Monster Media 1993 #2

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Text File | 1993-07-22 | 32KB | 512 lines

CHAPTER 2 THE SOFTWARE Once you have the hardware correctly in place and all connected and plugged in properly, then it will remain a pile of expensive "junk" unless you give the CPU exact instructions on what it is you want it to do: what switches do you want it to turn on and off for you. This is where the SOFTWARE comes into play! "Software" is the instructions for operation that the computer needs to run. These instructions are written out in a code that the computer understands in a language that it understands. It used to be that ALL computer language was really difficult to understand and grasp and write. Now it is easier in that an intermediary language can be used that is made up of familiar words that anyone can understand. While it is true then that the only language the computer understands is "1" and "0" - it is possible now to preset the computer in the "chip" (that is part of the CPU) to translate the 1s and 0s not only into letters (characters) and numbers and symbols but also into groups of them like words! Therefore if I give the computer the command to DELETE (DEL) something.... it will know what to do, and turn the proper 1 and 0 switches off and on to cause that to happen! PROGRAMS therefore are sets of instructions for a specific task(s) to be given to the computer. The programs are made up of all kinds of "files" or sets of commands each under a specific title or name or category. Filenames can have no more than 8 characters followed by a "." and then three more characters. For example: CALENDAR.EXE is the main file that has the operational set of instructions for a program having no doubt to do with "calendar making"! The .EXE (extension) means that this is an executable file...which means that it has "running" or "operational" instructions..... other files such as CALENDAR.DAT is a DATA file which doesn't have any instructions, but has a record of what happened when the program was actually run, the data that was produced. A .TXT file is a simple document file which is produced by a word processor program and looks like it was typed in a typewriter. I am using such a program to type this right now. The .EXE file that is running the program I am using now is GLITE.EXE as it is the "Galaxy-Lite" Program. It is named with any name at all that I want to give it and so I chose to give it a .TXT extension because that is what traditionally goes with text type files! In this GLITE Program for example there are about 7 other files that are needed by the .exe file to run the program or were produced by the program when it ran the .exe file. For example there is a .dic file which is the on-line dictionary as part of the spell-checker for the program. There is also a .prd file which has instructions for the printer when I want to print out a copy of this file that I am making. A bigger program would have many many more subsidiary files to run it. WINDOWS has several hundred for example! The good thing about it all is that once the program begins and you see the first screen... it doesn't matter how many files it is taking to run it ...... most programs these days are USER-FRIEDNDLY which means just that .... that the on-screen helps and tips are very obvious and that the writer of the program has thought about almost anything you would need to run the program smoothly ... also in most programs by hitting the F1 Key on the top row of the keyboard, context-sensitive "help" is available .... meaning, no matter what you are doing at the moment.... an explanation is only a key-stroke away on what the recommended way is to do it! The only really confusing part of the whole deal is to start to grasp just how many programs there are out there...and what actually CAN be done on your PC. Now that I have this wonderful invention: what can I do with it? what CAN I do with it??? I would suggest making a list of things right now that you do by hand that could just as easily be done in a more orderly and neat way by the computer: Such as: WORD PROCESSING types of things: document making: letter writing: note taking: and the like! Like the title says: the processing of words! DATA BASING: this has to do with keeping records as you would in a file-box (There's that word "file" again!) This is the Christmas Card listing, PTA Membership Listing, Listing Inventory for your business. SPREADSHEETING: this has to do with ROWS and COLUMNS: numbers and figures; personal finances and the like....... keeping track of your accounts etc. There are all kinds of programs available to help you do these in the most efficient and fun way possible. Those are the TWO OPERATIVE WORDS EFFICIENT and FUN! If is it not a FUN program then look around for another one. In this day in age MOST programs are FUN ... they have great color graphics some have terrific sound and are VERY USER FRIENDLY! There is no excuse for using a stale old program that is very difficult to use! One way to know what programs to have: talk to other computer users and ask them what they have. Also: use your modem (an add-on "card" that is plugged into the Motherboard which will allow your computer to talk to other computers via the phone line) and call BBSes and "download" the files you think you may like