Chapter 3: COMPUTER SOFTWARE

3.1 SOFTWARE CONCEPTS.

What is software?
Software means the programs of a computer.
Software is a set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do
and how to perform the requested actions.

Software refers to the computer programs that are loaded into a

computer system.
Or,
Software is the language of a computer, that used to instruct the
hardware what to do and accomplish a specific task.

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 TYPES OF SOFTWARE.
There are two main types of software that all programs fit
under, namely:
i. System software
ii. Application software
APPLICATION SOFTWARE.
What is an Application Program?
Application software – is a software designed to help the
user to perform specific tasks.
Or,
 An application program is the type of program that you
use once the operating system has been
loaded

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Examples and uses of application software:
Example of software. Uses.
word-processors. eg: word, lotus ,word pro. -Typing text, letters, memos. etc
Spreadsheets. Eg: ms.excel, lotus 1-2-3. -doing accounts, processing students result
and working with numbers
Databases. -organizing large amounts of information
Eg:ms.access,mySQL,Foxbase,Paradox -keeping records and files.
Graphics. -producing pictures, advertisements,
eg: Adobe Photoshop, Jasc Paint Shop Pro. manuals.
Adobe Illustrator, Arcsoft PhotoStudio,
Web browser. eg: Mozilla Firefox, opera min To access and read webpages

Desktop publishing. eg.Adobepagemaker, Designing publications like news paper,cards.

Ms.Publisher, AdobeInDesign.
Burning studios. Eg Ashampoo,NTI Create CD and DVD

Playing media Play music and videos.

Eg.VLC,DVD player,Real player.

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 SYSTEM SOFTWARE.
System software are software designed to operate the
computer hardware and to provide a platform for running
application software
What is the difference between system software from
application software?

system software application software

-Are software designed to operate -Are software designed to help the
the computer hardware and to user to perform specific tasks.
provide a platform for running
application software.
-Exampes are Operating system -Exampes are word-processors.
(OS),Firmware ,Utility software Eg:word,lotus word pro

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What is the relationship between software and
hardware?
 Hardware and Software have a symbiotic
relationship, this means that without software
hardware is useless; and without hardware, software
wouldn't be able to run at all. They need each other to
work.

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TYPES OF SYSTEM SOFTWARE.

There are four types of system software, namely:

i. Operating system (OS)
ii. Firmware.
iii. Utility software (US)
iv. Networking software.

NB: at this level only OS we will study

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 OPERATING SYSTEMS
Definition.
An Operating system is a set of programs that is used to
manage the basic hardware resources of a computer.
Or,
Operating system is a program that enables user
interaction with computer systems.

-When the computer is switched on,

the OS programs run & check to ensure
that all parts of the computer are
functioning properly.

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Devices/resources under the
control of an Operating System.
A computer is composed of a set of software-controlled
resources that enable movement, storage and processing of
data & information.
As a resource manager, the OS manages the following basic
resources/ devices: -
i. Processor.
ii. Main memory (RAM).
iii. Secondary storage devices.
iv. Input/Output devices and their Ports.
v. Communication devices and their Ports.
vi. Files.

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FUNCTIONS OF OPERATING SYSTEM.
State the functions of OS.
The main functions of OS are:
(1) Starting a computer .
(2) Providing a user interface .
(3) Managing data and program.
(4) Managing memory .
(5) Configuring devices.

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Starting the Computer.
Thes process of starting a computer is called booting .
There are two ways of booting a computer,namely: warm
boot and cold boot.
A warm boot means restarting a computer that is
already ON.
A cold boot means starting a computer that is already
OFF .

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 Providing a User Interface.

 User interface controls how the user enters data and

instruction and how information is displayed.
 Three type of user interface are :
(1) Command-Line;
(2) (2) Menu-Driven;
(3) (3) Graphical User Interface .

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Application of User interface.
 The user interface enables users:
I. to start an application program
II. to shut down the computer safely by following the
correct procedures
III. to manage disks and files,
Example: formatting, copying & renaming.

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 Managing Data and Programs.
• When we start an application, the CPU loads the
application from storage into memory.
• In the early days;
 single-tasking OS could run only one application at a
time.
 Multitasking os enable users to work with two or more
application programs at the same time.

