IS 2241 Chapter 3

Database

A collection of related data. It is the electronic equivalent of a file cabinet.

Software suite

A collection of separate application programs bundled together and made available as a group. Four types of suites are office suites, cloud suites, specialized suites, and utility suites.

Database management system (DBMS) or database manager

A program that sets up, or structures, a database. It also provides tools to enter, edit, and retrieve data from the database. All kinds of individuals use databases, from hospital administrators recording patient information to police officers checking criminal histories

App store

A website that provides access to specific mobile apps that can be downloaded either for a nominal fee or free of charge. Two of the best-known stores are Apple's App Store and Google Play.

Mobile apps or mobile applications

Add-on programs for a variety of mobile devices including smartphones and tablets. Sometimes referred to simply as apps, mobile apps have been widely used for years. The traditional applications include address books, to-do lists, alarms, and message lists.

Popular image editors

Adobe Photoshop, Corel PaintShop Pro, GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), and Windows Photo Gallery.

Desktop publishing programs, or page layout programs

Allow you to mix text and graphics to create publications of professional quality. Desktop publishers focus on page design and layout and provide greater flexibility.

Illustration programs

Also known as drawing programs, are used to create and edit vector images. While bitmap images use pixels to represent images, vector images, also known as vector illustrations, use geometric shapes or objects. These objects are created by connecting lines and curves avoiding the pixeleted or ragged edges created by bitmap images.

Office suites

Also known as office software suites and productivity suites, contain general-purpose application programs that are typically used in a business situation. Productivity suites commonly include a word processor, spreadsheet, database manager, and a presentation application.

Image editors

Also known as photo editors, are specialized graphics programs for editing or modifying digital photographs. They are often used to touch up photographs to remove scratches and other imperfections.

Web authoring programs

Are typically used to create sophisticated commercial sites. Also known as web page editors and HTML editors, these programs provide support for website design and HTML coding

Video editors

Are used to edit videos to enhance quality and appearance. Once used only by Hollywood professionals, video editors are now widely used to edit high-quality video captured using smartphones and other devices. You can readily add special effects, music tracks, titles, and on-screen graphics.

Application software

Can be described as end user software and is used to accomplish a variety of tasks

Word processors

Create text-based documents and are one of the most flexible and widely used software tools. All types of people and organizations use word processors to create memos, letters, and faxes

Web authoring

Creating a site

Specialized suites

Docus on specific applications. These include graphics suites like CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6, financial planning suites like Moneytree Software's TOTAL Planning Suite

Application software can be divided into three categories

General purpose applications Specialized applications Mobile Apps

Most general-purpose applications use a mouse and a __________ ________ _________ (GUI) that displays graphical elements called icons to represent familiar objects.

Graphical user interface

Utility suites

Include a variety of programs designed to make computing easier and safer. Two of the best known are Norton SystemWorks and Norton Internet Security Suite

Specialized applications

Includes thousands of other programs that tend to be more narrowly focused and used in specific disciplines and occupations

General-purpose applications

Includes word processing programs, spreadsheets, presentation graphics, and database management systems

Four widely used database management systems designed for personal computers

Microsoft Access, Apple FileMaker, Google Obvibase, and OpenOffice Base.

Six of the most widely used presentation graphics programs

Microsoft Power-Point, Apple Keynote, Google Slides, Corel Presentations, OpenOffice Impress, and Prezi.

Spreadsheets

Organize, analyze, and graph numeric data such as budgets and financial reports. Once used exclusively by accountants, spreadsheets are widely used by nearly every profession.

The mouse controls a _____________ on the screen that is used to select items such as icons. Another feature is the use of windows to display information

Pointer

Menus

Present commands that are typically displayed in a menu bar at the top of the screen

Presentation graphics

Programs that combine a variety of visual objects to create attractive, visually interesting presentations. They are excellent tools to communicate a message and to persuade people.

Dialog boxes

Provide additional information and request user input

Ribbons

Replace menus and toolbars by organizing commonly used commands into a set of tabs. These tabs display command buttons that are the most relevant to the tasks being performed by the user.

Many applications, and Microsoft applications in particular, use an interface known as the _______ _____ to make it easier to find and use all the features of an application; this GUI uses a system of ribbons, tabs, and galleries.

Ribbon GUI

Galleries

Simplify the process of making a selection from a list of alternatives. This is accomplished by graphically displaying the effect of alternatives before being selected.

Cloud suites or online office suites

Stored at a server on the Internet and are available anywhere you can access the Internet. Documents created using online applications can also be stored online, making it easy to share and collaborate on documents with others. One downside to cloud applications is that you are dependent on the server providing the application to be available whenever you need it. For this reason, when using online applications, it is important to have backup copies of your documents on your computer and to have a desktop office application available to use

Microsoft Excel

The most widely used spreadsheet program. Other spreadsheet applications include Apple Numbers, Corel Quattro Pro, Google Sheets, and OpenOffice Calc.

Microsoft Word

The most widely used word processor. Other popular word processors include Apple Pages, Google Docs, Corel WordPerfect, and OpenOffice Writer

Pixels

The photographs consist of thousands of dots that form images often referred to as bitmap or raster images.

User interface

The portion of the application that allows you to control and to interact with the program. Depending on the application, you can use a mouse, a pointer, a keyboard, and/or your voice to communicate with the application

Toolbars

Typically appear below the menu bar and include small graphic elements called buttons that provide shortcuts for quick access to commonly used commands.

Tabs

Used to divide the ribbon into major activity areas. Each tab is then organized into groups that contain related items. Some tabs, called contextual tabs, appear only when they are needed and anticipate the next operation to be performed by the user.

WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editors

Which means you can build a page without interacting directly with HTML code. WYSIWYG editors preview the page described by HTML code. Widely used web authoring programs include Adobe Dreamweaver and Microsoft Expression Web.

Video game design software

Will help you organize your thoughts and guide you through the game design process including character development and environmental design.

A __________ is simply a rectangular area that can contain a document, program, or message. (Do not confuse the term window with the various versions of Microsoft's Windows operating systems, which are programs.) More than one window can be opened and displayed on the computer screen at one time.

Window

Well known video editors

Windows Live Movie Maker, Apple iMovie, and YouTube Video Editor

System software

Works with end users, application software, and computer hardware to handle the majority of technical details