SATHYABAMA UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

SUBJECT TITLE: IT FOR MANAGEMENT SUBJECT CODE: SCA5624

COURSE: MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION LEVEL I TERM II

UNIT I

INTRODUCTION

Computers are an integral part of our lives. They are found in homes, offices, stores, hospitals,
libraries, and many other places. Computers are part of cars and phones, and they enable you to
access bank accounts from home, shop online, and quickly communicate with people around the
world by means of e-mail and the Internet

COMPUTER - DEFINITION

A computer is a programmable electronic device that can input, process, output, and store data.
A computer takes data and converts it into information Computer can also be defined in terms of
functions it can perform.

FUNCTIONS OF COMPUTER

The four basic computer functions are also known as the information processing cycle. The
functions are

Input The computer gathers data or allows a user to add data.

Process Data is converted into information.

Output The processed results are retrieved from the computer.

Storage Data or information is stored for future use

CHARACTERISTICS OF A COMPUTER

Speed
Computers work at an incredible speed. A powerful computer is capable of performing
about 3-4 million simple instructions per second.
Accuracy
In addition to being fast, computers are also accurate. Errors that may occur can almost
always be attributed to human error (inaccurate data, poorly designed system or faulty
instructions/programs written by the programmer)
Diligence
Unlike human beings, computers are highly consistent. They do not suffer from human
traits of boredom and tiredness resulting in lack of concentration. Computers, therefore,
are better than human beings in performing voluminous and repetitive jobs.
Versatility
Computers are versatile machines and are capable of performing any task as long as it
can be broken down into a series of logical steps. The presence of computers can be seen
in almost every sphere Railway/Air reservation, Banks, Hotels, Weather forecasting
and many more.
Storage Capacity Todays computers can store large volumes of data. A piece of
information once recorded (or stored) in the computer, can never be forgotten and can be
retrieved almost instantaneously.

COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEM

Input Unit: This unit is used for entering data and programs into the computer system by
the user for processing. Eg : Keyboard, Mouse, Trackball, Touchpad, Light pen
Memory Unit/Storage Unit: The storage unit is used for storing data and instructions
before and after processing.
Output Unit: The output unit is used for storing the result as output produced by the
computer after processing. Eg. Monitor, Printer
Central Processing Unit (CPU) takes data and instructions from the storage unit and
makes all sorts of calculations based on the instructions given and the type of data
 provided. It is then sent back to the storage unit. CPU includes Arithmetic logic unit
(ALU) and control unit (CU)
Arithmetic Logic Unit: All calculations and comparisons, based on the
instructions provided, are carried out within the ALU. It performs arithmetic
functions like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and also logical
operations like greater than, less than and equal to etc.
Control Unit: Controlling of all operations like input, processing and output are
performed by control unit. It takes care of step by step processing of all operations
inside the computer.

Figure 1: Basic Organization of a computer system

MEMORY

Computers memory can be classified into two types;

[1] Primary memory

RAM (Random Access Memory) is the unit in a computer system. It is the place
in a computer where the operating system, application programs and the data in
current use are kept temporarily so that they can be accessed by the computers
processor. It is said to be volatile since its contents are accessible only as long as
 the computer is on. The contents of RAM are no more available once the
computer is turned off.
ROM(Read Only Memory) is a special type of memory which can only be read
and contents of which are not lost even when the computer is switched off. It
typically contains manufacturers instructions. Among other things, ROM also
stores an initial program called the bootstrap loader whose function is to start
the operation of computer system once the power is turned on.
[2] Secondary Memory RAM is volatile memory having a limited storage capacity.
Secondary/auxiliary memory is storage other than the RAM. These include devices that
are peripheral and are connected and controlled by the computer to enable permanent
storage of programs and data.

MEMORY HIERARCHY

It is based on access time and storage time.