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 Managing Memory.
The computer's OS is responsible for managing memory
such as:
 optimizing the use of RAM
 allocating data & instruction to an area of memory
while being processed·
 monitoring the contents of Memory.
 releasing data and instructions from being monitored
in memory when the process is done.

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 Configuring Devices.
• Configuring devices means OS handling and
enabling communication with input and output
devices.
• Most OS come with drivers for popular input & output
devices.
• These drivers install new devices and check whenever
there is conflict with these devices.

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Examples of operating systems:
i. DOS (Disk Operating System).
ii. Windows operating system.
iii. MacOS (Macintosh).
iv. Unix.
v. Linux

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CLASSIFICATION OF OPERATING SYSTEMS.


 Operating systems can be classified according to:



i. Number of tasks that the system can perform concurrently.

 Single-tasking (program) operating system.
 Multi-tasking operating system.



ii. Number of users the system can support at the same time.
 Single-user operating systems.
 Multi-user operating systems.


iii. Human Computer interface (i.e., how the user & the computer
interact).
 Command line.
 Menu driven interface.
 Graphical user interface (GUI).

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 .
Classification according to tasks handled concurrently


i. Single-tasking OS.
This OP allows only one user-program in the
main memory to be processed at a
particular time.
 Example of a single user OS; MS-DOS.
ii. Multi-tasking (Multiprogramming) OS.
 A Multi-tasking OS allows a single CPU to
execute/process more than one program, all
of which are in memory, at the same time.

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Classification according to number of users.

i. Single-user OS.
A single-user OS is designed to be used by only one person.
It allow only one user/person to operate the machine at a
time in an interactive, conversational mode, and runs only
one user program at a time, e.g. MS-DOS.
ii. Multi-user (or multi access) OS.
A multi-user OS allows more than one user ( many people) to
interactively use/access the computer at the same time.
Examples; UNIX, Novell Netware, Ms-Windows 2000, Ms-
Windows NT, Linux, etc

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Classification according to Human
Computer Interface (HCI).


The term Human Computer Interface (HCI) refers to

the method of interaction between the computer
& the user, and determines how easily the user can
operate the computer.
 HCI is expected to be “user-friendly”, i.e., it should
be one that the end-user finds helpful, and easy to
learn & use.
Three types of interface:
i. Command line.
ii. Menu driven interface.
iii. Graphical User Interface (GUI)
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Command driven interface.
 This is an interaction between the user & the computer that requires the use of
commands
 The user types a command at the prompt found on a command line. The
computer then reads instructions from the command line and executes them.
 Example; To copy a file called Fruits. from Hard disk C to Floppy disk
Commands enable the user to quickly instruct the computer
what to do.
 Command-driven software is more flexible, but it is more
difficult to learn. The user must know what commands are
available, what they do & how they should be typed.
 Examples of Command line interfaces: MS-DOS, Early versions of PC-DOS,
and UNIX.

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Menu driven interface.
 This type of interface provides the user with a list of
program commands displayed on the screen to choose
from & a simple means of selecting between them.
 This interface is suitable for beginners and infrequent users
who may have difficulties in remembering commands.
 There are 2 types of menus: -
Pull-down menus – are special types of menu used mostly
in Windows.
Pop-up menus & Pop-down menus. These menus are
made to appear above or below an item on the screen in
order to elicit/obtain a choice from a user.
 Later versions of DOS have a menu driven interface called
the DOS Shell or DOS Editor.
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 Graphical User Interface (GUI).
 This is an interaction between the user & computer that involves
issuing of commands to the computer by activating certain small
graphic images displayed on the screen called Icons.
 To issue a command, the icons can be selected using a pointing
device like a Mouse.
 Examples of GUI based OS; Ms-Windows, Linux, Apple
Macintosh.
 Features of a graphical user interface.
i. Programs are represented graphically by use of Icons.
ii. Commands are selected and issued using pointing
devices, e.g., Mouse, trackball.
iii. There is use of pull-down menus.
Advantages of using GUI based OS
i. They are user friendly.
ii. Easy to learn & use.
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 Exercise 3.1
1. Define the term software
2. Give five difference between application software and system
software
3. Mention three types of system software
4. define the Term operating system and give three examples of OS
5. Mention five function of operating system
6. Mention three Categories of Operating system, in each list their
types
7. Differentiate between multi-user and multitasking operating
systems.
8. Name three types of user interfaces employed by different
commercial Operating systems.
9. Differentiate between command-line interface and graphical user
interface operating systems based on the way commands are
entered.
10. State two main advantages of GUI interfaces.

