management with Microsoft Access 2000
Access is a part of Microsoft Office suite of applications, and of all the Office applications, only Access has the facility to be used as a
relational database. Microsoft Access is a database management system that allows the user to create a relational database and then
access, retrieve, and use the data in it.
Components of Access: In Access 2000, a database application consists of four main objects. These are Tables, Queries, Forms, and
Reports.

STARTING ACCESS
To start Access, double-click on the Microsoft Access Icon on the desktop or
click Start, select All Programs, and then select Microsoft Access.
Microsoft Access Environment: When Microsoft Access is opened, the main
screen of the program appears. This main window contains many parts; these
parts are:
Title bar Menu bar
Standard Toolbar Database Window
Objects Groups
Status bar

TABLES
Table in Access holds a collection of information stored on one topic in the form of
fields and records. All the information necessary for the queries, forms, and reports
in the database are based on the data in the table. Tables can be mainly created
in Design View and Table Wizard. Parts of an Access Window

Creating a Table in Design View

Design View allows you to define the fields in the table before adding any data to the datasheet. The window is divided into two parts: a top
pane for entering the field name, data type, and an option description of the field, and a bottom pane for specifying field properties.

Creating a Table Using Wizard

The Table Wizard helps the user to organise data by providing sample fields that one can include in a table and it assigns a primary key to
each record. Later, if change is required in the design of a table, one can modify it using Design View.
Adding, Modifying, and Deleting Records
Once you create a table in design view or by using the wizard, you have to add some records. To add (or for modifying or deleting) records,
open the desired table in the Datasheet View by double-clicking the table from the table list in the Database Window. Records can be
added to the table in datasheet view by typing in the record beside the asterisk that marks the new record. One can also click the New
Record button from the Table Datasheet toolbar to add a record. To edit records, simply place the cursor in the record that is to be edited
and make the necessary changes. Deleting a record on a datasheet is accomplished by placing the cursor in any field of the record row
and select Delete Record from Edit menu bar. You can also use the Delete Record button on the Table Datasheet toolbar to delete
selected record(s).
Navigating a Table
When you open an Access database, you see a list of tables contained in that database. To open a table in Datasheet View, double click
on the table name, or click on a table name to select it and click on the Open button from the Database Window’s toolbar. The Datasheet
View is used to view, add, or delete data from a table. It can also be used to reformat the table by changing the size and order of the field
columns in this view.

QUERIES
Query facilitates retrieval of information from multiple tables, which can be put together for viewing and analysis purposes. One can select
records from different tables, sort the results, summarise, and perform calculations using query. It is saved as a database object and can,
therefore, be easily used in the future. The query is updated whenever the original tables are updated.
Creating a Simple Query Using Query Wizard
Click on Queries under Objects and click New button from the Database Window toolbar. This will display the New Query dialog box.
Select Simple Query Wizard and click OK. From the first screen, select fields that will be included in the query by first selecting the table
from the Tables/Queries drop-down box. Now select the fields and click ‘>’ button to move the field from the Available Fields list to
Selected Fields. Click the Next > button when all the fields have been selected. Depending on the fields selected, the next screen may
give you the option of choosing between a Detail query and a Summary query. Choosing Detail (show every field of every record) will
show every field of every record. If you select the Summary option, you have additional options for how you would like the data to be
summarised. The last step of the Query Wizard prompts for the query name. Enter a title for the query and click Finish. Access creates
and saves the query and then opens it in Datasheet View.
Using SQL in Microsoft Access
Apart from generating queries using Wizards or Query Designer, Access also facilitates generation of queries using SQL. SQL is a
language often used in querying, updating, and managing relational databases. Each query created in Microsoft Access has an associated
SQL statement that defines the actions of that query.

FORMS
A form is nothing more than a graphical representation of a table. Forms are the front-end side of an Access that allows entering of data. It
is an object in Access, which allows the database users to edit and view information, one record at a time.
Creating a Form using Form Wizard
The easiest way to build a form is by using the Form Wizard. The wizard allows the user to choose the layout of records in the form and the
background, colour, and format of the display. The wizard also allows preview of the layout and style options when a form is created.

