Introduction to Information Processing
Introduction to Information Processing
By
T. Slawinski
IP 8-1
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Introduction to Information Processing
Table of Contents
Topic
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Page
Introduction
Computers and Information Processing
Information Processing: An Overview
Data Organization
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Introduction to Information Processing
Introduction
CPU, RAM, ROM, hard copy, hard disk, modem, LAN, data base, laser
printer, desktop publishing, bits, bytes: these are all terms that pertain to the
ever-changing technology of computers. Computers are changing our
language, our habits, our environment and, in general, our lives. No longer
are computer experts the only people who interact with computers on a daily
basis. In our current world nearly all of our lives are indirectly or directly
affected by computers each and every day.
For example:
 You get cash after the bank is closed by using the automatic teller
machine (ATM).
 A scanner reads the coded price tags of your purchases at a department
store to speed your shopping.
 Your daily newspaper is transmitted via satellite to a printing facility
thousands of miles away where it is printed using computer-controlled
printing presses.
 Your late model car contains a computer chip that controls such things as
the fuel mixture, emissions, and anti lock braking system.
 While you are on vacation a pharmacist at a drug store you've never
visited before consults a data base in order to fill your needed
prescription.
Countless other examples of how computers affect our daily lives can be
cited. This text, however, will focus primarily on how computer technology
has impacted information processing in business. We will examine the past
and present computer and information processing technologies and also
speculate on what the future might hold in this dynamic area. This chapter
will begin by presenting an overview of computers and information
processing and then discussing the various classifications of computers. The
unit concludes with a brief overview of some of the more popular ways
computer and information technology is currently being used.
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Introduction to Information Processing
Computers and Information Processing
Yesterday's computers were tools for scientists, mathematicians, and
engineers. When computers became commercially available, only the largest
businesses acquired them, often simply for the prestige of owning one.
Today, many businesses and organizations own computers although they
may have different types of computers and use them for many different
purposes.
Two terms, which are probably the most used in relation to computers, are
hardware and software. Hardware, the tangible parts of a computer, ranges
from equipment that fills a large room to computers that fit on your lap.
Hardware also includes peripheral devices that can be attached to the
computer, such as a printer or a storage device. Software consists of the
instructions given to the computer that enable it to do things, such as finding
the best spot to drill for oil, or playing a competitive game of bridge. These
computer instructions are also called programs.
Both hardware and software play a critical role in information processing;
without them, information processing, as we know it today would not be
possible. The following section introduces information processing and
provides the foundation for study of the remainder of this text.
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Introduction to Information Processing
Information Processing: An Overview
Many people use the term’s data processing and information processing
interchangeably, yet the two have a subtle difference in meaning. Data
processing refers to the steps involved in collecting, manipulating, and
distributing data to achieve certain goals. Data processing can be performed
manually or electronically. Using computers for data processing is called
electronic data processing (EDP). The term data processing historically has
been used to mean EDP.
The objective of all data processing, whether manual or electronic, is the
conversion of data into information that can be used in making decisions.
The term information processing, then, includes all the steps involved in
converting data into information. Thus it includes data processing as well as
the process of converting data into information.
What is the difference between data and information? Data refers to raw
facts collected from various sources, but not organized or defined in a
meaningful way. Data cannot be used to make meaningful decisions. For
example, a bank manager may have very little use for a daily list of the
amounts of all checks and deposits from the branch offices. But once data is
organized, it can provide useful information-perhaps in the form of a
summary report giving the dollar value and total number of deposits and
withdrawals at each branch. Information, then, is processed data that
increases understanding and helps people make intelligent decisions.
To be useful, information must be accurate, timely, complete, concise,
relevant, and in a form easily understood by the user. It must be delivered to
the right person at the right time. If information fails to meet any of these
requirements, it fails to meet the needs of those who must use it and is of
little value.
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Introduction to Information Processing
Data Organization
Data must be organized before it can be processed effectively. For that
reason, data items are placed in the following groups:
 Bit - Data is represented by on and off states of the computer's electronic
circuitry (see the section on Analog and Digital Computers that follows.)
The symbols that represent on and off are the binary digits 0 and 1. Each
0 or 1 is called a bit, short for binary digit. The bit is the smallest unit of
data a computer can process.
 Character - There are obviously more letters and numbers than two, but
the computer only recognizes 0 and 1. Therefore, combinations of bits
(Os and 1s) are used to represent characters - letters, digits, and special
symbols such as %, #, or $. In the student name Kevin Miller, the
characters are the letters, K, e, v, i, n, M, i, 1, 1, e, r, and one space. A
fixed combination of adjacent bits that represents a character is called a
byte. In our example, eight bits are used to represent a character. It just so
happens that many computers are designed to accept eight-bit bytes.
 Field - A university maintains specific data about its students, such as
home address, social security number, major, courses, GPA, and so on.
Each of these categories is called a field. A field is a collection of related
characters that conveys a unit of information. Note that the size of a field
depends upon the information placed in the field. For example, the field
for names would need to be larger than the field for GPA.
 Record - A collection of fields that relate to a single unit is a record. A
student record might consist of fields for student name, social security
number, address, GPA, and major.
 File - A grouping of related records is a file. All the student records for a
university would constitute the university's student file. Many times
different offices of a university will have their own separate files stored
on the computer. For example, the housing office may have a set of files
and the registration office may have a different set of files.
 Database - If each office in a university has its own set of files, the same
piece of data may be stored in more than one place. For example, both
the housing and registration offices would need a student's name and
social security number. In order to eliminate this redundancy, a data base
system can be used. A database consolidates various independent files
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Introduction to Information Processing
into one integrated unit. All users who need the information can access
this one main file. In the above example both the registrar and the bursar
would access the same student file to obtain a student's address and
telephone number.
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