1.2.2 – Applications Generation

1.2.2 – Applications Generation

1. Types of application software

   • Browsers
     • Allow users to access the world wide web. Features include built in security such as pop up blockers, website certificate checks and spell check. Examples include: Google chrome, Firefox, safari, internet explorer
   • Audio & Video Editing
     • Allow users to create and edit videos and audio. Key features include merging files together, adding sound effects, adding titles, transitions etc. Examples include: Audacity, Adobe Premiere, Windows Movie Maker, iMovie
   • Graphic Design
     • Allows users to develop and edit images to meet a purpose. Key features include cropping, trimming, changing colours, drawing shapes, creating animated graphics, manipulating images. Examples include: Fireworks, Photoshop, Illustrator
   • Developer
     • Allows users to create programs for use on another platform. Examples include: eclipse, visual studio
   • Communications
     • Allows users to communicate via various means, including audio, video and textual methods. Examples include Outlook, Skype, Facetime
   • Word processing
     • Allow you to create and develop word processed documents, including formatting text, inserting images, creating tables, used for writing letters reports and other documents. Examples include Microsoft Word, Pages
   • Spreadsheet
     • Allow you to create calculations and model real life scenarios, creating charts. Examples include: Excel, Numbers
   • Presentation
     • Allow you to create digital presentations to share with others. Features include being able to add video/audio, transitions, animations. Examples include: PowerPoint, Keynote
   • Desktop Publishing
     • Allows you to create documents where layout is important. Allows you combine different forms of text and images and more flexibility on layout. Can create documents like newsletters, posters, leaflets, business cards. Example include: Microsoft Publisher
   • Web Design
     • Allows you to create websites without the need to create the website solely in code. Provides an interface similar to desktop publishing in many cases to build a website, although the code based option can be used. Examples include: Mediator, Dreamweaver

2. Key changes to application software due to new technology

   • User interfaces are developed with the use of touch in mind (selecting icons etc.)
   • Selecting components e.g. tables has provided options next to the selection rather than in the ribbon for easy access.
   • Viewing modes has changed so that an onscreen keyboard can be displayed without affecting the ability to see the document.

3. Utiility Programs

   • Anti-virus
     • Tries to prevent and removes any viruses found on a computer/device. Works by completing regular scans of the device based on a known set of viruses using a database which is regularly updated. The definition database is a store of all known viruses which will be updated regularly. When a virus is found you will be alerted and asked whether to remove, quarantine and ignore the suspected virus. Example: Norton Anti-Virus
   • Disk defragmentation
     • Attempts to group program files that are similar together. Works be searching through the drive after files have been saved and rearranges the structure of the files to group similar files together. As files get saved similar files may not be saved together due to the size of them and the sector trying to be saved on, this therefore slows read times. Example: Degraggler
   • Compression
     • Compression programs reduce the amount of space data takes up in storage. Often these algorithms make sure of the fact that some patterns of data are regularly repeated. There is lossless and lossy compression. Loseless reduces size by indexing repeated data so the same data is not stored multiple times. Lossy compression removes parts of the data that are less important to reduce the size. Example: WinRAR
   • File Managers
     • These allow files and directories to be moved, copied, deleted and renamed, these can often be found built into operating systems.
   • Backup Utilities
     • These allow backups to be automatically made of specified data.

4. Why you shouldn't use defragmentation utilities on a SSD

   • SSDs do not have the same issues with long seek time (time to find desired hard disk track) that mechanical hard disks do. This means there is little benefit to be gained from defragmenting. Locations on an SSD can only be written to a certain number of times (in the thousands) before they stop working. Defragmentation involves a lot of writing to locations so theoretically can shorten the lifespan of the disk. The controller on an SSD ensures that files are best placed and it is agreed by most people that the best strategy is to leave file placement to the controlled and not use defragmentation utilities.

5. Open/closed source software

   • Open Source software
     • This is where the source code is made publicly available. This allows users to modify the program to suit their needs.
     • Open source software is where the source code is made publically available and it can be customised to the needs of the user.
     • Advantages
       • Can see and modify the source code, provides greater customisation of the program
       • Free license to use the software.
       • Can share the software with others
       • Useful for collaboration, can make use of support through forums from peers using the same software.
     • Disadvantages
       • Support from the creators will have to be paid for, you might not be able to trust support networks online
       • Variable quality in the software due to many being able to access the source code and edit it, could lead to inefficient coding.
   • Closed Source software
     • The source code is not released to the public. This prevents amendments to the software being made to anyone other than those authorised.
     • Closed source software does not allow users to access the source code and therefore customisation beyond what the creator allows is not possible. You must purchase a licence in most cases to use this software.
     • Advantages
       • Support of closed source software is normally free as it is included in the price of the licence purchased.
       • There are normally free updates at periodic intervals to fix any issues or provide new features.
     • Disadvantages
       • The source code cannot be accessed and modified, therefore customization is limited.
       • The software cannot be shared with others as you purchase a license.