Information Technology

Information Processing
Software and Systems
Software is a set of instructions which tells the computer exactly what to do and enables the hardware to do
useful jobs.

Categories of software: System software and application software.

System software is a set of computer programs which controls the operation of a computer system. System
software is a type of computer program that is designed to run a computer's hardware and application programs.
If we think of the computer system as a layered model, the system software is the interface between the
hardware and user applications.

Application software also known as an application or an app, is computer software designed to help the user
to perform specific tasks. ... Applications may be bundled with the computer and its system software, or may
be published separately.

System software are divided into operating system and utility programs.

Operating systems are a set of computer programs that manages the computer hardware resources and provides
common services for application software. An operating system has three main functions:
1. manage the computer's resources, such as the central processing unit, memory, disk drives, and
printers,
2. establish a user interface, and
3. execute and provide services for applications software.

This includes Windows, linux, UNIX and apple osi.

Utilitiy programs are system software that supports the operating system in its housekeeping tasks to increase
the efficiency of the computer system. Utility software helps to manage, maintain and control computer
resources. Examples of utility programs are antivirus software, backup software and disk tools. It carryout
routine tasks that are often needed by a user to maintain the computers health, weather hardware or data.

User interface is the way the user is able interact with the computer system sometimes called human user
interface, There are two types of user interface: Software interface and Hardware interface.

Software interface determine the appearance of the software on the screen and the features available to interact
with the software. Software interface are divided into: Command Line Interface, Menu driven Interface,
Graphical User Interface (GUI) and Touch Interface.
o Command line interface is a text-based interface that is used to operate software and operating
systems while allowing the user to respond to visual prompts by typing single commands into the
interface.. Example of operating software using command line interface is MSDOS. Advantages:
they take up little RAM hence are quick to operate, it is faster to use once you have learnt the
commands and cheaper to implement for programmers. Disadvantages: Many commands have to
be learned, it restrict the user to using only the keyboard as the interfacing devices and Commands
must be entered at a special location on the screen in a set format.
o Menu driven interface an interface consisting of a series of screens which are navigated by choosing
options from lists, i.e. Menus. (“Menu” is not used here to refer to pull-down menus, but to lists of
options on the screen that lead to other screens.). Menu can be drop-down or pop-up. In drop-down
 menu, users get options displayed in a vertical list that may have horizontal dividers and link to
submenus. In pop-up menu, the menu is displayed when the user positions the mouse over an
object and clicks or activates the menu. When you right click on the mouse button you get the menu
in the form of pop-up. Advantage: The user is presented a list to choose from hence does not have
to remember the commands and its correct syntax, it is free from typing errors because the user does
not have to type any command and a wide viarity of input devices can be used to interface with the
menu. Disadvantage: several steps are required to issue a command and once the user learnt the
menu system it is bothersome to have to wait on the package to present the questions before the
commands can be entered.
o Graphical user interface is a visual way of interacting with a computer using items such as windows,
icons, and menus, used by most modern operating systems.Example of operating system using GUI
is Windows. Advantages: Its user frendliness results in less anxity on the part of the users,
icon/symbols are easy to recognised, fewer command errors occurs due to the use of the mouse to
make selections and it reduce typing. Disadvantages: For programmers the design of graphical
user interface is more complex, it increase the use of computer memory which can lead to slower
processing and takes up more screen space.
o Touch user interface is a computer-pointing technology based upon the sense of touch

Hardware interface
These comprises of devices which allow the user interact with the computers. This includes keyboards, mouse,
touch screens, and microphone.

Application Software
Application software consists of programs written to solve end user problems.

Application software is available in a variety of forms: general purpose, special purpse, integrated package,
custom written and customized.

General purpose software is software packages that can be purchased off the shelves ad are used for routine
tasks and usually allows the user to perform a number of task. Examples: word processing software, ,
spreadsheet, database management, communication and graphics/presentation packages. However there
may be some limitation to the quality of the task provided.

Special purpose software is software packages that can be purchased off the shelves and are used to perform
specific tasks for the user. Examples: payroll package, stock control, keeping business accounts, theatre
booking and expert system. Because these software are dedicated to a particular task, usually will do fairly
good job.

Custom written software is software that has been designed or created by a programmer to meet the unique
need of a user or organisation. For example, if a company wants to computerise its Accounting department it
can commission a software firm or company's technical team to create the exact software they require.

Customised software is the modification of a general purpose software to meet the specific needs of the user
or organisation.

An integrated software is the term for a program that includes all the major types of application in one
software package, e.g. Micooft office and Microsoft works which contain word processing, spreadsheet,
database and more in a single software package.
Hardware Specification
System specification includes the basic hardware required to run an application such as a video game,
browsing the web, graphic design, video editing and desktop publishing.

CRITERIA
Processor
Type up to i7
Speed
Memory (RAM)
Secondary storage
Capacity
Speed
Types of software
Input/Output devices

Troubleshooting Basic Computer Hard Problems

 Cable problem – loose or damaged cable
 Monitor problem – improperly adjusted control
 Printer problem – ink finishing/changing cartridges
 Battery problem – loose or dead battery

INFORMATION PROCESSING

Data and information

Data is a collection of raw unprocessed facts, figures, and symbols which is meaningless. Types of data are
number, text, date, time, graphics and sound.

Information is the result produced by the CPU after processing data which is meaningful.

The time cards for a given week are an example of data. A company might process this data into a report
(information) that summarizes the total hours worked and the payroll expense for the week.

Source of data and information: people, places and thing.

