Narrative Essays

1 generic application packet Software Software refers to electronic computer programs. A program is a sequence of instructions that tells the computers processor what to do. There are two types of software system software application software. System software manages the computer hardware pull up stakess a supply environment for application programs to run performs housekeeping and monitoring tasks.Application software allows the user to do useful tasks with the computer such as playing games, writing a letter or monitoring hospital patients is oftentimes supplied as a package can be generic (off-the-shelf) and is general purpose can be bespoke, where it is custom-written for a specific task. Application programsApplication programs commonly have facilities for working in a graphical user interface (GUI) managing data files and working on multiple files navigating through the work and changing the zoom train importing files and inserting embedded objects creati ng and editing drawings formatting text and graphics and editing content using insertion, deletion, cut-and-paste, copyand-paste and find-and-replace and loose and Redo commands language checking saving and using templates viewing a file as it will be printed (WYSIWYG) creating bigs and assigning them to buttons and images hyperlinking exporting files in another(prenominal) formats printing files. Generic application programs You may be asked to give up your choice of a type of generic application software (no brand names) for a position purpose. For the particular features of each type of software, refer to thecoursebook, especially if you do not have practical experience of it. Cambridge IGCSE figurer Studies Cambridge University Press 2011 Revision notes 1 Generic application software 1 Generic Application software desktop publishing (DTP) word processing spreadsheet General use of software ublications with complex layout, e. g. posters, newsletters and magazines te xt-intensive material, e. g. letters, employment/ effective documents, and mail merges repeatable financial, scientific and locomotiveering calculations, mathematical modelling and simple databases input, storage and retrieval of records to provide useful information on screen and in printed reports fax, telephony, video-conferencing, email and instant messaging web authoring, for producing hypertext markup language and scripting code for interactive web pages database management system (DBMS) communication web browser search engine graphics computer-aided design (CAD) computer-aided manufacture (CAM) multimedia system authoring or interactively accessing information in the form of text and other media from remote web servers a web application for finding information available on profits servers drawing and editing images, both bitmap and vector for drawing product designs for manufacturing products from CAD designs producing multimedia characterization files for animated adver tisements and games within web pages or presentations, whole websites, or cinema films for creating slideshows (successions of multimedia pages), or multimedia or printed posters for recording data automatically for scientific, engineering and statistical purposes writing, compiling and debugging computer programs presentation data-logging programme Customising generic application programs ready-to-wear generic application programs are readily available, relatively cheap and intimately tested. They can be customised to the purchasers requirements by hiding the standard menus and toolbars creating new menus or toolbars with simply the essential requirements making cosmetic changes to the colour scheme and logo creating macros run by toolbar buttons or keyboard shortcuts.A macro is program code recorded automatically or written in a scripting language to make better access to existing commands or to create new ones. Bespoke software Bespoke software (custom-written) is softwa re specially written to suit the needs of a particular customer. It is often very efficient because it does but what is required, is easy to learn and has good customer support and maintenance. Cambridge IGCSE Computer Studies Cambridge University Press 2011 Revision notes 1 Generic application software 2 Comparing off-the-shelf with bespoke software Off-the-shelf software has a number of advantages and disadvantages relative to bespoke software. Off-the-shelf softwares advantages t is immediately available it is normally much cheaper to buy it may have many powerful features developedover many historic period if it belongs to a retinue, it is likely to be able to exchange data and files easily with other programs in the suite it is well tested by previous users there is support available from experienced trainers and user groups Off-the-shelf softwares disadvantages it may be overly complex and difficult to learn it may be a compromise between the requirements of different type s of users an organisation may be forced to adapt its business procedures to the software errors may not be fixed rapidly Cambridge IGCSE Computer Studies Cambridge University Press 2011 Revision notes 1 Generic application software 3