Figure 2: Memory Hierarchy

FUNCTIONING INSIDE A COMPUTER

The heart of the two motherboards we have is the i845 chipset from Intel. As you can see, it
supports all of the standard interfaces, including integrated 10/100 LAN (optionally configured
by the motherboard manufacturer but support is there) and 6 channel audio. One obvious
drawback is noted here however, the bandwidth available across the memory bus is limited to
1.06GB per second. This is far below that of the i850's Dual Channel RDRAM interface, at
3.2GB/second.

Figure 3: Functioning inside a Computer

CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER

Figure 4: Classification of Computer

Analog Computer

Analog computers are used to process analog data. Analog data is of continuous nature and
which is represented by measurable quantities. Such type of data includes temperature, pressure,
speed weight, voltage, depth etc. These quantities are continuous and having an infinite variety
of values.

Digital Computer

A digital computer is a general-purpose electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a
set of arithmetic or logical operations automatically. It operates on data, including magnitudes,
letters, and symbols, that are expressed in binary formi.e., using only the two digits 0 and 1.

Micro Computer
A microcomputer is a small, relatively inexpensive computer with
a microprocessor as its central processing unit (CPU). It includes a
microprocessor, memory, and input/output (I/O) facilities. Microcomputers
became popular in the 1970s and 80s with the advent of increasingly powerful
microprocessors.
Mini Computer
A minicomputer, is a class of smaller computers that developed in the mid-
1960s and sold for much less than mainframe and mid-size computers
from IBM and its direct competitors. Minicomputer cost was less than 25,000
USD .
Main frame Computer
Mainframe computers are computers used primarily by large organizations for
critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer
statistics, enterprise resource planning and transaction processing.
Super Computer
A supercomputer is a computer with great speed and memory. This kind of
computer can do jobs faster than any other computer of its generation. They are
usually thousands of times faster than ordinary personal computers made at that
time.

Hybrid Computer

A hybrid is a combination of digital and analog computers. It combines the best features of both
types of computers, that is it has the speed of analog computer and the memory and accuracy of
digital computer. Hybrid computers are used mainly in specialized applications where both kinds
of data need to be processed.

ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER

Computer has made a very vital impact on society. It has changed the way of life. The
use of computer technology has affected every field of life. People are using computers to
perform different tasks quickly and easily. The use of computers makes different task easier. It
also saves time and effort and reduces the overall cost to complete a particular task.

Many organizations are using computers for keeping the records of their customers.
Banks are using computers for maintaining accounts and managing financial transactions. The
banks are also providing the facility of online banking. The customers can check their account
balance from using the internet. They can also make financial transaction online. The
transactions are handled easily and quickly with computerized systems.

DISADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER

The use of computer has also created some problems in society which are as follows.

Unemployment

Different tasks are performed automatically by using computers. It reduces the need
of people and increases unemployment in society.

Wastage of time and energy

Many people use computers without positive purpose. They play games and chat for a
long period of time. It causes wastage of time and energy. Young generation is now spending
more time on the social media websites like Facebook, Twitter etc or texting their friends all
night through smartphones which is bad for both studies and their health. And it also has
adverse effects on the social life.

Data Security

The data stored on a computer can be accessed by unauthorized persons through

networks. It has created serious problems for the data security.
 Computer Crimes

People use the computer for negative activities. They hack the credit card numbers of
the people and misuse them or they can steal important data from big organizations.

Privacy violation

The computers are used to store personal data of the people. The privacy of a person
can be violated if the personal and confidential records are not protected properly.

Health risks

The improper and prolonged use of computer can results in injuries or disorders of
hands, wrists, elbows, eyes, necks and back. The users can avoid health risks by using the
computer in proper position. They must also take regular breaks while using the computer for
longer period of time. It is recommended to take a couple of minutes break after 30 minutes
of computer usage.

Impact on Environment

The computer manufacturing processes and computer waste are polluting the
environment. The wasted parts of computer can release dangerous toxic materials. Green
computer is a method to reduce the electricity consumed and environmental waste generated
when using a computer. It includes recycling and regulating manufacturing processes. The
used computers must be donated or disposed off properly.

