Chapter 3 Questions Fudamentals of Information Systems Complete the following sentences: Software types are system software and application software. Application software Performs information processing tasks for end users System software Manages and supports operations of computer systems and networks. General purpose application software are programs that perform common information processing jobs for end users. Application-specific application software are programs that support specific applications of end users. Custom software are software applications that developed within an organization for use by that organization. COTS software is a software developed with the intention of selling the software in multiple copies. Why would you choose Custom over COTS? Why would you choose COTS over Custom? Software suites integrate software packages State the advantages of software suites. State the disadvantages of software suites. Integrated packages combine the functions of several programs into one package. Web Browser is a software application that support navigation through the point-and-click resources of the Web. Web Browsers become a universal software platform for Internet-based applications. XML is a Web document content description language E-mail software is a software to communicate by sending and receiving messages and attachments via the Internet, intranet or extranet. Weblog or blog is a personal website in dated log format. Word processors used to create, edit, revise and print documents. Desktop Publishers used to produce printed materials that look professionally published. 1 Presentation Graphics used to prepare multimedia presentations including graphics, photos, animation, and video clips. Groupware is a software that helps workgroups collaborate on group assignments. Middleware is software that helps diverse applications work together. Outsourcing development and maintenance of software is one of the Software alternatives. Application service providers (ASPs) are companies that own, operate and maintain application software and computer system resources. All software (COTS, ASP) is licensed. You don’t buy software: you buy a license to use the software under the terms of the licensing agreement. License found to protect the vendor’s property rights. System software manages and supports a computer system. System software types are system management programs and systems development programs. System management programs are programs that manage hardware, software, network, and data resources. System development programs are programs that help users develop information system programs. Operating System is an Integrated system of programs that Manages the operations of the CPU, Controls the input/output and storage resources and activities of the computer system. User Interface is a part of the operating system that allows you to communicate with it. Types of user interface are Command-Driven , Menu-Driven , and Graphical User Interfaces (GUI). Swapping parts of programs and data between memory and magnetic disks is called Virtual memory. Resource management is part of operating system that manages the hardware and networking resources of a computer system. Resource management Includes CPU, memory, secondary storage devices, telecommunications, and input/output peripherals. 2 File management Part of the operating system that controls the creation, deletion, and access of files of data and programs. File management involves keeping track of the physical location of files on magnetic disks and other secondary storage devices. Unix is a multitasking, multiuser, portable operating system. Linux is a low-cost, powerful, reliable, Unix-like Open-source operating system. MAC OS X is an Apple operating system for the iMac. The name Multitasking is given to task management approach that allows for several tasks to be performed in a seemingly simultaneous fashion. Utilities perform miscellaneous housekeeping and file conversion functions. Performance monitors are programs that monitor and adjust computer system to keep them running efficiently. Security monitors are programs that monitor and control use of computer systems to prevent unauthorized use of resources. System utilities and performance and security monitors programs are sort of system management programs. Software programs like Microsoft Works and Apple Works that combine the functions of several programs into one package are called integrated packages. Middleware is a software that helps diverse software applications and networked computer systems exchange data and work together more efficiently. Machine Languages are first-generation programming languages. Assembler languages are second-generation languages. Assembler languages are used by systems programmers. High-Level Languages are Third-generation languages. Macroinstructions: each statement generates several machine instructions when translated by compilers or interpreters. High-Level Languages are machine independent High-Level Languages are less efficient than assembler Languages. Fourth-Generation Languages are Variety of programming languages that are nonprocedural and conversational. 3 In the case of nonprocedural languages; users specify results they want while computer determines the sequence of instructions that will accomplish those results. Natural Languages are very close to English or other human language Object-Oriented Languages Combine data elements and the procedures that will be performed upon them into Objects. Object-Oriented Languages are most widely used software development languages today. Object-Oriented Languages are easier to use and more efficient for graphicsoriented user interfaces. Object-Oriented Languages are reusable: can use an object from one application in another application. HTML is a page description language that creates hypertext documents for the Web. XML describes the contents of Web pages by applying identifying tags or contextual labels to the data in Web documents. Java is simple, secure and platform independent. Microsoft’s .NET is a collection of programming support for what are known as Web services. Assembler translates assembler language statements. Compiler translates high-level language statements. Interpreter compiler translates and executes each statement in a program one at a time. Programming tools help programmers identify and minimize errors while they are programming. CASE tools are a combination of many programming tools into a single application with a common interface. 4