Introduction to Computers

History of Computers - 19th Century

first stored program metal cards first computer manufacturing still in use today!

Charles Babbage - 1792-1871

Difference Engine c.1822

huge calculator, never finished could store numbers calculating mill used punched metal cards for instructions powered by steam! accurate to six decimal places
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Analytical Engine 1833

Computer Size
ENIAC then
ENIAC today

With computers (small) size does matter!

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Discussion Question

What was the biggest advance that led to modern computers?

Electricity Transistor Microchip Data storage

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Generations of Electronic Computers

First Generation Technology Vacuum Tubes Second Gen. Transistors Third Gen. Integrated Circuits (multiple transistors) Smaller Fourth Gen. Microchips (millions of transistors) Tiny - Palm Pilot is as powerful as old building sized computer

Size

Filled Whole Filled half a Buildings room

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Whats next for computers?

Use your imagination to come up with what the next century holds for computers.

What can we expect in two years? What can we expect in twenty years?

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Algorithms

What is an algorithm? A step-by-step problem-solving procedure, especially an established, recursive computational procedure for solving a problem in a finite number of steps Weve seen lots of algorithms before
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Example algorithm: map directions

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Computer Organization
Memory

Input Devices

Output Devices

Central Processing Unit

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A bit of humor: Computer Organization

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Computing units of measure

A bit is either a 1 or a 0

On or off, true or false, etc.

A byte is 8 bits:

01001010
As there are 8 bits per byte, each byte can hold 28=256 values

01001010 = 74

All computing measurements are in terms of bytes

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Computing units of measure

An unformatted text document (such as a Java program)

3 pages per kilobyte (1,000 bytes)

About 5k per page with formatting

A formatted document (such as a Word file)

A digital camera picture

About 1 Mb each (1,000,000 bytes)

5 Mb for a 5 minute song 50 Mb for a 5 minute song 10 times the size of an MP3!

An MP3 music file

A music file on a CD

A movie clip
About 10 Mb per minute of (TV-sized) video
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Software Concepts

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Software Concepts

A program is a set of instructions that tells the computer what to do. Software can be a single program or a group of programs needed to perform several functions. Simple programs may have a few hundred instructions (lines of code) though most have many more (several million).
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Application Software

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Individual Application Software

Word processing Spreadsheet Graphics Database Browser

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Workgroup Application Software

Groupware E-Mail software Information sharing software Electronic conferencing software

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Other Application Software

Organizational application software

Generally organization specific Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Generally common to the participating organizations

Interorganizational application software

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System Software

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Operating System Concepts

An operating system is a group of programs that manages the operation of the computer. Three functions of an operating system

Process management Resource management Data management

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Operating System Concepts (contd.)

Organization of an operating system

Most operating system programs are stored in secondary storage. One operating system program is stored in a section of primary storage. It goes by various names kernel but generically called the supervisor. The supervisor controls all activity in primary storage.
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Using an Operating System

Starting the computer is called booting which transfers the supervisor from secondary storage to primary storage. Connecting to a network or other multiuser environment is called logging in. Detaching from a network is called logging out.
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Elements of an Operating System

User interface is the visual link between the user and the software. Small pictures on the screen are icons. Graphical User Interface (GUI) uses

Buttons Icons Menus Dialog boxes

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Capabilities of Operating Systems

Multitasking is appearing to execute more than one program at a time, though the CPU can execute instructions from only one program at a time.

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Capabilities of Operating Systems (contd.)

Multi-user or Multiple-user programs permit more than one person to use the program, and data, at a time. One technique that is used with multiple-user operating systems is time sharing. With this technique, the users are each allocated a small amount of time by the operating system.
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Capabilities of Operating Systems (contd.)

Two types of operating systems

Batch operating systems where the first program is executed and all data processed before moving to the second program. Interactive operating systems allow user interaction as the program executes. Most personal computer operating systems permit user interaction.
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Capabilities of Operating Systems (contd.)

Virtual memory is supplemental primary storage (RAM) or real memory where the programs are too big for primary storage. It is created on a secondary storage device, usually the hard drive, and is generally temporary in nature.

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Capabilities of Operating Systems (contd.)

Virtual memory operating systems execute large programs by dividing the program into parts and transferring the necessary parts of the program from secondary storage to primary storage as needed. The transfer process does not require any action by the user.
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Personal Computer Common Operating Systems

Microsoft Windows Microsoft DOS (and others) IBM OS/2 Apple Mac OS UNIX Linux

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Multi-User Computer Common Operating Systems

IBM OS/390 Hewlett Packard MPE (MultiProgramming Executive) UNIX Network Operating Systems

Novell Netware Windows 2000 Server

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Other System Software

Utility programs

Sort utility rearranges data in a specified order Merge utility merges two files into one Print utility prints the contents of a file Copy utility copies data from one device to another

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Other System Software (contd.)