LOGIC GATES

Digital systems are said to be constructed by using logic gates. These gates are the AND,
OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, EXOR and EXNOR gates. The basic operations are described below
with the aid of truth tables.
AND Gate

The AND gate is an electronic circuit that gives a high output (1) only if all its inputs are high.
A dot (.) is used to show the AND operation i.e. A.B. Bear in mind that this dot is sometimes
omitted i.e. AB

OR Gate

The OR gate is an electronic circuit that gives a high output (1) if one or more of its inputs are
high. A plus (+) is used to show the OR operation.

NOT Gate

The NOT gate is an electronic circuit that produces an inverted version of the input at its output.
It is also known as an inverter. If the input variable is A, the inverted output is known as NOT
A. This is also shown as A', or A with a bar over the top, as shown at the outputs. The diagrams
below show two ways that the NAND logic gate can be configured to produce a NOT gate. It can
also be done using NOR logic gates in the same way.
NAND Gate

This is a NOT-AND gate which is equal to an AND gate followed by a NOT gate. The outputs
of all NAND gates are high if any of the inputs are low. The symbol is an AND gate with a small
circle on the output. The small circle represents inversion.

NOR Gate

This is a NOT-OR gate which is equal to an OR gate followed by a NOT gate. The outputs of all
NOR gates are low if any of the inputs are high.The symbol is an OR gate with a small circle on
the output. The small circle represents inversion.

EXOR gate

The 'Exclusive-OR' gate is a circuit which will give a high output if either, but not both, of its
two inputs are high. An encircled plus sign ( ) is used to show the EOR operation.
EXNOR Gate

The 'Exclusive-NOR' gate circuit does the opposite to the EOR gate. It will give a low output
if either, but not both, of its two inputs are high. The symbol is an EXOR gate with a small
circle on the output. The small circle represents inversion.

NUMBER SYSTEM

Types of number system

Binary Number System

Represents two types of digits 0's and 1's, so the base of number system is 2.
Uses two types of electronic pulses, where absence of pulse shows 0 and presence of
pulse shows 1.
Each binary digit is called as bit.
Left-most bit of a number is known as Most Significant Bit (MSB) and right-most bit is
known as Least Significant Bit (LSB). Its same for all number system.
A group of 4 bit is called as nibble and group of 8 bit is called as byte.
Value of digit is determined by the position of digit in the number, where lowest value is
for the right-most position and each successive position to the left has a higher place
value. Its same for all number system.
Examples: a) (010101)2 b) (1010.101)2

Octal Number System

Represents 8 types of digits from 0 to 7, so the base of number system is 8.

It takes exactly three binary digits to represent an octal digit.
Binary 000 is same as octal digit 0, binary 001 is same as octal 1, and so on.
 Insufficient to convert values into bytes(8 bit), so not widely used in computers.
Examples: a) (03105)8 b) (4237.23)8

Decimal Number System

Represents 10 types of digits from 0 to 9, so the base of number system is 10.

This is the most familiar number system with everyone.
Examples a) (582938)10 b) (3797.902)10

Hexadecimal Number System

Represents 16 types of digits from 0 to 9 and alphabets from A to F, so the base of

number system is 16.
Digits from 10 to 15 are represented as 10-A, 11-B, 12-C, 13-D, 14-E, 15-F.
As numeric digits and alphabets are used to represent digits, this number system is also
called as alphanumeric number system.
More complex number system and widely used in computer system.
Examples: a) (AF38)16 b) (CE7.5B)16

COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER HARDWARE

Peripheral devices are as follows:

a) Input Devices
b) Output Devices
c) Storage Devices

a) INPUT DEVICES

Input devices accept data and instructions from the user. Following are the examples of various
input devices, which are connected to the computer for this purpose.

Keyboard
Mouse
Light Pen
 Optical/magnetic Scanner
Touch Screen
Microphone for voice as input
Track Ball

Keyboard

A keyboard is the most common input device. Several kinds of keyboards are available, but they
resemble each other with minor variations. The keyboard in most common use is the QWERTY
board. Generally standard keyboard has 104 keys. In these keyboards, the cursor control keys are
duplicated to allow easier use of the numeric pad.