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WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEMS.
Windows operating system was developed as a Graphical User
Interface (GUI) for PCs running on MS-DOS.
 It provides a friendly interface that allows the users to enter
commands by pointing and clicking at objects that appear on
the screen using a pointing device, e.g., a Mouse or a trackball.
These graphical capabilities make a program easier to use.
 Microsoft Windows takes its name from the on-screen
“Window” that it uses to display information.
 A Window is a rectangular area on a display screen in which text
and graphical images may be displayed.
 Examples of Windows operating systems: Microsoft Windows
95, 98, 2000 Professional, 2003, NT, Millennium (Me), XP, and
Vista. Linux, UNIX, MacOS.

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Advantages of Windows Operating Systems.
i. It is easy to open programs, find documents, and switch
between programs.
ii. Windows provide facilities such as the Windows Explorer,
which enable one to browse through & manage you files,
folders, and drives easily.
iii. Windows can support long file names, making it easier to
find and organize files.
iv. Windows has improved Video, CD & sound capabilities, and
support MS-DOS-based games.
v. Windows makes it easier to install new hardware devices
onto the system. It is able to recognize and sets up a certain
Plug-and-Play (PnP) hardware whose card has been inserted
in the computer automatically.
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vi. Windows allows true Multitasking, i.e. it allows the user to
run more than one (several) program at the same time,
each in its own window.
.
vii. Windows is user-friendly, i.e., it is menu driven, hence easy
to operate, because the options used in particular programs
are usually displayed on the screen in form icons.
viii. All Windows applications share a common set of
commands. E.g., Open, Save, Print, etc & therefore, there is
no need to learn a different set of commands for each
application.
ix. Windows allows movement of text or items from one
program to another. i.e., it is easy to
x. Windows has facilities that enable the computer to save
power resources by putting the computer on standby or
hibernation.

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Differences between Ms-Windows
& Disk Operating System

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 Exercise 3.2
1. Give FOUR difference between Windows based Operating
system software has over Disk Operating System software.
2. (a). List Four types of Windows versions.
(b). Why is Windows termed as a friendly Operating system?
3. List four advantages of the Windows Operating environment.
4. Name two major reasons why it became necessary to use an
Operating system.
5. Identify FOUR resources that the Operating system should
manage.
6. List and explain any five general functions of an operating
system.
7. What is the relationship between software and hardware?

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 USING OPERATING SYSTEM (OS).
 In this lesson, we’ll cover the basics of:
i. how to turn ON and OFF a computer.
ii. How to:
Create,Delete,Rename,Copy,Cut,Paste,Save,Drag and
Drop,Close and Open a File/Folder.

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How to switch OFF the computer?

 Use the mouse to click on the Start Button at the

lower left hand side of the desktop.
 When the menu appears, click on Shutdown.
click start button shutdown
 This is the sequence for a computer with the Windows
XP operating system. It may be slightly different if you
have a different version of Windows, but the idea is the
same.

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 Switch OFF the computer.
 There are occasions when a computer is not able to
turn off.
 If it gets stuck and will not finish turning off, you may
need to use the power button.
 To do this, hold the power button in until you hear the
computer stop and see the screen go blank.
 Doing this may result in an error message when you
turn the computer back on, but will usually not harm
the computer

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 switching off a computer with
pictures.
1.Click the start button.
(It is in the bottom left corner of the computer screen).

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 Switch OFF computer,cont…
2.When a box appears press the small arrow button
on the right (its color is red and has a white circle)
side of the box and it should give you your options.)

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Switch OFF computer,cont…
3.The options that appear are switch user ,log off, lock,
restart, sleep and shutdown.

