Introduction to Computer and

Programming in C
Course Code: ES202
MODULE -I
Ms. Garima Srivastava
Asstt. Professor
Dept Of CSE/IT ASET
AUUP Lucknow
 What is Computer?
• A computer is a programmable electronic device that accepts
raw data as input and processes it with a set of instructions
(a program) to produce the result as output i.e information.
•  It renders output just after performing mathematical and
logical operations and can save the output for future use.
• It can process numerical as well as non-numerical
calculations.
• Input-> Process-> Output
 Data and Information

• Data is a collection of unorganized facts & figures and

does not provide any further information regarding
patterns, context, etc. Hence data means "unstructured
facts and figures".
• Information is a structured data i.e. organized
meaningful and processed data. To process the data and
convert into information, a computer is used.

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 Functions of Computers
• A computer performs the following functions −
• Receiving Input
• Data is fed into computer through various input devices
like keyboard, mouse, digital pens, etc. Input can also be
fed through devices like CD-ROM, pen drive, scanner,
etc.
• Processing the information
• Operations on the input data are carried out based on the
instructions provided in the programs.
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• Storing the information
• After processing, the information gets stored in the
primary or secondary storage area.
• Producing output
• The processed information and other details are
communicated to the outside world through output
devices like monitor, printer, etc.

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Characteristics of the computer
system

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• Speed
– A computer works with much higher speed and accuracy compared to
humans while performing mathematical calculations. Computers can
process millions (1,000,000) of instructions per second. The time taken by
computers for their operations is microseconds and nanoseconds.
• Accuracy
– Computers perform calculations with 100% accuracy. Errors may occur
due to data inconsistency or inaccuracy.
• Diligence
– A computer can perform millions of tasks or calculations with the same
consistency and accuracy. It doesn’t feel any fatigue or lack of
concentration. Its memory also makes it superior to that of human beings.

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• Versatility
– Versatility refers to the capability of a computer to perform different kinds
of works with same accuracy and efficiency.
• Reliability
– A computer is reliable as it gives consistent result for similar set of data
i.e., if we give same set of input any number of times, we will get the same
result.
• Automation
– Computer performs all the tasks automatically i.e. it performs tasks
without manual intervention.

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• Memory
– A computer has built-in memory called primary memory where
it stores data. Secondary storage are removable devices such
as CDs, pen drives, etc., which are also used to store data.

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 Application of computers
• Home
• Medical
• Scientific
• Entertainment
• Industry
• Education
• Government
• Banking
• Business
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• Accounts
• Training
• Arts
• Designing
• Science and Engineering
• Simulation

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 Benefits

• Increases your productivity: A computer increases your

productivity. For example, after having a basic
understanding of a word processor, you can create, edit,
store, and print the documents easily and quickly.
• Connects to the Internet: It connects you to the internet
that allows you to send emails, browse content, gain
information, use social media platforms, and more. By
connecting to the internet, you can also connect to your
long-distance friends and family members.
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• Storage: A computer allows you to store a large amount
of information, e.g., you can store your projects, ebooks,
documents, movies, pictures, songs, and more.
• Organized Data and Information: It not only allows you
to store data but also enables you to organize your data.
For example, you can create different folders to store
different data and information and thus can search for
information easily and quickly.
• Improves your abilities: It helps write good English if
you are not good at spelling and grammar.
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• Assist the physically challenged: It can be used to help
the physically challenged, e.g., Stephen Hawking, who
was not able to speak used computer to speak. It also
can be used to help blind people by installing special
software to read what is on the screen.
• Keeps you entertained: You can use the computer to
listen to songs, watch movies, play games and more.

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 History of computer
• A computer can be defined as an electronic device that is designed to accept data, perform the

required mathematical and logical operation and give the result as an output.

• In today’s scenario, we find computer in most aspects of our daily lives. In the past, computer was

extremely large in size and often required an entire room for installation.

• These computers consumed enormous amount of power and were too expensive to be used for

commercial applications.

