Chapter 3 Learning Objectives

SECTION A

After reading Section A, you should be able to:

• define the term “software”
• discuss the relationship between software and a computer program
• list the components of a typical software package
• explain the purpose of an executable file
• differentiate between a support module and a data module
• explain the role of a computer programmer
• define the term “computer language”
• outline how high-level language relates to a microprocessor’s instruction set
• describe the difference between a compiler and an interpreter
• contrast application software with system software

SECTION B

After reading Section B, you should be able to:

• outline how the operating system interacts with application software, device drivers, and hardware to manage a computer’s resources
• describe the interaction between the operating system and the microprocessor
• explain how an operating system works with memory
• define the term “user interface”
• explain the purpose of the “kernel”
• provide examples of Windows utilities
• discuss the different classifications of operating systems including single-user, multi-user, network, and multitasking
• identify personal computer operating systems, such as DOS, Windows, Mac OS, and Linux
• compare and contrast different versions of the Windows operating system
• explain the relationship between Linux and UNIX

SECTION C

After reading Section C, you should be able to:

• define the term “document production software”
• describe the features and uses of the three main types of document production software: word processing, desktop publishing, and Web authoring
• discuss the limitations of spelling and grammar checkers
• “define a style” for an entire document
• explain the term “spreadsheet”
• provide an example of a “what-if analysis”
• discuss how a formula works using spreadsheet software
• differentiate between a relative reference and an absolute reference
• compare the features of file management software to those of database management software
• explain the difference between a relational database and an object-oriented database
• list three methods for making queries that can be provided by data management software
• provide examples of software that are available in the following categories: graphics, music, educational, reference, entertainment, and business

SECTION D

After reading Section D, you should be able to:

• explain the relationship between a software package and a PC’s system requirements
• outline the process a computer performs in order to install software
• discuss the different types of installation programs for downloaded software
• explain the purpose of having files “zipped”
• describe how to uninstall Windows software
• define the term “copyright”
• provide three exceptions to the copyright laws governing software
• list different forms of software licenses
• describe the copyright differences for commercial software, shareware, freeware, open source software, and public domain software