directly to your own computer. Initiallly, you need a good communications program in order to call out. Q-MODEMPRO is a good program as is PROCOMM PLUS and TELIX. You can get these in most computer stores. A BBS is a Program run usually by a private individiual in his/her home, or by a company,for the very purpose of having others call and use the features available. BBS stands for BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM..... but a BBS is much more than a place to post electronic bulletins: it is a place to correspond with other bbs "users" and also to "browse" through the file areas and look for programs that might be useful to you and then "download" them from the BBS (transfer them electronically) to your own waiting computer. In addition to message conferences and files, there are also GAME DOORS which when entered cause games of various kinds to be available for your playing pleasure! Most games you compete with other players who make their moves when they "log-on" after you. COMPU-DOC runs a BBS called TOWN SQUARE BBS in Norfolk, VIrginia -modem #: (804)625-0728. All of this has to do with SOFTWARE: of the programs the you can run on your computer. One very basic program that HAS to run on just about everyone's computer is the DOS program. The Disk Operating System. This is the program that instructs the computer to do everything else you or your programs may want it to do. Before we get into DOS we first have to talk a bit about VERSION NUMBERS. If you see a program that has a V.3.2. after it. It is NOT a STRANGE CODE for the computer nerd to understand. It simply means V=VERSION 3=THIRD MAJOR RELASE of the Program and 2=THE SECOND MINOR REVISION of that 3rd major revision. Got it. V.3.2. = 2nd minor release of the third version of the program. To see the numbers increase from time to time in a program is a good sign..... it means that the "bugs" are being worked out... and that the "later versions" are probably more reliable and better than the earlier ones. [Just a note about "bugs"! This is a real computer term which comes from the days of the giant computers that used to take up rooms to do what can be done on a desktop today.... one day a program was producing some strange results (data) where the night before it was working just fine....on a careful search of the units they discovered that real "bugs" had gotten in and were stuck to various parts of the data boards.....from then on any problem with running a program is affectionately called "bugs"] We are now using DOS 6.0, then, now you understand what 6.0 means. It means that DOS is a few years old now and then this is the latest and most "debugged" version of it so far. DOS language is easy to understand because it is English. COPY, DELETE, FORMAT, INSTALL, CHKDSK, MSBACKUP, DBLSPACE are all DOS commands as well as CD MD RD MEM. By telling the computer to do certain things you can access your TREE (DIR) and you can move around within that tree to various files using DOSSHELL or other SHELL Programs. (A shell is a kind of "x-ray" program where you can see the whole family tree at the same time and can access any part of it you want instantly. The specific instructions using the dos language for your computer as you have it set up to run any programs you may have that need pre-installed files to run are found in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. This automatically activates programs that need to be running before other ones can run. (.BAT simply means that there is a list of more than one instruction - a typical AUTOEXEC.BAT file has about 6 or 7 files in it). A typical AUTOEXEC.BAT file: PROMPT $P$G PATH=C:\;C:\DOS C:\DOS\MOUSE.COM These commands get your DOS command line prompt working; set your path directories (the files in C:\ directory and C:\DOS directories are accessible from any DOS prompt); the mouse (if you have one) is engaged and should run in any program. Another file that must be run to pre-set the system for other programs is called the CONFIG.SYS file. Or Configuration.System file. This too is a .bat file in that it has a list of instructions or conditions that must be present for other programs to be able to run without problems. A typical CONFIG.SYS file would have the following in it. FILES=30 BUFFERS=30 DEVICE=-C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS DOS=HIGH DEVICE=C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS STACKS=0,0 This means that you can have up to 30 files open at one time; that you are storing 30 bytes at a time in the buffer; also that the HIGH MEMORY storage function is operational, and that the ansi graphics program is working; and that the stacking capbility for open files is set at default (0)! Two of the most important files in your ROOT DIRECTORY or MAIN FILE DRAWER is the AUTOEXEC.BAT and the CONFIG.SYS. Before DOS 6.0 it was a very difficult and cumbersome thing to run the computer with defective autoexec.bat and config.sys files. Now at least it is easier to bypass these files if necessary in order to correct them and then restart the computer (re-boot)! To do this now with the 6.0 as soon as the words: STARTING MSDOS appear on the screen hit the F5 key and these files will be bypassed. If you do not have DOS 6.0 you must insert a start-up disk in your A: (floppy) drive and then restart the computer, at which