REPORTS
Reports are the polished form of data representation. When information from the tables and
queries are ready to be displayed, reports help in presenting this information in a formatted
manner and look very professional. Reports can be made by combining data, images, charts,
and even audio/video elements. You can add headers, footers, and page numbers, group the
information, and change the background colours, among other things.
Creating a Report using Report Wizard
The quickest way to design your report is by using the Report Wizard. The Report Wizard
asks you a series of questions to help you design the data exactly the way you desired. After
you have created the report, you can open it in Design view to modify its structure.

Preview of Report
 Emerging Trends in IT
Information technology has interwoven itself into our socio-economic fabric in such a manner that it is often said that we live in an
information age. Although different organisations, industries, and regions of the world are adopting IT in various ways, it is increasingly
penetrating the heart of organisations and will continue to do so in future. With the emergence of electronic commerce and wireless
networks, trading activities have become much easier. The development of mobile phones, smart card, and bluetooth, has enabled people
to communicate in every corner of the world. All the developments have made historic transition from industrial to information age possible.

ELECTRONIC COMMERCE (E-COMMERCE)

E-commerce is a way of carrying business communications and transactions using
computers over Internet. However, most people think electronic commerce to be
just buying and selling of products and services online on the Internet.
Types of Electronic Commerce: There exist four distinct categories of e-
commerce applications: Business-to-Consumer (B2C), Business-to-Business (B2B),
Business-to-Administration (B2A), and Customer-to-Customer (C2C).
Processes in E-Commerce: There exist five important processes in an e-
commerce lifecycle; these are information sharing, ordering, payment, fulfilment,
support and services.
Types of Electronic Payment: The methods used for payment on the Internet is
the electronic version of traditional payment system. These include e-cash, e-
cheque, and credit card.

Electronic Commerce and Business Processes

ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI)

EDI is a set of protocols for conducting electronic business over computer networks
between a buyer and seller.
How EDI Works: A two-way working process of EDI-based transactions between vendor
and supplier. After business agreements are reached between the two EDI-enabled
partners, no human touch is required. The ultimate EDI implementation is a totally
automated interaction between the business applications.

Working of EDI
EDI Benefits: The goal of EDI is to provide a standard format and data element dictionary to exchange data in an electronic environment.
EDI solves the problem of sharing data between dissimilar operating systems, applications, and computers using a simple neutral format.
EDI Limitations: EDI is not a technology but a new way of doing business. Though identifying the costs related to EDI is relatively easy,
identifying the benefits of EDI, especially when a company is not using EDI is hard, since most of the real benefits are strategic and
intangible in nature.

MOBILE COMMUNICATION
Millions of people around the world make use of cellular phones for
their day-to-day activities. Nowadays, using cell phones, one can
keep track of appointments and set reminders, use built-in
calculator, send or receive e-mail, get information (news,
entertainment, stock quotes) from the Internet, play simple games,
integrate with other devices such as PDAs, MP3 players and GPS
receivers, and many more. Mobile phones provide many services
which are as follows:
Short Message Service (SMS): It is a globally accepted wireless
service that enables transmission of alphanumeric messages
between mobile subscribers and external systems such as
electronic mail, paging, and voice-mail systems.
Multimedia Message Service (MMS): These are delivered using a
combination of SMS and WAP technologies. When a cell phone
receives an MMS message, it actually receives an MMS notification
message, which it receives over SMS and WAP.
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP): It is the de-facto standard Signal Passing Among Cells
for providing Internet communications and advanced telephony
services on digital mobile phones, pagers, personal digital
assistants, and other wireless devices. WAP uses Wireless Markup
Language (WML).
GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS)
Global Positioning System is a satellite-based navigation system, which is made up of a network of satellites placed into orbit by the US
Department of Defence. It was originally intended for military applications, but in 1980s, the government made the system available for
civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. It has wide variety of applications on land, at sea
and in the air.

INFRARED COMMUNICATION
Infrared communication is a medium available for communication between various consumer devices. The medium supports high data
transfer rate.
BLUETOOTH
Bluetooth is a technology, which uses short-range radio links, intended to
replace the cable(s) connecting portable or fixed electronic devices. It is used
to connect wireless peripheral devices like printers to computers, PDAs to
communicate with other nearby PDAs or computers, etc.

Bluetooth Communication

SMART CARD
A smart card is a card, which is embedded with either a microprocessor and memory
chip or only a memory chip having non-programmable logic inside it. The
microprocessor card includes added functionality of adding, deleting, and manipulating
information on the card, while a memory-chip card (for example, pre-paid phone cards)
is designed to undertake pre-defined operations. There are three categories of smart
card available in the market: microprocessor cards, memory cards and optical memory
cards.