Mouse

A mouse is an electro-mechanical, hand-held device. It is used as a pointer. It can perform

functions like selecting menu commands, moving icons, resizing windows, starting programs,
and choosing options. The most common mouse uses an internal, magnetically coated ball, to
detect the movement of the mouse across a flat surface, usually a desktop. Now a days Optical or
laser mouse is used to detect the movement.

Light pen

An input device that utilizes a light-sensitive detector to select objects on a display screen. A
light pen is similar to a mouse except that with a light pen you can move the pointer and select
objects on the display screen by directly pointing to the objects with the pen.

Optical Scanner

These devices are used for automatic data collection. The devices of this category completely
eliminate manual input of data. For example, the bar-code reader is actually just a special type of
image scanner. An image scanner translates printed images into an electronic format that can be
stored in a computers memory, and with the right kind of software, one can alter a stored image.
Another example of scanner is optical character recognition (OCR) device, used by banks to
convert the scanned image of a typed or printed page into text that can be edited on the
computer.
Touch Screen

Touch panel displays and pads are now being offered as alternatives to keyboard. Here the input
can be given through the computer screen, that accepts the input through monitor; users touch
electronic buttons displayed on the screen or they may use light pen.

Microphone Microphone is an input device, which takes voice as input. The voice
communication is more error-prone than information through keyboard. There are two types of
microphones

Desktop Microphone
Hand held Microphone

Track Ball

Trackball, a pointing device, is a mouse lying on its back. To move the pointer, you rotate the
ball with your thumb, your fingers, or the palm of your hand. There are usually one to three
buttons next to the ball, which you use just like mouse buttons. The advantage of trackballs over
mouse is that the trackball is stationary so it does not require much space to use it. In addition,
you can place a trackball on any type of surface, including your lap. For both these reasons,
trackballs are popular pointing devices for portable computers.

b) OUTPUT DEVICES
Output devices return processed data that is information, back to the user. Some of the
commonly used output devices are:

Monitor (Visual Display Unit)

Printers
Plotter
Speakers

Monitor

Out of all the output devices, monitor is perhaps the most important output device because
people interact with this device most intensively than others. Computer information is displayed,
visually with a video adapter card and monitor. Information processed within the CPU, that
needs to be visually displayed, is sent to video adapter. The video adapter converts information
from the format used, in the same manner as a television displays information sent to it by a
cable service

Two basic types of monitors are used with microcomputers, which are as follows:

CRT
CRT or Cathode Ray Tube Monitor is the typical monitor that you see
on a desktop computer. It looks a lot like a television screen, and works the
same way. This type uses a large vacuum tube, called cathode ray tube
(CRT).
LCD
Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) monitors are also known as flat panel
monitor. Most of these employ liquid crystal displays (LCDs) to render
images. These days LCD monitor are very popular. When people talk about
the capabilities of various monitors, one critical statistic is the resolution of
the monitor. Most monitors have a resolution of at least 800 x 600 pixels.
High-end monitors can have resolutions of 1024 x 768 pixels or even 1280 x
1024 pixels. Thus monitors are available either in low resolution or in high
resolution.
Printer After a document is created on the computer, it can be sent to a printer for a hard
copy (printout). Some printers offer special features such as colored and large page formats.
Some of the most commonly used printers are:
Laser Printer
A laser printer produces high quality print that one normally finds
in publishing. It is extremely fast and quiet. Moreover, the operation of a
laser printer is easy with automatic paper loading and no smudging or
messing up of ink ribbons. The fastest laser printer can print up to 200
pages per minute in monochrome (black and white) and up to 100 pages
per minute in colour.
Ink Jet Printer
 An ink-jet printer creates an image directly on paper by spraying ink
through as many as 64 tiny nozzles. Although the image it produces is not
generally quite as sharp as the output of a laser printer, the quality of ink-jet
images is still high. In general, ink-jet printer offers an excellent middle
ground between dot matrix and laser printer. Like laser printer, an ink-jet
printer is quiet and convenient, but not particularly fast. Typically, an ink-jet
printer is more expensive than a dot-matrix printer, but costs only half as
much as a laser printer.
Dot Matrix Printer
The dot matrix printer was very popular at one point of time. It is a
very versatile and inexpensive output device. In dot matrix printer the print
head physically "hits" the paper through the ribbon and produces text (or
images) by combinations of dots; hence the name dot matrix printer. Its
speed is measured in characters per second (CPS). Although it is less
expensive, it is louder, slower and produces lower print quality

