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BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS

UNIT-1 Introduction

to computer:

A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or data. It has

the ability to store, retrieve, and process data. You may already know that you can use
a computer to type documents, send email, play games, and browse the Web. You
can also use it to edit or create spreadsheets, presentations, and even videos.

Components of CPU
Central Processing Unit (CPU) consists of the following features −

• CPU is considered as the brain of the computer.

• CPU performs all types of data processing operations.
• It stores data, intermediate results, and instructions (program).
• It controls the operation of all parts of the computer.

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CPU itself has following three components.

• Memory or Storage Unit

• Control Unit
• ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)

Memory or Storage Unit

This unit can store instructions, data, and intermediate results. This unit supplies
information to other units of the computer when needed. It is also known as internal
storage unit or the main memory or the primary storage or Random Access Memory (RAM).
Its size affects speed, power, and capability. Primary memory and secondary memory are
two types of memories in the computer. Functions of the memory unit are −
• It stores all the data and the instructions required for processing.
• It stores intermediate results of processing.
• It stores the final results of processing before these results are released to an output
device.
• All inputs and outputs are transmitted through the main memory.

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Control Unit

This unit controls the operations of all parts of the computer but does not carry out any
actual data processing operations. Functions of this unit are − • It is responsible for
controlling the transfer of data and instructions among other units of a computer.
• It manages and coordinates all the units of the computer.
• It obtains the instructions from the memory, interprets them, and directs the
operation of the computer.
• It communicates with Input/Output devices for transfer of data or results from
storage.
• It does not process or store data.

ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)

This unit consists of two subsections namely,

• Arithmetic Section
• Logic Section

Arithmetic Section

Function of arithmetic section is to perform arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction,

multiplication, and division. All complex operations are done by making repetitive use of
the above operations.

Logic Section

Function of logic section is to perform logic operations such as comparing, selecting,

matching, and merging of data.

Types of memory:
A memory is just like a human brain. It is used to store data and instructions. Computer
memory is the storage space in the computer, where data is to be processed and
instructions required for processing are stored. The memory is divided into large number
of small parts called cells. Each location or cell has a unique address, which varies from
zero to memory size minus one. For example, if the computer has 64k words, then this
memory unit has 64 * 1024 = 65536 memory locations. The address of these locations
varies from 0 to 65535.
Memory is primarily of three types −

• Cache Memory
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• Primary Memory/Main Memory

• Secondary Memory

Cache Memory

Cache memory is a very high speed semiconductor memory which can speed up the CPU.
It acts as a buffer between the CPU and the main memory. It is used to hold those parts
of data and program which are most frequently used by the CPU. The parts of data and
programs are transferred from the disk to cache memory by the operating system, from
where the CPU can access them.

Advantages

The advantages of cache memory are as follows −

• Cache memory is faster than main memory.

• It consumes less access time as compared to main memory.
• It stores the program that can be executed within a short period of time.
• It stores data for temporary use.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of cache memory are as follows −

• Cache memory has limited capacity.

• It is very expensive.

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Primary Memory (Main Memory)

Primary memory holds only those data and instructions on which the computer is currently
working. It has a limited capacity and data is lost when power is switched off. It is generally
made up of semiconductor device. These memories are not as fast as registers. The data
and instruction required to be processed resides in the main memory. It is divided into
two subcategories RAM and ROM.

Characteristics of Main Memory

• These are semiconductor memories.

• It is known as the main memory.
• Usually volatile memory.
• Data is lost in case power is switched off.
• It is the working memory of the computer.
• Faster than secondary memories.
• A computer cannot run without the primary memory.

Secondary Memory

This type of memory is also known as external memory or non-volatile. It is slower than
the main memory. These are used for storing data/information permanently. CPU directly
does not access these memories, instead they are accessed via input-output routines. The
contents of secondary memories are first transferred to the main memory, and then the
CPU can access it. For example, disk, CD-ROM, DVD, etc.

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Characteristics of Secondary Memory

• These are magnetic and optical memories.