Communications software used for communications between computers. Database management systems used for managing databases. Software development software software used to develop software.

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Software Development

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Programming Language Concepts

What is a programming language? Why are there so many programming languages? How do you select a programming language? What are the types of programming languages?
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What is a Programming Language

English is a natural language. It has words, symbols and grammatical rules. A programming language also has words, symbols and rules of grammar. The grammatical rules are called syntax. Each programming language has a different set of syntax rules.
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Why Are There So Many Programming Languages

Programming languages have evolved over time as better ways have been developed to design them. Different programming languages are designed for different types of programs. First programs were developed in the 1950s.
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How Do You Select a Programming Language

Is it designed for the type of program that needs to be written? Is it available on the computer being used? Are trained programmers available? Is it easy to write programs in the language? Is the language efficient when the program is executed?
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What Are the Types of Programming Languages

First Generation Languages Second Generation Languages Third Generation Languages Fourth Generation Languages Fifth Generation Languages

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First Generation Languages

Machine language

Operation code such as addition or subtraction. Operands that identify the data to be processed. Machine language is machine dependent as it is the only language the computer can understand. Very efficient code but very difficult to write.
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Second Generation Languages

Assembly languages

Symbolic operation codes replaced binary operation codes. Assembly language programs needed to be assembled for execution by the computer. Each assembly language instruction is translated into one machine language instruction. Very efficient code and easier to write.
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Third Generation Languages

Closer to English but included simple mathematical notation.

Programs written in source code which must be translated into machine language programs called object code. The translation of source code to object code is accomplished by a machine language system program called a compiler.
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Third Generation Languages (contd.)

Alternative to compilation is interpretation which is accomplished by a system program called an interpreter. Common third generation languages

FORTRAN COBOL C and C++ Visual Basic

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Fourth Generation Languages

A high level language (4GL) that requires fewer instructions to accomplish than a third generation language. Used with databases

Query languages Report generators Forms designers Application generators

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Fifth Generation Languages

Though no clear definition at present, natural language programs generally can be interpreted and executed by the computer with no other action by the user than stating their question. Limited capabilities at present.

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Programming Languages

Two broad groups

Traditional programming languages

Sequences of instructions First, second and some third generation languages Objects are created rather than sequences of instructions Some third generation, and fourth and fifth generation languages
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Object-oriented languages

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Traditional Programming Languages

FORTRAN

FORmula TRANslation. Developed at IBM in the mid-1950s. Designed for scientific and mathematical applications by scientists and engineers.

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Traditional Programming Languages (contd.)

COBOL

COmmon Business Oriented Language. Developed in 1959. Designed to be common to many different computers. Typically used for business applications.

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Traditional Programming Languages (contd.)

BASIC

Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. Developed at Dartmouth College in mid 1960s. Developed as a simple language for students to write programs with which they could interact through terminals.
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Traditional Programming Languages (contd.)

Developed by Bell Laboratories in the early 1970s. Provides control and efficiency of assembly language while having third generation language features. Often used for system programs. UNIX is written in C.
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Object-Oriented Programming Languages

Smalltalk

First object-oriented language. Developed by Xerox in mid-1970s. Still in use on some computers.

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Object-Oriented Programming Languages (contd.)

C++

It is C language with additional features. Widely used for developing system and application software. Graphical user interfaces can be developed easily with visual programming tools.

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Special Programming Languages

HTML

HyperText Markup Language. Used on the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW). Web page developer puts brief codes called tags in the page to indicate how the page should be formatted.

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Special Programming Languages (contd.)

XML

Extensible Markup Language. A language for defining other languages.

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Special Programming Languages (contd.)

JAVA

An object-oriented language similar to C++ that allows a web page developer to create programs for applications, called applets that can be used through a browser. Objective of JAVA developers is that it be machine, platform and operating system independent.
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Translation

Translator

Accepts a program written in a source language and translates it to a program in a target language Standard name for a translator whose source language is a high-level language
A translator that both translates and executes a source program
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Compiler

Interpreter

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Software Concepts
Key Terms

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Key Terms

Assembler Assembly Language BASIC Booting Browser Button C C++ COBOL

Command Compiler Database Software Dialog Box Electronic Conferencing Software Electronic Messaging Software FORTRAN
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Key Terms (contd.)

Fourth-Generation Language (4GL) Graphical User Interface (GUI) Graphics Software Groupware HTML Icon

Information Sharing Software Interpreter Java Menu Multitasking Network Operating System (NOS) Object
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Key Terms (contd.)

Object-Oriented Programming Operating Environment Page Programmer Programming Programming Language Prompt Spreadsheet Software

Time-Sharing User Interface Utility Program Virtual Memory Window Word Processing Software XML

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