M216 – APPLICATION SOFTWARE

Learning OutcomesAt the end of this lesson, students should be able to:• List the common types of application software

and examples of each application software– Word processing– Spreadsheet– Presentation– Graphics editing

• Explain the usages of application software

Application Software

• Application software is a computer program or a suite of computer programs that performs a particular function for the user.

• Examples include all programs that perform specific tasks such as word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, e-mail and web browsing.

Word Processing

• Enables users to create, edit, format and print textual documents.

• It also offers commands that enable users to format a document so that they can create an attractive appearance.

• Example include Corel Word Perfect, Microsoft Word and Sun StarOffice Writer.

Spreadsheet

• A spreadsheet is a program that process information in the form of grid of columns and rows.

• It is also called a table that hold values or mathematical formulas.

• Spreadsheets are necessary tools for anyone who works with numbers.

• Examples include Corel Quatro Pro, Microsoft Excel, Sun Staroffice Calc.

Presentation

• Enables users to create transparencies, slides and handouts for presentation to communicate ideas, messages and other information to a group.

• Examples include Corel Presentations, Microsoft Power Point and Sun StarOffice Impress.

Graphics Editing

• Enables editing of digital representation or non-text information such as drawings, charts or photographs.

• Examples of graphics editor include Adobe Photoshop, CorelDraw, Macromedia Flash and, The Gimp.

Software Suite

• A software suite is a collection of individual programs sold as a single package.

• It typically includes word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and e-mail.

• Currently, Microsoft office is a very popular example of software suite being used.

• Examples of software suites include Appleworks, Corel Word Perfect Office, IBM Lotus Smartsuite, Microsoft Office and Sun StarOffice Suite.

Usage of Word Processing Software.

• A word processing software:– allows users to create and manipulate documents

containing mostly text and sometimes graphics.– provides the ability to create, edit, format and spell

checking a document on the screen before printing it to paper.

– can be used to produce documents such as letters, memos, reports, fax cover sheets, mailing labels, newsletters, and web pages.

– Examples of word processing software include Microsoft Word, Star Office Writer, TxtMaker and Corel WordPerfect.

Advanced Features of Word Processing Software

• Most word processing software has advance features to allow you to work more productively, for example : mail merge, dropcap, watermarks, and Microsoft equation.

• Let us do some practical exercises on Mail merge.

Advanced Features of Spreadsheet Software

• Organise data in rows and columns.• Perform calculation on data.• Recalculate the rest of the worksheet when data in

a worksheet changes.• Show the data in chart form.• most spreadsheet software has advanced features

to allow you to work productively. For example :– macro– lookup– protection– pivot table

Macro

• Macro is a sequence of key strokes and instructions that are recorded and shared.

• MS Excel is an example of a program that allows you to create macros.

• You can set whether to run the macro by using a new button in the toolbar or a shortcut key such as CTRL+D, ALT+H or CTRL+ALT+S.

• Macros can automate complex tasks and reduce the number of steps required to complete tasks that you perform frequently.

Protection

• Spreadsheet has a protection feature that allows you to protect your information from being lost.

• Once a worksheet or workbook is protected, no information can be modified or erased until the spreadsheet has been unprotected.

• This feature is very useful when you share spreadsheets with others. It’s often important to make sure that the spreadsheet is protected from changes.

• Microsoft Excel provides a feature called ‘Protection’ that allows you to ensures that nothing on your spreadsheet gets changed accidentally.

Lookup

• One of the more powerful functions available in spreadsheet is the lookup function. This allows you to take any value entered, find it in a designed table, and then return a value from that same table.

• It is very practical, for example, if you wish to look up a student’s name by typing in the identification number or MyKad number.

Usages of Graphics Software

• Graphics software is an application that allows users to work with drawings, photos and pictures.

• It provides the users the ability of creating, manipulating and printing graphics.

• Examples of graphics software are Microsoft Paint, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Painter and Micromedia Fireworks.

Other Application Software

• Authoring tools• Desktop publishing• Database management software

Features of Graphic Software• Drawing pictures, shapes and other graphical

images with various on-screen tools such as a pen, brush, eyedropper and paint bucket.

• Modifying the contrast and brightness of an image.• Cropping unwanted objects.• Removing ‘red eye’.• Adding special effects such as shadows and glows.

Authoring tools

• Authoring tool is also known as authorware. An authoring tool is a program that helps you write hypertext or multimedia applications.

• An authoring tool usually enables you to create a final application merely by linking together objects, such as a paragraph of text, an illustration, or a song.

• Authoring tools require less technical knowledge to master and are exclusively for applications that present a mixture of textual, graphical and audio data.

• Some examples of authoring tools are Macromedia Flash and Microsoft FrontPage.

Desktop Publishing Software

• A tool for graphical designers to create visual communications for professional or desktop printing.

• Desktop printing includes magazines, brochures, newspapers as well as office stationery like letterheads, envelopes and name cards.

• Desktop publishing software is also called DTP Software.

• Some examples of desktop publishing software are Adobe Pagemaker, Corel Ventura and Microsoft Office Publisher.

Database Management System (DBMS)

• DBMS is a computer program designed to manage a database, a large set of structures data and run operations on the data requested by numerous users.

• Typical examples of DBMS used include accounting, Human resources and customer support systems.

• Originally found only in large companies with the computer hardware needed to support large data sets, DBMS have more recently emerged as a fairly standard part of any company.

• Examples of database management systems are Borland InterBase, Microsoft Access and MySQL.

End of M216