• It is known as the backup memory.
• It is a non-volatile memory.
• Data is permanently stored even if power is switched off.
• It is used for storage of data in a computer.
• Computer may run without the secondary memory.
• Slower than primary memories. Types of Computer

We can categorize computer by two ways: data handling capabilities and size.

On the basis of data handling capabilities, the computer is of three types:

o Analogue Computer o
Digital Computer o Hybrid
Computer 1) Analogue
Computer

Analogue computers are designed to process the analogue data. Analogue data is
continuous data that changes continuously and cannot have discrete values such as speed,
temperature, pressure and current.

The analogue computers measure the continuous changes in physical quantity and
generally render output as a reading on a dial or scale.

Analogue computers directly accept the data from the measuring device without first
converting it into numbers and codes.

Speedometer and mercury thermometer are examples of analogue computers.

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2) Digital Computer

Digital computer is designed to perform calculations and logical operations at high speed.
It accepts the raw data as digits or numbers and processes it with programs stored in its
memory to produce output. All modern computers like laptops and desktops that we use
at home or office are digital computers.

3) Hybrid Computer

Hybrid computer has features of both analogue and digital computer. It is fast like
analogue computer and has memory and accuracy like digital computers. It can process
both continuous and discrete data. So it is widely used in specialized applications where
both analogue and digital data is processed. For example, a processor is used in petrol
pumps that converts the measurements of fuel flow into quantity and price.

On the basis of size, the computer can be of five types:

1) Supercomputer

Supercomputers are the biggest and fastest computers. They are designed to process
huge amount of data. A supercomputer can process trillions of instructions in a second. It
has thousands of interconnected processors.

Supercomputers are particularly used in scientific and engineering applications such as

weather forecasting, scientific simulations and nuclear energy research. First
supercomputer was developed by Roger Cray in 1976.

2) Mainframe computer

Mainframe computers are designed to support hundreds or thousands of users

simultaneously. They can support multiple programs at the same time. It means they can
execute different processes simultaneously. These features of mainframe computers make
them ideal for big organizations like banking and telecom sectors, which need to manage
and process high volume of data.

3) Miniframe computer

It is a midsize multiprocessing computer. It consists of two or more processors and can

support 4 to 200 users at one time. Miniframe computers are used in institutes and
departments for the tasks such as billing, accounting and inventory management.

4) Workstation
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Workstation is a single user computer that is designed for technical or scientific

applications. It has faster microprocessor, large amount of RAM and high speed graphic
adapters. It generally performs a specific job with great expertise; accordingly, they are
of different types such as graphics workstation, music workstation and engineering design
workstation.

5) Microcomputer

Microcomputer is also known as personal computer. It is a general purpose computer that

is designed for individual use. It has a microprocessor as a central processing unit,
memory, storage area, input unit and output unit. Laptops and desktop computers are
examples of microcomputers.

Software:
Software, in its most general sense, is a set of instructions or programs instructing a
computer to do specific tasks.
Software is a generic term used to describe computer programs that run on PCs, mobile
phones, tablets, or other smart devices.
Software is often used to describe all the functional aspects of a computer that do not
refer to its physical components (hardware). Scripts, applications, programs and a set of
instructions are all terms often used to d

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escribe software.
Everything that “runs” on a computer, from an operating system, to a diagnostic tool,
video game, or app can be defined as software.

The Four Categories of Software

Programming software
Programming software is a set of tools to aid developers in writing programs. The various
tools available are compilers, linkers, debuggers, interpreters and text editors.

System software
System software serves as a base for application software. System software includes
device drivers, operating systems (OSs), compilers, disk formatters, text editors and
utilities helping the computer to operate more efficiently.
It is also responsible for managing hardware components and providing basic non-
taskspecific functions. The system software is usually written in the C programming
language.

Application software
Application software is intended to perform certain tasks. Examples of application software
include office suites, gaming applications, database systems and educational software.
Application software can be a single program or a collection of small programs. This type
of software is what consumers most typically think of as "software."