• Therefore, they were used for limited tasks, such as scientific or military applications.

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• However, with technology improvement, the size of computers
become smaller and their energy requirements reduced
massively.
• This open the way for adoption of computers for commercial
persistence.
• These days, computers have become so prevalent in the market
that all interactive devices such as global positional system,
automatic teller machine, mobile phones etc. work with
computer.
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 Generations of Computers
First Generation (1940-1956)
• The first generation computers had the following features
and components −
• Hardware
– The hardware used in the first generation of computers was:
Vacuum Tubes and Punch Cards.
• Features
– Following are the features of first generation computers −
• It supported machine language.
• It had slow performance
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• It occupied large size due to the use of vacuum tubes.
• It had a poor storage capacity.
• It consumed a lot of electricity and generated a lot of heat.
• Memory: The memory was of 4000 bits.
• Data Input: The input was only provided through hard-
wired programs in the computer, mostly through punched
cards and paper tapes.
• Examples: ENIAC, UNIVACTBM 701

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 Second Generation (1956-1963)
• Several advancements in the first-gen computers led to
the development of second generation computers.
Following are various changes in features and
components of second generation computers −
• Hardware
– The hardware used in the second generation of computers
were −
• Transistors
• Magnetic Tapes

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• Features
– Batch operating system
– Faster and smaller in size
– Reliable and energy efficient than the previous generation
– Less costly than the previous generation
• Memory
– The capacity of the memory was 32,000 bits.

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• Data Input
– The input was provided through punched cards.
• Examples
– Honeywell 400
– CDC 1604
– IBM 7030

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 Third Generation (1964-1971)
• Hardware
– Integrated Circuits made from semi-conductor materials
– Large capacity disks and magnetic tapes
• Features
– Supports time-sharing OS
– Faster, smaller, more reliable and cheaper than the previous
generations
– Easy to access

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• Memory
– The capacity of the memory was 128,000 bits.

• Data Input
– The input was provided through keyboards and monitors.
• Examples−
– IBM 360/370
– CDC 6600
– PDP 8/11
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 Fourth Generation (1972-2010)
• Hardware
– ICs with Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) technology
– Semiconductor memory
– Magnetic tapes and Floppy
– Features
– Multiprocessing & distributed OS
– Object-oriented high level programs supported
– Small & easy to use; hand-held computers have evolved

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 – No external cooling required & affordable
– This generation saw the development of networks and the
internet
– It saw the development of new trends in GUIs and mouse
• Memory
– The capacity of the memory was 100 million bits.
• Data Input
– The input was provided through improved hand held devices,
keyboard and mouse.
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• Examples
• The examples of fourth generation computers are −
– Apple II
– VAX 9000
– CRAY 1 (super computers)

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 Fifth Generation (2010-Present)

• These are the modern and advanced computers.

Significant changes in the components and operations
have made fifth generation computers handy and more
reliable than the previous generations.
• Hardware
– Integrated Circuits with VLSI and Nano technology
– Large capacity hard disk with RAID support
– Powerful servers, Internet, Cluster computing

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• Features
– It supports features like −
– Powerful, cheap, reliable and easy to use.
– Portable and faster due to use of parallel processors and Super
Large Scale Integrated Circuits.
– Rapid software development is possible.
• Memory
– The capacity of the memory is unlimited.

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• Data Input
– The input is provided through CDROM, Optical Disk and other
touch and voice sensitive input devices.
• Examples
– The examples of fifth generation computers are −
– IBM
– Pentium
– PARAM