Plotter

A plotter is a special kind of output device that, like a printer, produces images on paper,
but does so in a different way. Plotters are designed to produce large drawings or images, such as
construction plans for buildings or blueprints for mechanical objects. A plotter can be connected
to the port normally used by a printer.

Speaker

Speakers are another type of output device, which allow you to listen to voice like music,
and conversation with people.

STORAGE DEVICES

Types Of Storage Devices

There are three main types of storage devices:

1. Magnetic Tape
 2. Magnetic Disk
3. Optical Disk
1. Magnetic Tape

Magnetic tape is the oldest storage device. It is made of plastic coated with magnetic
material. Data is stored on magnetic tape in the form of magnetic spots. Tape drive is used to
read and write data on tape. Magnetic disk is sequential access device. It is slower device than
magnetic disk or optical disk. Magnetic tapes are used in reels of different lengths, for example
200, 600, 1200 feet etc.

2. Magnetic Disk

A magnetic disk is a thin circular metal or plastic disk coated with magnetic material.
Data is stored in the form of magnetic spots. Magnetic disk is random access device. It is faster
than magnetic tape. There are three main types of magnetic disk:

a. Hard Disk

b. Floppy disk

Hard Disk

The hard disk is also called fixed disk. It consists of one or more metal plates. The plates
are fixed in the drive. Metal plates are coated with magnetic material to store data. A motor
rotates disks. There is also an access arm and read / write heads to read and write data on disks.
Following are major characteristics of hard disk:
The storage capacity of hard disk is much greater than floppy disk.
- Now a days hard disks of size 40 GB, 80 GB or more are available.
- Hard disk is covered in a hard jacket and there are less chances of disk damage
due to dust and mishandling.
- Now days Operating system and application programs are installed on hard disk.
- Before using a magnetic disk we use operating system to format the disk.
Operating system divides the disk into circles called tracks. Each track is divided into pie-shaped
areas called sectors. Data is stored in sectors. Each sector can store 512 bytes.
Floppy Disk
Floppy disk is a small plastic plate coated with magnetic material. Data is stored in
magnetic spots. Main advantage of floppy disk is that it is used to transfer data from one
computer to another. Floppy disk drive is used to read and write data on floppy disk.
Floppy disk is available in two sizes:
3 INCH Floppy Disk
It is also called micro floppy disk. Its diameter is 3 inch. It is covered in a hard plastic
cover. Read/Write window is covered with a metal shutter. When disk is inserted into disk drive
then shutter is automatically opened. It can be write protected by a notch. Storage capacity of
micro floppy is 1.44 MB.
5 Inch floppy disk.
It is a 5 inch diameter plastic plate coated with magnetic material. Its storage capacity is
1.2 MB. It is not used in modern computers.
Optical Disk

LASER technology is used to read and write data on Optical disk. LASER stands for
Light Amplification through Emission of Radiation. Laser beam writes on the surface of optical
disk by creating very small holes. The presence of hole represents a One and absence of the hole
represents a Zero. There are following main types of optical disk. 1.CD-ROM, 2. CD-R or
WORM, 3. CD-RW 4.DVD-ROM, 5. DVD-R, 6. DVD-RW