Malicious software (malware)

Malicious software is intentionally developed to damage computers and/or disrupt other
software. Harm is often caused unbeknownst to users who inadvertently installed malware
since this type of software usually acts in secret.

Hardware:
Computer hardware refers to the physical parts of a computer and related devices.
Internal hardware devices include motherboards, hard drives, and RAM. External hardware
devices include monitors, keyboards, mice, printers, and scanners.

The internal hardware parts of a computer are often referred to as components,

while external hardware devices are usually called peripherals. Together, they all fall under
the category of computer hardware. Software, on the other hand, consists of the programs
and applications that run on computers. Because software runs on computer hardware,

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software programs often have system requirements that list the minimum hardware
required for the software to run.

Input devices:
An input device is essentially a piece of hardware that sends data to a computer. Most
input devices either interact with or control the computer in some way. The most common
input devices are the mouse and the keyboard, but there are many others.

Keyboard

Keyboard is the most common and very popular input device which helps to input data to
the computer. The layout of the keyboard is like that of traditional typewriter, although
there are some additional keys provided for performing additional functions.

Keyboards are of two sizes 84 keys or 101/102 keys, but now keyboards with 104 keys or
108 keys are also available for Windows and Internet.
The keys on the keyboard are as follows −
S.No Keys & Description

1
Typing Keys
These keys include the letter keys (A-Z) and digit keys (09) which
generally give the same layout as that of typewriters.

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2
Numeric Keypad
It is used to enter the numeric data or cursor movement. Generally, it
consists of a set of 17 keys that are laid out in the same configuration
used by most adding machines and calculators.

3
Function Keys
The twelve function keys are present on the keyboard which are arranged
in a row at the top of the keyboard. Each function key has a unique
meaning and is used for some specific purpose.

4
Control keys
These keys provide cursor and screen control. It includes four directional
arrow keys. Control keys also include Home, End, Insert, Delete, Page Up,
Page Down, Control(Ctrl), Alternate(Alt), Escape(Esc).

5
Special Purpose Keys
Keyboard also contains some special purpose keys such as Enter, Shift,
Caps Lock, Num Lock, Space bar, Tab, and Print Screen.

Magnetic Ink Card Reader (MICR)

MICR input device is generally used in banks as there are large number of cheques to be
processed every day. The bank's code number and cheque number are printed on the
cheques with a special type of ink that contains particles of magnetic material that are
machine readable.

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This reading process is called Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR). The main
advantages of MICR is that it is fast and less error prone.

Optical Character Reader (OCR)

OCR is an input device used to read a printed text.

OCR scans the text optically, character by character, converts them into a machine
readable code, and stores the text on the system memory.

Optical Mark Reader (OMR)

OMR is a special type of optical scanner used to recognize the type of mark made by pen
or pencil. It is used where one out of a few alternatives is to be selected and marked.

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It is specially used for checking the answer sheets of examinations having multiple choice
questions.

Graphic input devices:

Mouse
Mouse is the most popular pointing device. It is a very famous cursor-control device having
a small palm size box with a round ball at its base, which senses the movement of the
mouse and sends corresponding signals to the CPU when the mouse buttons are pressed.
Generally, it has two buttons called the left and the right button and a wheel is present
between the buttons. A mouse can be used to control the position of the cursor on the
screen, but it cannot be used to enter text into the computer.

Advantages

• Easy to use
• Not very expensive
• Moves the cursor faster than the arrow keys of the keyboard.

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Graphic Tablet
Also known as digitizers, graphic tablets are input devices used for converting handdrawn
artwork into digital images. The user draws with a stylus on a special flat surface as if they
were drawing on a piece of paper. The drawing appears on the computer screen and can
be saved, edited, or printed. While scanners can only create digital images from drawings,
graphic tablets offer greater control and versatility for artists by allowing them to see their
drawing appear live on their monitor as they create it.

Joystick

Joystick is also a pointing device, which is used to move the cursor position on a monitor
screen. It is a stick having a spherical ball at its both lower and upper ends. The lower
spherical ball moves in a socket. The joystick can be moved in all four directions.

