APPLICATION SOFTWARE

APPLICATION SOFTWARE

1. TEXT

   • WORD PROCESSING
     • Templates and wizards: Word Processing packages usually come with a range of templates for many types of standard document such as letters, invoices and reports.
     • Proofing Tools: As well as spell checking, most word processors have other functions to improve the quality of language - grammar chekcing, thesauras, word count etc.
     • Styles: Keep the document consistent and automatically create consistency within the document.
     • Layout tools: Basic tools such as columns, tables, backgrounds, watermarks, borders and shading are available in most packages.
   • DESKTOP PUBLISHING
     • Concentrate on the layout of the document rather than just the text, and tend to have a wider range of templates such as leaflets, brochures, business cards, DVD,and CD inserts

2. DATABASE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

   • Data Types: Can be text, numbers, date/time, or boolean (yes/no).
   • Validation:Reduces data errors
     • Range: Checks that a value falls within the specified range
     • Presence: Checks that data has been entered into a field
     • Format: Checks the data is in the right format
   • Sorts: Stored records can be sorted by any field and in ascending or descending order.
   • Queries: Queries the data against certain criteria.
   • Forms: Makes the user interface as easy to use as possible for entering and viewing data.Wizards can produce a basic form layout which can be customised to meet the user's requirements
   • Reports: Can be created with a wizard and adjusted by the user.

3. NUMBERS

   • SPREADSHEETS
     • Have many built in formulas and functions for processing numbers for various purposes, such as: Mathematics, finance, date/time, statistics, lookup and database functions.

4. PICTURES

   • BITMAP SOFTWARE
     • Bitmap images are made by splitting the screen into tiny squares, called pixels. The colour of each pixel is stored, and images made up of lots of colours create large file sizes. Bitmap software tends to be used for freehand art and for photographs.
   • VECTOR SOFTWARE
     • Vector graphics are made up of objects, each of which can be selected so that it can be filled, edited, moved or resized. Some computer-aided design packages enable designers to draw the objects in 2D and have them converted to 3d wireframes.

5. SOUND

   • SOUND EDITING
     • Sound files are created by taking samples of sounds and playing them back. Sound editing software can change the shape of the waveforms, making the sound higher or lower in pitch or volume, or changing the pattern of the waves to make them sound different.
   • MUSIC COMPOSITION
     • Input: Can be fed in by a digital instrument, or notes can be dragged from a library and placed in the correct position on the stave.
     • Editing: Once the music has been entered, it can be played back in any "voice", so a sound that has been entered may sound different. Advanced composition software also has a range of specialist functions, such as the ablitity to rewrite music in a different key by transposing it automatically.

6. MOVING IMAGE

   • VIDEO-EDITING SOFTWARE
     • Footage recorded on a digital video camera can be loaded on to a computer to be edited. Sections of the video can be cut, removed or pasted. Functions such as adjusting brightness are also available for videos.
   • ANIMATION SOFTWARE
     • Animation involves drawing lots of individual frames that are then displayed in sequence to give the illusion of movement.

7. MULTIMEDIA

   • PRESENTATION SOFTWARE
     • Multimedia presentations can be used in many situations, such as lectures presented by a group or advertising presentations in shopping centres. Generally speaking, these presentations will use limited amounts of text, relying on other types of media to convey the message to the audience. Generally consist of a series of slides, each one dealing with a fairly small amount of information.
   • WEB-AUTHORISING SOFTWARE
     • Possible to create webpages on a simple text processor by writing HTML code directly, but most designers tend to use packages which create the code from a visual layout. There are many web-designs packages available. It is also possible to download sections of code to use on websites, for example to produce visual effects or count visitor numbers.
   • EMAIL SOFTWARE
     • Allows the user to store contact details in an address book, and to group some of those contact details together so that an email can be sent to all of them with a single click. Rules can be set up to direct incoming mail to a specific folder automatically. Junk mail filters can be used to delete emails containing certain words or from a certain address. Some packages automatically check ingoing and outgoing messages for viruses.
   • WEB BROWSERS
     • Allow users to navigate between intranet pages or internet sites. The user can choose the webpage their brwoser opens to by setting it as their home page. Back and forward buttons allow the user to go back to previous pages they have recently visited. Refresh button will reload a page. Users can also save websites they use frequently to a favourites list, also known as bookmarking.