20. Software applications: word processors, spreadsheets, media players and database applications. Main characteristics, functions and tools.

Application software is any tool that functions and is operated by means of a computer, with the purpose of supporting or improving the software user's work. In other words, it is the subclass of computer software that employs the capabilities of a computer directly and thoroughly to a task that the user wishes to perform. Typical examples of software applications are word processors, spreadsheets, media players and database applications.

A word processor enables you to create a document, store it electronically on a disk, display it on a screen, modify it by entering commands and characters from the keyboard, and print it on a printer. The great advantage of word processing over using a typewriter is that you can make changes without retyping the entire document.

A spreadsheet program helps you manage personal and business finances. Spreadsheets, or worksheets, are mathematical tables which show figures in rows and columns.

A database is essentially a computerized record-keeping system.

Each unit of information you create is called a record and each record is made up of a collection of fields. Typically, a single record consists of a set of field names like: Title, First Name, Surname, Job Title, TelNo and ID. You fill in a form with the relevant information for each field to add a new record to the database. There are different data types.

Text - holds letters and numbers not used in calculations Number - can only hold numbers used in calculations and reports Memo - can store long texts Date/Time - a date or time or combination of both AutoNumber - assigns a number to each record OLE Object - (object linking and embedding) holds sounds and pictures

Yes/No - for alternative values like true/false, yes/no, on/off, etc.

Hyperlink - adds a link to a website

Media player is a term typically used to describe computer software for playing back multimedia files. Most software media players support an array of media formats, including both audio and video files.

21. Graphics software. Computer graphics categories: raster graphics and vector graphics. Image manipulation programs. Painting and drawing programs. Business graphics programs. Computer-aided design. Computer animation. Geographic information system.

Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of pictorial data by a computer.

The development of computer graphics, or simply referred to as CG, has made computers easier to interact with, and better for understanding and interpreting many types of data. Developments in computer graphics have had a profound impact on many types of media and have revolutionized the animation and video game industry.

Computer graphics can be classified into two distinct categories: raster graphics and vector graphics. these graphics types, you should be familiar with both.

A raster graphics image or bitmap is a data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, viewable via a monitor, paper, or other display medium. Raster images are stored in image files with varying formats. A bitmap is technically characterized by the width and height of the image in pixels and by the number of bits per pixel (a color depth, which determines the number of colors it can represent).

Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon(s), which are all based on mathematical equations, to represent images in computer graphics. Vector graphics files store the lines, shapes and colours that make up an image as mathematical formulae. A vector graphics program uses these mathematical formulae to construct the screen image, building the best quality image possible, given the screen resolution

Image manipulation programs let you edit your favourite images. In digital editing, photographs are usually taken with a digital camera and input directly into a computer. Transparencies, negatives or printed photographs may also be digitized using a scanner, or images may be obtained from stock photography databases. With the advent of computers, graphics tablets, and digital cameras, the term image editing encompasses everything that can be done to a photo, whether in a darkroom or on a computer.

Painting and drawing programs, also called illustration packages, offer facilities for freehand drawing, with a wide choice of pens and brushes, colours and patterns. One example is Windows Paint.

Business graphics programs, also called presentation software, let you create pie charts, bar charts and line graphs of all kinds for slide shows and reports. You can import data from a database or spreadsheet to generate the graphs. Presentation software typically includes three major functions: an editor that allows text to be inserted and formatted, a method for inserting and manipulating graphic images and a slide-show system to display the content.

Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computer technology for the design of objects, real or virtual. CAD often involves more than just shapes. As in the manual drafting of technical and engineering drawings, the output of CAD often must convey also symbolic information such as materials, processes, dimensions, and tolerances, according to application-specific conventions.

CAD may be used to design curves and figures in two-dimensional ("2D") space; or curves, surfaces, or solids in three-dimensional ("3D") objects.

Computer animation (or CGI animation) is the art of creating moving images with the use of computers. It is a subfield of computer graphics and animation. Increasingly it is created by means of 3D computer graphics, though 2D computer graphics are still widely used for stylistic, low bandwidth, and faster real-time rendering needs. Sometimes the target of the animation is the computer itself, but sometimes the target is another medium, such as film. It is also referred to as CGI (computer-generated imagery or computer-generated imaging), especially when used in films.

A geographic information system (GIS), Technically, a GIS is a system which includes mapping software and its application to remote sensing, land surveying, aerial photography, mathematics, photogrammetry, geography, and tools that can be implemented with GIS software.

In simplest terms, GIS is the merging of cartography and database technology. Consumer users would likely be familiar with applications for finding driving directions, like a GPS program on their hand-held device. GPS (Global Positioning System) is the real time location component that uses satellites to show your current position, "where am I now" on your device. GPS technology is discussed in more detail later in this article.