1. CD-ROM
CD-ROM stands for Compact Disk-Read Only Memory. The data stored on Cd-
Rom can only be read. It cannot be deleted or changed. It is a portable storage
device. Data can be easily transferred by CD Rom from one computer to another.
Commonly it can store 650 MB / 700 MB/ 750 MB data. It is used to store large
amounts of data like Software or audio/video data .
2. CD-R (CD Recordable)
CD-R stands for Compact Disk -Recordable. Initially, it is a blank disk. User can
store data on it only once. This is why it is also called WORM(Write Once Read
Many) disk too. Because we can write data on it only once and later we can read
many times. The devices to store data on CD-R are called CD Writers or CD
 Burners. We can write data on CD-R only once, but can read data many times.
Because of this write once read many quality, CD-R is often known as
WORM(write once read many).
3. CD-RW ( CD Rewritable )
CD-RW stands for Compact Disk Rewritable. This is a special type of CD. User
can write data on it, if there is an error in writing data, he may erase the contents
and rewrite again. CD-Writers are used to store data on CD-RW.
4. DVD - Digital Video Disk
DVD stands for Digital Video Disk. A laser beam with a short wave length is
used to create very very small holes on the surface of disk. So there are much
more tiny holes on the surface of DVD as compared to that of CD. Therefore,
storage capacity of DVD is much larger than CD. It can store up to 17 GB or
more data. DVD-ROM is pre recorded and it can contain data like movies, videos
and software etc. User cannot change or delete data from DVD-ROM. It is read
only. - See more at: http://forfreeeducation.blogspot.in/2011/08/explain-different-
types-of-storage.html#sthash.54RwbeHA.dpuf
5. DVD-R (DVD-Recordable)
DVD-R stands for Digital Video Disk Recordable. Initially it is a blank disk. User
can store data on disk only once. Then it becomes read only. It is normally used to
store high definition video movies. DVD-Writers are used to store data on DVD-
R. - See more at: http://forfreeeducation.blogspot.in/2011/08/explain-different-
types-of-storage.html#sthash.54RwbeHA.dpuf
6. DVD-RW ( DVD Rewritable)
DVD-RW stands for Digital Video Disk Rewritable. User can write data on disk
many times by erasing the old data

SOFTWARE

It is the user who instructs computer; what to do, how to do and when to do. In order to
perform any task, you have to give a set of instructions in a particular sequence to the computer.
These sets of instructions are called Programs. Software refers to a set of programs that makes
the hardware perform a particular set of tasks in particular order. Software can be classified
mainly into following categories and sub-categories are shown in Figure 5 .

Software

System Software Application Software

Figure 5: Classification of Software

System Software

When you switch on the computer the programs stored in ROM are executed which
activates different units of your computer and makes it ready for you to work on it. This set of
programs can be called system software. System softwares are sets of programs, responsible for
running the computer, controlling various operations of computer systems and management of
computer resources.

Operating System
Utilities

An operating system is a system software that provides an interface for a user to

communicate with the computer, manages hardware devices (disk drives, keyboard, monitor,
etc), manages and maintains disk file systems and supports application programs. Some popular
Operating systems are UNIX, Windows and Linux. Although operating system provides all the
features users need to use and maintain their systems, inevitably, they still do not meet
everyones expectations. This has led to another type of system software called "Utilities". These
are programs that bridge the gap between the functionality of an OS and the needs of users.
Utility programs are a broad category of software such as compress (zip)/uncompress (unzip)
files software, anti virus software, split and join files software, etc.

Application Software

Application software is a set of programs, which are written to perform specific tasks, for
example: An application package for managing library known as library information system is
used to manage information of library such as: keeping book details, account holder details, book
issue details, book return details etc. Another application package for managing student details is
called students information system, manages students roll no, name, parents name, address,
class, section, processing of examination results etc. Application software can be broadly
classified into two types:

(a) Generalized packages

(b) Customized packages

Generalized Packages

These are user friendly softwares written to cater to users very general needs such as preparing
documents, drawing pictures, database to manage data/information, preparing presentations, play
games etc. It is a group of programs that provide general purpose tools to solve specific
problems. Some of the generalized packages are listed below:

Word Processing Software(for preparing documents): Word Perfect, MS-Word,

OpenOffice.org Writer
Spreadsheets (Data Analysis): Lotus Smart suites, MSExcel, OpenOffice.org Calc, Apple
Numbers
Presentations : Presentation Graphics, MS-PowerPoint, OpenOffice.org Impress
Database Management System: MS-Access, OpenOffice.org Base, MS-SQL Server,
ORACLE
Graphics Tools: Paint shop pro, Adobe Photoshop

Customized Packages

These are the applications that are customized (or developed) to meet the specific requirements
of an organization/institution. For Example: Student information details, Payroll packages,
inventory control etc. These packages are developed using high-level computer language.
COMPUTER LANGUAGES

Languages are a means of communication. Normally people interact with each other
through a language. On the same pattern, communication with computers is carried out through a
language. This language is understood both by user and the machine. Just as every language like
English, Hindi has its grammatical rules; every computer language is bound by rules known as
SYNTAX of that language. The user is bound by that syntax while communicating with the
computer system.
Computer Language

Low Level Language High Level Language

BASIC
Machine Language Assembly Language COBOL

FORTAN

C++

Figure 6: Classification of Computer Language

Computer languages are broadly classified as:

Low Level Language: The term low level means closeness to the way in which machine
understand. The low level languages are:
Machine Language: This is the language (in the form of 0s and 1s, called
binary numbers) understood directly by the computer. It is machine dependent. It
is difficult to learn and even more difficult to write programs.
Assembly Language: This is the language where the machine codes comprising
of 0s and 1s are substituted by symbolic codes (called mnemonics) to improve
their understanding. It is the first step to improve programming structure.
Assembly language programming is simpler and less time consuming than
machine level programming, it is easier to locate and correct errors in assembly
 language than in machine language programs. It is also machine dependent.
Programmers must have knowledge of the machine on which the program will
run.
High Level Language
You know that low level language requires extensive knowledge of the hardware since
it is machine dependent. To overcome the limitation, high level language has been
evolved which uses normal English like, easy to understand statements to solve any
problem. Higher level languages are computer independent and programming becomes
quite easy and simple. Various high level languages are given below:
BASIC (Beginners All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code): It is widely used,
easy to learn general purpose language. Mainly used in microcomputers in earlier
days.
COBOL (Common Business Oriented language): A standardized language used
for commercial applications.
FORTRAN (Formula Translation): Developed for solving mathematical and
scientific problems. One of the most popular languages among scientific
community.
C: Structured Programming Language used for all purpose such as scientific
application, commercial application, developing games etc.
C++: Popular object oriented programming language, used for general purpose

COMPILER and ASSEMBLER

As you know that High Level language is machine independent and

assembly language though it is machine dependent yet mnemonics that are being used to
represent instructions are not directly understandable by machine. Hence to make the machine
understand the instructions provided by both the languages, Compiler and Assembler are
required to convert these instructions into machine language. The software (set of programs) that
reads a program written in high level language and translates it into an equivalent program in
machine language is called as Compiler. The program written by the programmer in high level
language is called source program and the program generated by the compiler after translation is
called as object program.
 Source Program Object Program
COMPILER
( High Level Language) ( Machine Language)

Figure 6: Compiler

The software (set of programs) that reads a program written in assembly language and translates
it into an equivalent program in machine language is called as Assembler.

Source Program Object Program

ASSEMBLER
( Assembling Language) ( Machine Language)

Figure 7: Assembler

QUESTIONS

PART A

1. Define Computer. What are the characteristics of a computer?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a computer?
3. Write short notes on compiler and assembler.
4. Write notes on low level languages.
5. Explain about optical disk.

PART B

1. Explain the components of a computer system.

2. Describe the various types of memory in detail.
3. What is the classification of a computer? Explain.
4. Explain the types of number system with example.
5. Explain in detail the components of computer hardware
6. Write short notes on software.
7. Explain the classification of computer language.