PROGRAMMING

• Today's world is an information-rich world and it has become a necessity for everyone to know about computers
• Functionalities of a computer

  • Takes data as input
  • Stores the data/instructions in its memory and use them when required
  • Processes the data and converts it into useful information
  • Generates the output
• Computer


  An electronic data processing device which accepts and stores data input, processes the data input, and generates the output in a required format
• Advantages of computers


  • High Speed
  • Accuracy
  • Storage Capability
  • Diligence
  • Versatility
  • Reliability
  • Automation
  • Reduction in Paper Work
  • Reduction in Cost
• Disadvantages of computers


  • No IQ
  • Dependency
  • Environment
  • No Feeling
• Applications of computers in Business

  • Payroll calculations
  • Budgeting
  • Sales analysis
  • Financial forecasting
  • Managing employees database
  • Maintenance of stocks etc.
• Applications of computers in Banking

  • Online accounting facility, which includes current balances, deposits, overdrafts, interest charges, shares, and trustee records
  • ATM machines
• Applications of computers in Insurance

  • Procedure to continue with policies
  • Starting date of the policies
  • Next due installment of a policy
  • Maturity date
  • Interests due
  • Survival benefits
  • Bonus
• Applications of computers in Education

  • CBE (Computer Based Education) involving control, delivery, and evaluation of learning
  • Preparing a database about performance of a student and analysis
• Applications of computers in Marketing

  • Advertising - creating art and graphics, writing and revising copy, and printing and disseminating ads
  • Home shopping - computerized catalogues that provide access to product information and permit direct entry of orders
• Applications of computers in Health Care

  • Diagnostic System - collecting data and identifying cause of illness
  • Lab-diagnostic System - all tests can be done and reports are prepared by computer
  • Patient Monitoring System - checking patient's signs for abnormality such as in Cardiac Arrest, ECG etc.
  • Pharma Information System - checking Drug-Labels, Expiry dates, harmful drug's side effects
  • Surgery - computers are used in performing surgery
• Applications of computers in Engineering Design

  • Structural Engineering - stress and strain analysis for design of Ships, Buildings, Budgets, Airplanes etc.
  • Industrial Engineering - design, implementation and improvement of integrated systems of people, materials and equipment
  • Architectural Engineering - planning towns, designing buildings, determining a range of buildings on a site using both 2D and 3D drawings
• Applications of computers in Military


  • Missile Control
  • Military Communication
  • Military Operation and Planning
  • Smart Weapons
• Applications of computers in Communication

  • E-mail
  • Chatting
  • Usenet - worldwide distributed discussion system
  • FTP - File Transfer Protocol
  • Telnet - client-server protocol, based on a reliable connection-oriented transport
  • Video conferencing
• Applications of computers in Government

  • Budgets
  • Sales tax department
  • Income tax department
  • Male/Female ratio
  • Computerization of voters lists
  • Computerization of driving licensing system
  • Computerization of PAN card
  • Weather forecasting
• First Generation Computers (1946 - 1959)

  • Vacuum tube technology
  • Unreliable
  • Very costly
  • Generated lot of heat
  • Slow input and output devices
  • Huge size
  • Need of A.C.
  • Non-portable
  • Consumed lot of electricity
• Second Generation Computers (1959 - 1965)

  • Use of transistors
  • Smaller size
  • Generated less
  • Consumed less electricity
  • Faster than first generation computers
  • Very costly
  • A.C. needed
• Third Generation Computers (1965 - 1971)


  • IC (Integrated Circuits) used
  • Smaller size
  • Generated less heat
  • Faster
  • A.C. needed
  • Consumed lesser electricity
• Fourth Generation Computers (1971 - 1980)

  • VLSI (Very Large Scale Integrated Circuits) used
  • Very cheap
  • Portable and reliable
  • Use of PC's
  • Small size
  • No A.C. needed
  • Concept of internet was introduced
  • Great developments in the fields of networks
• Fifth Generation Computers (1980 - till date)


  • ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integrated Circuits) used
  • Development of true artificial intelligence
  • Advancement in Superconductor technology
  • More user friendly interfaces with multimedia features
  • Availability of very powerful and compact computers at cheaper rates
• Personal Computer


  A computer designed for individual use, typically used for tasks such as word processing, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and gaming
• Workstation


  A high-performance computer configured to perform specific computationally-intensive tasks, such as scientific research, 3D modeling/animation, or audio/video production
• Mini Computer


  A midsize multi-processing system capable of supporting up to 250 users simultaneously
• Mainframe


  A very large and expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds or even thousands of users simultaneously, executing many programs concurrently and supporting many simultaneous execution of programs
• Supercomputer


  An extremely fast computer which can execute hundreds of millions of instructions per second, very expensive and employed for specialized applications that require immense amount of mathematical calculations
• Basic logical structure and operations of all computers

  • Input Unit
  • CPU (Central Processing Unit)
  • Output Unit
• Input Unit


  Contains devices with the help of which we enter data into computer, translating the information into the form understandable by computer
• CPU (Central Processing Unit)


  Considered as the brain of the computer, performs all types of data processing operations, stores data, intermediate results and instructions, controls the operation of all parts of computer
• Components of CPU


  • ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)
  • Memory Unit
  • Control Unit
• Memory or Storage Unit


  Can store instructions, data and intermediate results, also known as internal storage unit or main memory or Random access memory(RAM), its size affects speed, power and capability
• Control Unit


  Controls the operations of all parts of computer but does not carry out any actual data processing operations, responsible for controlling the transfer of data and instructions, manages and coordinates all the units of the computer, obtains the instructions from the memory, interprets them, and directs the operation of the computer, communicates with Input/Output devices for transfer of data or results from storage, does not process or store data
• ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)


  Consists of Arithmetic section which performs arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, and Logic section which performs logic operations such as comparing, selecting, matching and merging of data
• Input Devices


  • Keyboard
  • Mouse
  • Joy Stick
  • Light pen
  • Track Ball
  • Scanner
  • Graphic Tablet
  • Microphone
  • Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
  • Optical Character Reader(OCR)
  • Bar Code Reader
  • Optical Mark Reader(OMR)
• Keyboard


  The most common and very popular input device which helps in inputting data to the computer, layout is like that of traditional typewriter with additional keys for performing additional functions
• Mouse


  Most popular pointing device, a small palm size box with a round ball at its base which senses the movement of mouse and sends corresponding signals to CPU when the mouse buttons are pressed, generally has two buttons called left and right button and a wheel, used to control the position of cursor on screen but cannot be used to enter text
• Joystick


  Also a pointing device used to move cursor position on a monitor screen, a stick having a spherical ball at its both lower and upper ends, the lower spherical ball moves in a socket allowing the joystick to be moved in all four directions, function is similar to that of a mouse, mainly used in Computer Aided Designing(CAD) and playing computer games
• Light Pen


  A pointing device similar to a pen, used to select a displayed menu item or draw pictures on the monitor screen, consists of a photocell and an optical system placed in a small tube, when the tip of a light pen is moved over the monitor screen and pen button is pressed, its photocell sensing element detects the screen location and sends the corresponding signal to the CPU
• Track ball


  An input device that is mostly used in notebook or laptop computer, instead of a mouse, a ball which is half inserted and by moving fingers on ball, pointer can be moved, since the whole device is not moved, a track ball requires less space than a mouse
• Scanner


  An input device which works more like a photocopy machine, used to transfer information available on a paper to the hard disc of the computer for further manipulation, captures images from the source which are then converted into the digital form that can be stored on the disc, these images can be edited before they are printed
• Digitizer


  An input device which converts analog information into digital form, can convert a signal from the television or camera into a series of numbers that could be stored in a computer, used for creating a picture of whatever the camera had been pointed at, also known as Tablet or Graphics Tablet, used for doing fine works of drawing and image manipulation applications