The function of the joystick is similar to that of a mouse. It is mainly used in Computer
Aided Designing (CAD) and playing computer games. Output devices:

An output device is a piece of computer hardware that receives data from a computer and
then translates that data into another form. That form may be audio, visual, textual, or
hard copy such as a printed document.

Following are some of the important output devices used in a computer.

• Monitors
• Printer

Monitors

Monitors, commonly called as Visual Display Unit (VDU), are the main output device of
a computer. It forms images from tiny dots, called pixels that are arranged in a rectangular
form. The sharpness of the image depends upon the number of pixels.

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Printers

Printer is an output device, which is used to print information on paper.

There are two types of printers −

• Impact Printers
• Non-Impact Printers

Impact Printers

Impact printers print the characters by striking them on the ribbon, which is then pressed
on the paper.
Characteristics of Impact Printers are the following −

• Very low consumable costs

• Very noisy
• Useful for bulk printing due to low cost
• There is physical contact with the paper to produce an image
These printers are of two types −

• Character printers
• Line printers
Character Printers
Character printers are the printers which print one character at a time.
These are further divided into two types:

• Dot Matrix Printer(DMP)

• Daisy Wheel
Dot Matrix Printer
In the market, one of the most popular printers is Dot Matrix Printer. These printers are
popular because of their ease of printing and economical price. Each character printed is
in the form of pattern of dots and head consists of a Matrix of Pins of size (5*7, 7*9, 9*7
or 9*9) which come out to form a character which is why it is called Dot Matrix Printer.

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Advantages

• Inexpensive
• Widely Used
• Other language characters can be printed
Disadvantages

• Slow Speed
• Poor Quality
Daisy Wheel
Head is lying on a wheel and pins corresponding to characters are like petals of Daisy
(flower) which is why it is called Daisy Wheel Printer. These printers are generally used for
word-processing in offices that require a few letters to be sent here and there with very
nice quality.

Advantages

• More reliable than DMP

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• Better quality
• Fonts of character can be easily changed Disadvantages

• Slower than DMP

• Noisy
• More expensive than DMP
Line Printers
Line printers are the printers which print one line at a time.

These are of two types −

• Drum Printer • Chain Printer Drum Printer

This printer is like a drum in shape hence it is called drum printer. The surface of the drum
is divided into a number of tracks. Total tracks are equal to the size of the paper, i.e. for
a paper width of 132 characters, drum will have 132 tracks. A character set is embossed
on the track. Different character sets available in the market are 48 character set, 64 and
96 characters set. One rotation of drum prints one line. Drum printers are fast in speed
and can print 300 to 2000 lines per minute. Advantages

• Very high speed Disadvantages

• Very expensive
• Characters fonts cannot be changed
Chain Printer
In this printer, a chain of character sets is used, hence it is called Chain Printer. A standard
character set may have 48, 64, or 96 characters. Advantages

• Character fonts can easily be changed.

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• Different languages can be used with the same printer.

Disadvantages

• Noisy

Non-impact Printers

Non-impact printers print the characters without using the ribbon. These printers print a
complete page at a time, thus they are also called as Page Printers.
These printers are of two types −

• Laser Printers
• Inkjet Printers
Characteristics of Non-impact Printers

• Faster than impact printers

• They are not noisy
• High quality
• Supports many fonts and different character size
Laser Printers
These are non-impact page printers. They use laser lights to produce the dots needed to
form the characters to be printed on a page.

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Advantages

• Very high speed

• Very high quality output
• Good graphics quality
• Supports many fonts and different character size
Disadvantages

• Expensive
• Cannot be used to produce multiple copies of a document in a single printing
Inkjet Printers
Inkjet printers are non-impact character printers based on a relatively new technology.
They print characters by spraying small drops of ink onto paper. Inkjet printers produce
high quality output with presentable features.

They make less noise because no hammering is done and these have many styles of
printing modes available. Color printing is also possible. Some models of Inkjet printers
can produce multiple copies of printing also.
Advantages

• High quality printing

• More reliable Disadvantages

• Expensive as the cost per page is high

• Slow as compared to laser printer

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Evolution of Operating System:

Evolution of Operating Systems: User driven, operator driven, simple batch system,
off – line batch system, directly coupled off – line system, multi- programmed spooling
system, online timesharing system, multiprocessor systems, multi-computer/ distributed
systems, Real time Operating Systems.

1. Serial processing

2. Batch processing

3. Multiprogramming

4. Multitasking or time sharing System

Multitasking or Time Sharing System:

● Multiprogramming didn't provide the user interaction with the computer system.

● Time sharing or Multitasking is a logical extension of Multiprogramming that provides

user interaction.

● There are more than one user interacting the system at the same time

● The switching of CPU between two users is so fast that it gives the impression to user
that he is only working on the system but actually it is shared among different users.

● CPU bound is divided into different time slots depending upon the number of users
using the system.

Serial Processing:

● Early computer from late 1940 to the mid 1950.

● The programmer interacted directly with the computer hardware.

● These machine are called bare machine as they don't have OS.

● Every computer system is programmed in its machine language.

● Uses Punch Card, paper tapes and language translator Simple Batch Processing:

● Early computers were very expensive, and therefore it was important to maximize
processor utilization.

● The wasted time due to scheduling and setup time in Serial Processing was
unacceptable.

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● To improve utilization, the concept of a batch operating system was developed.

● Batch is defined as a group of jobs with similar needs. The operating system allows
users to form batches. Computer executes each batch sequentially, processing all jobs
of a batch considering them as a single process called batch processing.

Multiprogrammed Batch System:

A single program cannot keep either CPU or I/O devices busy at all times.
Multiprogramming increases CPU utilization by organizing jobs in such a manner that CPU
has always one job to execute. If computer is required to run several programs at the
same time, the processor could be kept busy for the most of the time by switching its
attention from one program to the next. Additionally I/O transfer could overlap the
processor activity i.e, while one program is awaiting for an I/O transfer, another program
can use the processor. So CPU never sits idle or if comes in idle state then after a very
small time it is again busy.

Functions of operating system:

An Operating System acts as a communication bridge (interface) between the user and
computer hardware. The purpose of an operating system is to provide a platform on which
a user can execute programs in a convenient and efficient manner.

Important functions of an operating System:

1. Security –

The operating system uses password protection to protect user data and similar other techniques.
it also prevents unauthorized access to programs and user data.

2. Control over system performance –

Monitors overall system health to help improve performance. records the response time between
service requests and system response to have a complete view of the system health. This can help
improve performance by providing important information needed to troubleshoot problems.

3. Job accounting –

Operating system Keeps track of time and resources used by various tasks and users, this
information can be used to track resource usage for a particular user or group of user.

4. Error detecting aids –

Operating system constantly monitors the system to detect errors and avoid the malfunctioning of
computer system.

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5. Coordination between other software and users –

Operating systems also coordinate and assign interpreters, compilers, assemblers and other
software to the various users of the computer systems.

6. Memory Management –

The operating system manages the Primary Memory or Main Memory. Main memory is made up of
a large array of bytes or words where each byte or word is assigned a certain address. Main
memory is a fast storage and it can be accessed directly by the CPU.

7. Processor Management –

In a multi programming environment, the OS decides the order in which processes have access to
the processor, and how much processing time each process has. This function of OS is called
process scheduling.

8. Device Management –

An OS manages device communication via their respective drivers. It performs the following
activities for device management. Keeps tracks of all devices connected to system. designates a
program responsible for every device known as the Input/Output controller. Decides which process
gets access to a certain device and for how long. Allocates devices in an effective and efficient
way. Deallocates devices when they are no longer required.

9. File Management –

A file system is normally organized into directories for easy navigation and usage. These
directories may contain files and other directions.
An Operating System does the following activities for file management −
• Keeps track of information, location, uses, status etc. The collective facilities are
often known as file system.
• Decides who gets the resources.
• Allocates the resources.
• De-allocates the resources.

Unit- 2 Introduction

to information system:

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Data:
Data can be defined as a representation of facts, concepts, or instructions in a formalized
manner, which should be suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing by
human or electronic machine.
Data is represented with the help of characters such as alphabets (A-Z, a-z), digits (09)
or special characters (+,-,/,*,<,>,= etc.)

Information:
Information is organized or classified data, which has some meaningful values for the
receiver. Information is the processed data on which decisions and actions are based.
For the decision to be meaningful, the processed data must qualify for the following
characteristics −
• Timely − Information should be available when required.
• Accuracy − Information should be accurate.

• Completeness − Information should be complete System:

The word system is derived from the Greek word “system” which means a organized
relationship among the following unit or component. "A system is an orderly grouping of
interdependent components linked together according to a plan to achieve a specific goal".

Types of the Systems 1.

Conceptual Systems

a. Are theoretical and explanatory in the nature.

b. Provide the much needed clarification.

c. Provide theoretical framework for which there may or may not be any real life
counterpart.

d. E.g. of such systems can be philosophy, theology etc.

2. Empirical Systems

a. Are very practical, specific and also very operational in the nature.

b. Can be based on the conceptual system.

c. Examination system, surgery act as very good examples of the empirical systems.

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3. Open Systems

a. Involve continuous interaction with the environment.

b. So exchanges the information, material, energy with the environment.

c. Is open and also self organizing in the nature.

d. Is also adoptive or adaptive to the changing environment as it is flexible.

4. Closed Systems

a. Shuns any kind of the exchange with the environment.

b. Is rigid in nature.

c. Is not at all amenable to the change.

d. Is also self contained.

e. Is somewhat isolated in the nature.

f. Is having a well defined boundary.

g. Is not at all adaptive in the nature.

5. Natural Systems

a. Such Systems exist and also abound in the nature.

b. Are also not at all the results of the human endeavors.

c. Rivers, mountains, minerals etc. are the major examples of the natural Systems.

6. Artificial Systems

a. Are manufactured (man made).

b. Examples of such Systems are dams, canals, roads, machines, factories etc.

7. Probabilistic Systems

a. Based on the predictability of the behavior or the outcome.

8. Deterministic Systems

a. In such Systems, the interaction of the elements is known.

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b. As the behavior of the elements is pre determined, it becomes possible to work upon
the reaction well in the advance.

Information system:
Information system, an integrated set of components for collecting, storing, and
processing data and for providing information, knowledge, and digital products. Business
firms and other organizations rely on information systems to carry out and manage their
operations, interact with their customers and suppliers, and compete in the marketplace.

Information systems are used to run inter organizational supply chains and
electronic markets. For instance, corporations use information systems to process financial
accounts, to manage their human resources, and to reach their potential customers with
online promotions. Many major companies are built entirely around information systems.

Types of Information Systems

There are various types of information systems, few of them are listed below:

1. Transaction processing system

2. Decision support system
3. executive information system
4. Management information system
5. Workflow system
6. Enterprise resource planning and
7. Expert systems.

About each one of the information systems explained below in brief.

1. Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)

A Transaction Processing Systems (TPS) is used primarily for record keeping which is
required in any organization to conduct the business. Examples of TPS are sales order
entry, payroll, and shipping records etc. TPS is used for periodic report generation in a
scheduled manner. TPS is also used for producing reports on demand as well as exception
reports.

2. Decision Support System (DSS)

Decision Support System (DSS) serves the management of an organization. A decision

support system has sophisticated data analysis tools, which support and assist all aspects
of problem-specific decision-making. DSS may use data from external sources such as
current stock prices to enhance decision-making. DSS is used when the problem is
complex and the information needed to make the best decision is difficult to obtain and
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use. DSS is developed with the help of decision-makers in an organization. DSS helps in
the appropriate decision-making process and does not make any decision.Various
information systems

3. Executive Information System (EIS)

An Executive Information System (EIS) is also called the Executive Support System. Senior
managers of an organization use the EIS. Therefore, it must be easy to use so that
executives can use it without any assistance. EIS can do trend analysis, exception
reporting and have drill-down capabilities. The results are usually presented in a graphical
form tailored to the executive’s information needs. EIS has on-line analysis tools and they
access a broad range of internal and external data.

4. Management Information Systems (MIS)

Management Information System (MIS) provides the management routine summary of

basic operations of the organization. The essential services are recorded by the TPS of the
organization and MIS consolidates the data on sales, production etc. MIS provides routine
information to managers and decision makers. The primary objective behind installing an
MIS in the organization is to increase operational efficiency. MIS may support marketing,
production, finance, etc.

5. Workflow System

A workflow system is a rule-based management system that directs, coordinates and

monitors the execution of an interrelated set of tasks arranged to form a business process.
There are three types of workflow software. They are:

• Administrative workflow systems focus on the tracking of expense reports, travel

requests, messages.
• An Ad-hoc workflow system deals with the shaping of product, sales proposals and
strategic plans.
• Production workflow systems are concerned with mortgage loans and insurance claims.

A workflow system may be Internet-based and may be combined with e-mail. A workflow
system may be based on server architecture that may use a database or file server.

6. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is a business process management software

that allows an organization to use a system of integrated programs capable of managing
a company’s vital business operations for an entire multi-site, global organization.

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7. Expert Systems

The expert systems have the ability to make suggestions and act like an expert in a
particular field of an organization. An expert system has an extensive knowledge base.

Word processing:
Word processing involves the entering, editing and formatting of text. In recent
times, word processors have become so powerful that the line between them and desk top
publishing software has become blurred. Microsoft Office Word is the most commonly used
word processor, although there are many others.

Create a new document:

1. Click the Microsoft Office button.

2. Select New. The New Document dialog box appears.
3. Select Blank document under the Blank and recent section. It will be highlighted by
default.
4. Click Create. A new blank document appears in the Word window.
Save a document:

1. From the File menu, select Save As…

2. The Save As dialog box will display.
3. Choose a location on your computer to save your file. ...
4. Next to File Type is a drop down menu; select Rich Text Format (.rtf) or Microsoft Word
(*.doc).
5. Click Save.
FORMATTING FEATURES

Formatting features change the arrangement, or layout, of pages. These features include
aligning text vertically and horizontally, indenting and hyphenating text, and changing
margins and line spacing.

■ Alignment. Refers to the horizontal position of a line of text (also called justification).

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• Use left alignment to start text at the left margin (even left margin).
• Use right alignment to align text at the right margin (even right margin).
• Use center alignment to center text between the left and right margins.
• Use justify alignment for even left and right margins.

Center Page. Centers text between top and bottom margins of a page. This feature leaves
an equal (or nearly equal) amount of white space above and below text. Inserting two
hard returns below the last keyed line gives centered documents a better appearance.

■ Hyphenation. Automatically divides (hyphenates) words that would normally wrap to

the next line. When used with left-aligned text, hyphenation makes the right margin less
ragged, making text more attractive.

■ Indent. Moves text away from the left or right margin.

– Left indent (paragraph indent) moves the text one tab stop to the right (usually 0.5"),
away from the left margin.

– Hanging indent moves all but the first line of a paragraph 0.5" (one tab stop) to the
right. Hanging indent is commonly used on bibliographies and reference pages.

■ Line Spacing. Changes the amount of blank space between lines of text.

■ Margins. Changes the amount of blank space at the top, bottom, right, and/or left edges
of a page. Default margin settings are not the same for all software.

■ Page Break. Inserts a soft page break automatically when the current page is full. A
hard page break can be inserted manually to start a new page before the current page is
full.

■ Tab. Aligns text according to the type of tab set. By default, most word processing
software programs have left tabs already set at half-inch (0.5") intervals from the left
margin. These preset tabs can be cleared and reset.

– Left tabs, commonly used to align words, align text evenly at the left by placing the
keyed text to the right of the tab setting.

– Right tabs, commonly used to align whole numbers, align text evenly at the right by
placing the keyed text to the left of the tab setting.