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Generations of Computers

  First generation Second generation Third generation Fourth Fifth generation

generation
Generation 1940-1955 1955-1964 1964-1975 1975-1989 Currently
period
Significant These computer were These computer were These computer These computer These computer
characteristic huge in size, highly Faster, smaller ,more were Faster, were small, were portable,
unreliable ,limited reliable and easier to smaller ,more reliable and easy more powerful,
commercial use, develop program than reliable, cheaper to use. Total cheaper, reliable
commercial creation first generations, and easier to general purpose and easier to use
is difficult and costly. commercial creation was produce machines, Easier desktop machines,
again costly and difficult. commercially, easier to use in office mainframes,
to use and upgrade and home. totally general
with second purpose
generation system. machines ,Comme
rcial use is more.
Important S/W First generation Second generation In third generation In fourth In fifth generation
technology computer used computers used assembly high level generation computers are based
machine language, language which allow programming development of on Artificial
stored program programmers to specify language were graphical user Intelligence, Neural
concept, mainly used instruction in words. High standardized by ANSI interfaces, word Network, Gaming,
for scientific purpose. level languages such as AND known as ANSI processing World Wide Web,
COBOL, FORTRAN, ALGOL COBOL and ANSI package, graphics Multimedia
were also being develop, FORTRAN. package, Operating application, Internet
mainly used for scientific Standardization help system for PC, based applications.
and commercial these languages to run Network based
applications. Batch on any computer that application.
operating system is used. has their respective
compiler. BASIC and
PASCAL.were
introduced. Time
sharing operating
system is used
Examples of Electronic IBM7030, CDC IBM370,PDP11 IBM PC, AppleII, IBM notebooks,
computer used numerical 1604,UNIVAC , CDC7600 TRS80, CRAY-I Pentium PCs,
in different integrator and LARC,PDP8 SUN
generations. calculator, workstation,
Universal PARAM 1000
automatic
computer,
Electronic delay
storage automatic
computer
Basic Computer Architecture

John Von Neumann Architecture

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Basically a computer can do many operations, e.g. it can:
• Store and retrieve numbers very quickly and very accurately.
• Add, subtract, multiply, and divide fast and accurately.
• Compare numbers
• Follow a list of instructions
• Jump around in the list.
• Everything else, like more complex mathematical operations,
interacting with peripheral devices like graphic cards, printers,
keyboards, mouse, joystick and other specialized devices,
maintaining large data files etc. is done by permutations and
combination of these basic operations mentioned above.
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• In a computer system, everything is represented as numbers.
• Files, data in the files, instructions, addresses where data and
instructions are stored, any kind of text, everything is represented
using numbers.
• The first written description of how an electronic computer system
should store programs and process information had appeared in
john von Neumann report of the EDVAC(Electronic Discrete
Variable Automatic Computer) on June 30, 1945.
• This architecture comprises an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), control
unit, memory and input /output. This design is still in use in one
form or another in all computers and many other electronic
devices.
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• John von Neumann envisioned the structure of a computer
system as being composed of the following components:
1. The central arithmetic unit, which today is called the ARITHMETIC LOGIC
UNIT (ALU) is a digital circuit used to perform arithmetic and logic
operations.
2. A control unit that directs other components of the computer to
perform certain actions, such as directing the fetching of data or
instructions from memory to be processed by the ALU. 

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3. In a computer's central processing unit (CPU), the accumulator is
a register in which intermediate arithmetic and logic results are
stored.
4. Machine interface, i.e. input and output devices, such as a
keyboard for input and display monitor for output
• Von Neumann was interested in presenting a logical description
of the stored program computer rather than an engineering
description. He was concerned with the overall structure of a
computing system, the abstract parts that comprise it, the
functions of each part, and how the parts interact to process the
information 44
According to him:
•  Data and instructions are stored in a single read- write
memory.
• The contents of this memory are addressable by location,
regardless of the type of data contained there.
• Execution occurs in a sequential fashion (unless explicitly
modified from one instruction to the next. Of course,
computer technology has developed extensively since
von Neumann’s time.
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• For instance, due to integrated circuitry and
miniaturization, the ALU and control unit have been
integrated onto the same microprocessor chip, becoming
an integrated part of the computer’s central processing
unit (CPU).

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 Memory
• Memory is that portion of a computer system that is used
for the storage and subsequent retrieval of data &
instruction, a typical computer system is equipped with a
hierarchy of memory system.
• Some are directly accessed by the CPU and some are
accessible by the CPU via the I/O interface. Memory can
be classified on the basis of properties like access or
storage or operations.