point you will have very limited commands at your disposal: one of which is to EDIT the autoexec.bat or config.sys file.... so that the system may be rebooted and started properly. Some of the advantages of DOS 6.0 is that it has a very user friendly BACKUP program. On a regular basis, depending on how much you use your system, making a COPY of every file on your hard disk (the disk that is internal and part of the "hardware") is VITAL to have....sometimes you need to RESTORE copies when the originals get messed up somehow... and it can happen, very easily in fact. There are two destinations to backup the system to: floppy disks, or a tape drive. A tape drive is like a little tape recorder that occupies the same space in your computer unit as a floppy drive. Using this device you can set the MSBACKUP Program to automatically copy the files of the hard drive onto the magnetic tape of the tape drive ... no fuss no bother. The other more conventional method is to manually make a copy using a stack of floppy disks and then storing them in a safe place. Either way you are safe from anything that could happen to your valuable programs and work. Once a FULL backup has been made, for a while it is only necessary to make INCREMENTAL backups, or backups of the files that were added or changed since the last backup. This is so you don't have to take an hour to backup each time. Incremental backups usually take only a few minutes. After every 5 or 6 incremental backups it is logical to make another original FULL BACKUP if most of the information has changed and there is nothing on the original backup that you want to keep anymore. Like backing up ... is SAVING your work as you go along. As you are working in programs the information is stored in local memory on the computer....however what is in the local memory buffer is not in anyway protected because it is not yet on a file of any kind.... so it is important to SAVE your information to a FILE and then re-save the information (overwrite the file) every few minutes. If there is a power failure, for example, you would lose all of the work you were currently working on back to the last SAVE. Some programs have automatic saving that either is already activated or which can easily be toggled (switched) on by you by hitting the spacebar or another pre-determined key on the keyboard (directions are always either on the screen or available by pushing F1 (in most cases). It is usually important to keep updated with the latest versions of programs.... so you can have the latest changes and improvements at your disposal. Many programs offer upgrade contracts, where for a lower than retail price, you can obtain these new products. You can generally run an "install" program which will automatically upgrade the program without harming the data aleady gathered from the older version! Some major programs that are highly recommended by this author are: Q-MODEM PRO- communications program: to make use of your modem! Modem: or interface (plug-into-the motherboard "card") device which has a built in phone jack so you can connect your telephone line to it making it possible for your computer to "talk with" other computers. These come in a variety of "baud rates" or "rate of byte transfer" speeds: eg. 300 baud is 300 characters per second...which may sound like a lot until you know that it also comes in 1200, 2400, 9600, 14,000 called 14.4k and even higher. These higher speeds allow information to pass back and forth with as little delay as possible.... this is important especially when "downloading" or "uploading" files to or from your system....and if you are doing this long distance.... the higher the baud rate the faster the transmission the cheaper it is. A 100K file can be transferred in about 2.5 minutes rather than 10 at 2400 baud (the average)! PROCOMM PLUS: another very good Communications Program which makes use of Z-Modem, the fastest form of internal protocol or method of file transfer. About 232 character/sec is the fastest transfer possible. Z-modem can give you 232,3 even 4 sometimes depending on the phone line connection. GALAXY (GALAXY LITE) - The major or stripped down version of a good word processor program. It is easy to use and is ASCII compatible ... which means the files it makes follow a standard code, making it usable in other kinds of programs calling for .txt files. Easy to modify files. Easy to print files. WORD PERFECT 3.1 The "mother" of all word processing programs. A very sophisticated word processing and organizing program. A very excellent program in its own right ... but the receiver of your file also has to have WP to read your files. This is good for business use where the processing of verbal information is going to stay in a closed environment. dbaseIII - DataBase 3.0 An older database program which is also a world unto itself. Very command line oriented: which means you need to type in most of the commands you want it to do. Very DOS oriented. Not very user friendly....but for a business a very excellent way to make and keep records. FILE EXPRESS 5 or 6. A very easy to use, user friendly data basing program. To make file card records, with a varied sorting ability, and label printing capability. PUBLISH IT 2.0 A fairly easy to use Desktop Publishing Program. Make your own documents, or newsletters, or even books! