M216 – APPLICATION SOFTWARE

At the end of this lesson, students should be able to: Learning Outcomes At 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