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 Main memory
• Main memory or Primary memory or Temporary memory:
The memory unit which is generally part of central
processing memory (memory unit) is temporary in nature.
Whatever the user stores on it remains till the power is
on. The contents are wiped off as soon as the power is
switched off. Hence, it is known as temporary memory or
primary memory.

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• Permanent memory or Secondary memory:
• The memory which is normally attached as a peripheral
unit to the CPU is permanent in nature.
• Permanent means whatever the user writes on it remains
there even if the power is switched off.
• Unless the user deletes the data from secondary memory
it remains. Examples of secondary memory can be floppy
disk, hard disk, compact disk, magnetic tape etc.

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 Classification of memory based on Access
1.Sequential Access Memory (SAM): The data written in a
particular order in sequential access memory can always be
read or accessed in the same order. The data cannot be read or
accessed from in between or in random order. Example device
of such memory is magnetic tape. 
2.Random Access Memory (RAM): The data written in a
particular order in random access memory can be read or
accessed randomly from anywhere in-between, for example,
devices like floppy disk or compact disk or hard disk.

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 Classification of memory on
the basis of read write
• Read Only Memory (ROM):
• The memory unit on which only read operation can be performed
is known as Read Only Memory.
• The writing on such memory happened at the time of
manufacturing of such memory units.
• The software in embedded systems which should not be changed
by the user is written on Read Only Memory units.
• Compact disks or CDs also come under Read Only category. But
special CD writers are now available in the market which helps
writing on compact disks more than one time (i.e. after
manufacturing time also). Still CDs are counted under ROM
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category.
• Read/Write memory (R/W M):
• The memory unit on which both read and write operation
can be performed any time is known as Read/Write
Memory.
• Primary memory or main memory, floppy disks, hard
disks, magnetic tapes etc. are the examples of
Read/Write memory devices.

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 Types of Memory
• The memory unit of a computer is used to store data, instructions for
processing data, intermediate results of processing and the final
processed information. The memory units of a computer are classified as
primary and secondary memory.
• Primary Memory
•The primary memory is available in the computer as a built-in unit of
the computer.
• The primary memory is represented as a set of locations with each
location occupying 8 bits.

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• Each bit in the memory is identified by unique address.
• The data is stored in the machine-understandable binary
form in these memory locations, commonly used primary
memories are as follows:

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 RAM:
• RAM is the read/write memory unit in which the
information is retained only as long as there is a regular
power supply.
• When the power supply is interrupted or switched off, the
information stored in the RAM is lost.
• RAM is volatile memory that temporarily stores data and
applications as long as they are in use.
• When the use of data or the application is over, the
content in RAM is erased.

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 ROM:

• ROM represents Read Only Memory that stores data and

instructions, even when the computer is turned off.
• It is the permanent memory of the computer where the contents
cannot be modified by an end user.
• ROM is a chip that is inserted into the motherboard.
• It is generally used to store the Basic Input/output system (BIOS),
which performs the PowerOnSelfTest (POST).

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 Cache memory:

• Cache memory is used to store the data and the related

application that was last processed by the CPU.
• When the processor performs processing, it first searches
the cache memory and then the RAM, for an instruction.
• The cache memory can be either soldered into the
motherboard or is available as a part of RAM.

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 Secondary Memory
• Secondary memory represents the external storage
devices that are connected to the computer.
• They provide non-volatile memory source used to store
information that is not in use currently.
• A storage device is either located in the CPU casing of
the computer or is connected externally to the computer.

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• The secondary storage devices can be classified as:
• Magnetic storage device: The magnetic storage devices
store information that can be read, erased and rewritten a
number of times. These include floppy disk, hard disk and
magnetic tapes.
• Optical storage device: The optical storage devices are
secondary storage devices that use laser beams to read
the stored data. These include rewritable compact disk
(CD-RW), digital video disks with read only memory(DVD-
ROM), CD-ROM.
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