– Decimal tabs align numbers at the decimal point, regardless of the number of places
before or after the decimal point.

– Dot Leader tabs automatically place dot leaders (. . . .) between columns of designated
text. The leaders lead the reader’s eyes from text in the left column to text in the right
column.

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■ Text Wrapping. Positions text in relation to an inserted object (graphic). Text may
appear above and below, around, behind, or in front of an object.

Creating a Table:
Insert Table Method

Using the menu, you can either select or type the desired number of columns and rows.

1. Open a Word document and select the location where you want to place the table.

2. Go to the Insert tab.

3. In the Tables group, select Table.

4. Select Insert Table.
5. To make a quick and basic table, drag across the grid to select the number of columns
and rows for the table.
6. In the Insert Table dialog box, enter the number of columns and rows you want in

the table.
7. In the Autofit Behavior section, enter a width measurement for the columns. Or, leave
the field set to autofit to generate a table the width of the document.

8. Select OK. The blank table appears in the document.

9. To add or delete rows or columns, select Insert > Table.
10. To change the width or height of the table, drag the lower-right corner of the
table.

Create chart or graph directly in Microsoft Word

Like in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word provides the capability of creating a chart or graph
and adding to your document. To create and insert a chart or graph directly in Microsoft
Word, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Microsoft Word program.

2. In the Ribbon bar at the top, click the Insert tab.

3. In the Illustrations section, click the Chart option.

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4. Once the Insert Chart window is open, select the type of chart or graph you
want to create, then click the OK button.

5. A basic version of the selected chart or graph type, with sample data, is added to
the document. A Chart in Microsoft Word window will also open, which looks like a
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. In the spreadsheet window, add, remove, or modify
the columns and rows of data to include the data points and values you want your
chart to display.

6. As you modify the columns, rows, and values in the spreadsheet window, the chart
or graph in Microsoft Word will automatically update and display the new or
changed data.

7. When finished modifying the chart, close the spreadsheet window.

If you need to update the data in the chart after closing the spreadsheet window, you can
re-open the spreadsheet window by right-clicking on the chart and selecting the Edit
Data option.

Preview and printing documents:

Before you print, preview the look of the final document in Word 2016. Yeah, even though your
document is supposed to look the same on the screen as it does on paper, you may still see
surprises: missing page numbers, blank pages, screwy headers, and other jaw-dropping
blunders, for example.

Fortunately, a print preview of your document appears as part of the Print screen, as shown
here.

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To preview your document, follow these steps:

1. Save your document.

Yep — always save. Saving before printing is a good idea.
2. Click the File tab.
3. Chose the Print item from the left side of the File screen. The Print screen appears,
similar to what’s shown.
4. Use the buttons at the bottom of the screen to page through your document.
You can use the Zoom control (refer to the figure) to enlarge or reduce the image. Look at the
margins. If you’re using footnotes, headers, or footers, look at how they lay out. The idea is to
spot anything that’s dreadfully wrong before you print.
When you’re ready, you can print the document. Basically you click the big Print button,
labeled in the figure. Or when things need to be repaired, click the Back button to return to
your document. Presentation:

Choose a theme

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When you open PowerPoint, you’ll see some built-in themes and templates. A theme is a
slide design that contains matching colors, fonts, and special effects like shadows,
reflections, and more.

1. On the File tab of the Ribbon, select New, and then choose a theme.

PowerPoint shows you a preview of the theme, with four color variations to choose from
on the right side.

2. Click Create, or pick a color variation and then click Create.

Read more: Use or create themes in PowerPoint

Insert a new slide

▪ On the Home tab, click the bottom half of New Slide, and pick a slide layout.

Read more: Add, rearrange, and delete slides.

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Save your presentation

1. On the File tab, choose Save.

2. Pick or browse to a folder.

3. In the File name box, type a name for your presentation, and then choose Save.

Note: If you frequently save files to a certain folder, you can ‘pin’ the path so that it is
always available (as shown below).

Tip: Save your work as you go. Press Ctrl+S often.

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