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Chapter 2
Application software
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Software
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A- Application Software
Application software is end user software that
is used to accomplish a variety of tasks
Two categories
I – Basic applications
II – Specialized applications
Also there are Mobile apps programs
designed for mobile devices
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I- Basic applications
Basic applications (general purpose
applications):widely used in nearly every
discipline & occupation and all career areas.
Examples include:
I-1 – Word processors
I-2 – Spreadsheets
I-3 – Database management systems
I-4 – Presentation graphics
I-5- Web browsers….
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I-1 – Word processors
Used to create text-based documents
– Memos, letters, Reports…
– Newsletters, manuals, Flyers…
Word processing programs
– Microsoft Word(most widely used)
– Mac: Pages
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I-2 – Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets organize, analyze and graph
numeric data such as budgets and financial
reports using Formulas, functions, charts. It is
widely used by nearly every profession.
Spreadsheet programs
– Microsoft Excel
– Mac: Numbers
Excel workbook is a collection of worksheets
and charts. The worksheet is a set of rows
and columns, the intersection of which is
called a cell.
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I-3 – Data base management system
A database is a collection of related data used
to retrieve information easily.
A Database Management System (DBMS)
is a program that structures or sets up the
database.
It also provides tools to enter, edit, retrieve
data from database.
Ex. Universities use databases to keep
records on their students, instructors and
courses. Organizations of all types maintain
employee databases.
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I-3 – Data base management system
Relational database is most widely used
database structure.
Data is organized into related tables.
Tables are made up of rows called
records, each containing a number of
columns called fields.
Database programs
– Microsoft Access
– Corel Paradox
– Lotus Approach
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I-4 – Presentation graphics
Presentation graphics are programs that
combine visual objects to create interesting
and professional presentation for
communicating a message .
Presentation programs
– Microsoft PowerPoint
– Corel Presentations
– Lotus Freelance Graphics
(Open office impress, apple keynote)
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I-5-Web Browsers
A web browser Programs that provide access to
Web resources. Allow us to surf the Internet.
Address or location of the resource must be specified :
URL (uniform resource locator)
(URI :http//www.usek.edu.lb)
Well-known browsers
– Mozilla Firefox
– Google Chrome
– Microsoft Internet Explorer
_ Apple’s Safari
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Most commonly used web browsers
Reference: http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-most-u-s-popular-webbrowsers/
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Software suite
A Software suite (also called productivity
suite) is a group of application programs.
The best known is Microsoft Office. Other
well-known productivity suites are: Office
Suite, Apple iWork, etc.
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Cloud Suites or online suites
Stored at a server on the internet.
Available anywhere you can access the internet.
Easy to share created documents and collaborate with
others.
Dependent on the server providing the application to be
available whenever you need it (importance of backup
copies).
Ex. Google Docs, Zoho, Microsoft Office Web Apps.
Need an account.
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II-Specialized applications
Specialized applications (special-purpose
applications): Narrowly focused on specific
disciplines and occupations. Examples include:
Graphics programs
Audio/video editors
Multimedia creation
Web authoring
Artificial Intelligence
– Virtual Reality
– Knowledge-based Systems(Expert systems)
– Robotics
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II-1.Graphics programs
Graphics are widely used by professionals in
the graphic arts. They use desktop publishing
programs, image editing programs, and
illustration programs.
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II-1Graphics programs
1.Desktop publishing :Programs that allow you
to create high level publications of
professionnal quality that mix text and
graphics (newspapers,textbooks..)
Popular programs
– Adobe InDesign
– Microsoft Publisher
– QuarkXPress
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II-1Graphics programs
2.Image editors, also known as photo
editors, are programs for editing or modifying
digital photographs. They are used to touch up
photographs to remove scratches or other
imperfections.
Photographs consist of thousands of dots or
pixels (smallest element of a picture) that form
images often referred as bitmap images (.BMP,
JPEG, PNG and GIF). Popular image editors:
Microsoft Paint and Adobe Photoshop
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II-1Graphics programs
3.Illustration Programs, also known as
drawing programs: Used to create & edit vector
images. Vector images use geometric shapes or
objects (ps, eps, pdf, svg, cgm, swf, wmf).
Popular programs: Adobe Illustrator FreeHand
and Microsoft visio.
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II.2- MultiMedia
The integration of a variety of media into one
presentation : Video ,Music , Voice, Graphics
and Text. Multimedia is used in video games,
Web presentations.
We consider two types of multimedia:
A-Multimedia without user interactivity:
Users have no control over the content that is
being showed to them like a movie (Ex.
Windows Movie Maker – video).
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II.2-Multimedia
B-Multimedia including user
interactivity: Users have control over
the content that is being showed to
them. Users are given navigational
control such as interactive CD, Digital
Encyclopedia (Encarta) Ex.
Macromedia Director.
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II.3- Web Authoring Programs
Creating a site is called web authoring.
Known as Web page editors or HTML editors
– Provide support for Web site design
– Creates HTML coding
Popular programs
– Macromedia Dreamweaver
– NetObjects Fusion
– Iweb,Freeway……
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II.4-Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is a field of computer science
Mimics or simulates human senses, thought
processes, and actions
Includes reasoning, learning from past actions,
and using senses such as vision and touch
Three areas of AI
a – Virtual reality
b – Knowledge-based (expert) systems
c – Robotics
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A-Virtuel Reality
VR is an interactive, computergenerated simulated environment with
which users can interact with an
animated 3D environment in real time
using data gloves(tactile) and headmounted computer-graphic displays
(audio,video).
Specific application areas including,
but not limited to, the following:
-Defence and Military
-Education and Training
-Entertainment and Gaming
-Medicine (surgical simulation)
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B.Expert Systems
An expert system is software that uses a
knowledge base of human expertise for
problem solving, or to clarify uncertainties
where normally one or more human experts
would need to be consulted.
Example : Medical diagnosis expert system.
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C. Robotics
Robots are machines controlled by
"computers".
Robots are used in factories,
manufacturing, home security, the
military, and many other fields.
Can be programmed to do more that
one task
Often used to handle dangerous,
repetitive tasks
Types of robots
Perception – imitate some of the
human senses
Industrial – perform tasks in
factories, etc.
Mobile – can move about and
perform tasks
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References
Computing essentials 2016, O'leary, O'leary
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