Document Types
Human readable documents are documents that are in a form for humans to read. These are documents that
are normally filled out by humans and can be read by humans. This document is usually built and structured
to facilitate the filling out of data by hand. Possible challenges are: The person filling out the document may
misunderstand the questions asked, his/her hand writing may be difficult to read and understand, and there is
also the possibility of someone leaving out some sections of the document.

Machine readable document is document where the data is encoded in a way that can easily be read by
computers. Examples of machine readable documents are modern passport, items with barcodes and
cheques which have magnetic ink and multiple choice answer sheets.
Turnaround document this is both a human readable document and a machine readable document because it
is generated by the computer and the user will write on it additional information.. Examples include
completed forms that are scanned into the computer, meter cards used to collect readings and prescription
form.

Forms of documents – hard copy and soft copy.

Hard copy is printed information that exists physically and is a permanent copy
Soft copy is information on a display device or audio which exists electronically for a temporary period.

How to evaluate website content

Evaluating Internet Resources

Unlike similar information found in newspapers or television broadcasts, information available on the
Internet is not regulated for quality or accuracy; therefore, it is particularly important for the individual
Internet user to evaluate the resource or information. Keep in mind that almost anyone individual can
publish anything they wish on the Web. It is often difficult to determine authorship of Web sources,
and even if the author is listed, he or she may not always represent him or herself honestly, or he or
she may represent opinions as fact. The responsibility is on the user to evaluate resources effectively.
Remember to evaluate Wikipedia articles too;

Evaluation of information retrieved electronically for authenticity, currency, relevance, and bias.

Authority
Is the author identified? If the author has chosen to remain anonymous, ask yourself 'why?'
Is the author a person you recognise as an expert in his field?
If not, is there enough information provided to establish the author’s credibility?
Is she qualified to write about the subject?
Can you find references to her elsewhere?
Is the author affiliated to an academic institution or credible organisation?

Accuracy
Is it free from spelling errors?
Is the text well-written and grammatically correct?
Has the content been through an editing process or been peer reviewed?
Has the author included a bibliography?
Are the sources cited reliable and can they be verified elsewhere?
Are research methodologies adequately explained?

Objectivity
Does the author present objective arguments or make it clear when he is expressing biased opinions?
Are other points of view explored?
Is it a personal website? Does it express personal opinions?
Is the website part of a commercial organisation, a political party or an organisation with a specific agenda? If
yes, question the motives for publishing the information.
Does the website promote a biased viewpoint?
Currency
Can you tell when the information was published?
Is the information up to date?
How frequently is the website updated?
Are the links up to date and working?
A good website will show when it was ‘last updated’ or give a clear indication of the timeliness of the
information. Working links indicate the website is being maintained and updated regularly.

Types of Errors
Typographical error is error made typical by human when typing data. This can also be said to be an
accidental error as they are not made on purpose. Example typing the wrong date.

Transposition error is a typing error made when numbers or characters are placed in the wrong order.
Example hte instead of the.

There are two ways to prevent errors made by humans;

 Data Verification
 Data Validation

Verification and validation of data

Data Verification is the process of manually checking the data for errors by comparing the entered data with
the source document to see if they match up. Data verification is done by humans.
Data Validation is the process whereby the data is compared with a set of rules or values by the software to
determine if the data is correct. Validation check is carried out by the software when data is entered via the
keyboard.

Ways of data verification:

1. Double entry – this is where data is allowed to be entered twice usig a program and if both data is not
the same it is concluded to be incorrect and not processed.
2. Proofreading/Visual check – proofreading is when the onscreen document is compared wiht the source
document to detemine if it was correctly entered. This is usually a lengthy process.

Data validation Check

Types of validation check:
1. Data type check/Character check make sure that the right type of data has been entered. If you
intended to enter numbers only numbers are typed and if you intended to type letters only letters are
typed and so on.
2. Range checks are performed on numbers to make sure that they lie within a specified range.
3. Presence checks make sure that a field or fields in a database, which must not be null, are supplied
with data.
4. Consistency/Inconsistency check tests the data in two or more associated fields to ensure that it is
logical. For example, a Due Date cannot occur earlier in time than a Rental Date also discount cannot
be more than the original price and if you entered date of birth and age must corresponding with each
other.
5. Reasonableness check - determines whether values are reasonable by making sure that they don't
deviate too much. Example a two year old child should not be 5feet in height.
 6. format is a validation check which ensures that entered data is in a particular format. The format that
data must be in is specified using an input mask. The input mask is made up of special characters which
indicate what characters may be typed where.
7. Length Sometimes you may have a set of data which always has the same number of characters. For
example a UK landline telephone number has 11 characters. A length check could be set up to ensure
that exactly 11 numbers are entered into the field.

File Organisation and Access

File organisation and access relates to the use of records, fields and files stored in a database.

A file has three important characteristics:

 A file can either be permanent or temporary
 The manner in which the record of the file are organised on a secondary storage device (file
organisation)
 The manner in which records are accessed.

File access methods

There are four types of file ordering: sequential, serial, direct and random.

A sequential file is one in which the records are stored in sorted order of one or more key fields. Sequential
access is access to a computer data file that requires the user to read through the file from the beginning in
the order in which it is stored. An example of a sequential file is a sorted transaction file.
A class register is an example of a non-computerised sequential file sorted on surname.

Serial file ordering is similar to sequential file ordering, except the records are not stored in any particular
order (unordered). They are simply stored one after another as they are added, similar to new items on a
shopping list where as you go along, you add what you need. This type of ordering is often used to capture
transactions as they occur during the day.

Random or direct file ordering is where files are stored in any order using a key. The file is organised like a
one-dimensional array where each array element has an index/subscript to marked its location. Random
access or direct access allows you to access the record you want without having to go through any order,
unlike sequential access. The computer locates the data item using the indices.