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 Switch OFF computer,cont…
4.To turn the computer "off" you must press the
shutdown button.

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 Switch OFF computer,cont…
5.A box will appear asking if you want to shutdown, say
okay then your computer will do the rest!

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 Switching ON the computer.

 Turning on the CPU.

-Pushing in the Power button and then releasing it.
 Noise like a fan or a vacuum cleaner is heard,
 Lights will appear on the front of the computer,
indicates that the power is on!

Picture of a power button:

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Switching ON the computer,cont..
 Turning on the MONITOR.
Press and release power button found in the lower right
corner of the screen.

Class activity 3.1

i. Apply a correct procedure of switching ON the computer using
windows based operating system.
ii. Apply a correct procedure of switching OFF the computer
using windows based operating system.
iii. How long does it take to turn ON?
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 FILES AND FOLDERS.
1. Folders
 A folder (directories ) is a collection of multiple files.
 Subfolder is a folder that store other folders.
 Folder icon looks as below:

Empty folder. Folder with files.

Steps To create a folder:
 Right click on any blank space on screen.
 Click New.
 Click Folder.
 Click twice on blank space
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 FILES AND FOLDERS.cont..
1. FILES.
 Files are the most basic unit of data that users can store on a
disk.
 Examples of Files are:
i. Every program,
ii. image,
iii. video,
iv. song,
v. Document.
NB: Files are created by using a program.
 For example:
i. Text document file created by a word processing program
.
ii. Movie file created by a video editing program.

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Files icons.
File's icon, tells what kind of file it is.
Here are some common file icons:

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 Renaming Files/Folder.

 Renaming means giving an item a new name.

 Steps to rename file / folder:
1. Right-click the file/folder.
2. Click rename.
3. Type over the existing name with the new name.

 During Rena ming, Warnings appear when:

 The new name is invalid.
- Change the name to make it valid. File names must start with
a letter, and can contain letters, digits, or underscores.
 The folder is on the search path.

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 Opening a file/folder.

 To open a file/folder, double-click it.

OR,
 Right-click the file/folder,
 Click Open or OpenWith, and then click the name of
the program that you want to use.

CLOSING A FILE/FOLDER.
 To close a file/folder click the X at the upper right
hand corner of the window.

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 Saving a file/folder.
 To save a file click File in the menu bar and then click
i. Save As ,
In the dialog box that appears, type a file name then click save.
OR: Short cut: Ctrl + S,
In the dialog box that appears, type a file name then click Save.
DELETING A FILE/FOLDER.
To delete a file/folder, select the file/folder.
1. Press DELETE
2. In the Delete File dialog box, click Yes.
 When you delete a file/folder, it's temporarily stored in the
Recycle Bin.
 Recycle Bin allows to recover files or folders that deleted
accidentally.
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 Copy and Paste a file or folder.

 To copy a file or folder, means making a duplicate of

the original item.
• Steps to copy/paste file/folder:
i. Right-click the file or folder you want to copy.
ii. Click Copy.
iii. Open the location where you want to store the copy.
iv. Right-click within the location
v. Click Paste.
 Shortcut: Ctrl+C to copy.
Ctrl+V to paste.

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 Cut and Paste a file or folder.
 To cut a file or folder, removes the original item.
 Steps to cut and paste file/folder:
i. Right-click the file or folder you want to cut.
ii. Click Cut.
iii. Open the location where you want to paste.
iv. Right-click within the location
v. Click Paste.
 Shortcut: Ctrl+X to cut.
Ctrl+V to paste.
Drag and Drop
is the process of moving an item from one location to another on screen.
Steps:
1. Press and hold down left mouse button to "grab" it.
2. Then move your pointer to the location you need to place it and release
the button.

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 Exercise 3.3
1. What is booting?
2. Differentiate cold booting and warm booting.
3. Define the following terms:
i. Files
ii. Folder
iii. Subfolder
iv. Folder tree
4. Distinguish between system files and application files.
5. Describe two functions of files.
6. Explain each of the following commands as used to manage files and
folders:
i. Rename
ii. Move
iii. Delete
iv. Copy
v. Paste

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