Smart Card Applications

IMMINENT TECHNOLOGIES
Some imminent technologies that will prevail in the future are as follows:
Blue Laser Disc Nano-Technology DNA Computing
Quantum Computers Holographic Memory New Display Technologies
 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
John McCarthy coined Artificial Intelligence in 1956 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT). According to him, Artificial Intelligence is the science and engineering of making
intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs. Intelligence is the ability to
acquire, retrieve, and use knowledge in a meaningful way. It includes both raw and refined
knowledge and the ability to memorise, recall facts, and express emotions. Intelligence is
exhibited through learning, reasoning, understanding, creativity, and intuition. Alan Turing
proposed a Turing Test to prove the intelligence of a machine. The test involved three
participants: two humans and a machine.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

Some of the well-known definitions of AI are:
“The automation of activities that we associate with human thinking, activities such as decision-
making, problem-solving, learning” — Bellman, 1978
“The study of how to make computers do things at which, at the moment, people are better” — Intelligence
Rich and Knight, 1991
“The study of mental faculties through the use of computational models” — Charniak and McDermott, 1985
“The branch of computer science that is concerned with the automation of intelligent behaviour” — Luger and Stubblefield, 1993
AI is currently being used in various domain areas, such as game playing, speech recognition, understanding natural language, computer
vision, expert systems, heuristic classification, neural networks, and robotics.

KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEMS
Knowledge is defined as the ability to remember earlier learned material, which involves the
recalling of a wide range of materials, all that is required is bringing the appropriate information
to mind. Knowledge-based systems make extensive use of knowledge to perform complex
tasks. This, in turn, led researchers to develop knowledge representation schemes and
techniques to manipulate knowledge.
Knowledge acquisition is a type of knowledge-based systems, which involves conversion of
information gathered from various sources into knowledge.
Knowledge organisation involves storage of knowledge in such a way that retrieval of
information becomes easy. This is done using indexing.
Knowledge manipulation is the computational equivalent of reasoning. This requires a form of
inference or deduction, using knowledge and inferring roles.
Knowledge representation is based on logic and mathematics and has an easily parsed Different Knowledge
grammar to ease processing in a system. It can be represented in first order predicate logic Representation Schemes
(FOPL), fuzzy logic, and associative network.
SEARCHING TECHNIQUES
Searching techniques involves the use of an optimal state out of available states. For every problem,
there are a number of alternatives available to find a solution. It can be categorised into two groups:
uninformed search and informed search.
Uninformed search proceeds in a systematic way by exploring nodes in some predetermined order.
The important search strategies used in this form include Breadth-First Search and Depth-First Search.
Informed search strategies are used to find optimal solution. It involves evaluation function, called
heuristic functions. It includes best-first search and hill climbing search.

NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING (NLP)

NLP involves the interpretation, manipulation, or generation of human language by computer so that
one can communicate with a computer as one communicates with another person. It involves: Searching Techniques
morphological analysis, syntactic analysis, semantic analysis, discourse integration, and pragmatic
analysis.

EXPERT SYSTEMS
Expert system is an AI application that uses a knowledge base of human
expertise to aid in solving problems. The degree of problem solving is based on
the quality of the data and rules obtained from the human expert. This system
simulates the judgement and behaviour of a human or an organisation that has
expert knowledge and experience in a particular field. Expert systems are
currently being used in applications such as medical diagnosis, equipment
repair, financial, and insurance planning, route scheduling for delivery vehicles,
production control and training.

Expert System Users

NEURAL NETWORKS
Neural networks are computing systems, which imitate human brain through a network of highly interconnected processing elements
(neurons). These processes give these network learning capabilities and enable them to recognise and understand complex patterns.
Some of the important benefits of neural networks are: ease of use, adaptive learning, self-organisation, real time operation. Neural
networks are applicable in areas where a relationship between the predictor variables and predicted variables exist, such as medicine,
stock market, monitoring machinery, and engine management.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LANGUAGES

Artificial intelligence languages are specialised languages designed specially for AI. Commonly used AI languages are PROLOG
(PROgramming LOGic) and LISP (LISt Processing).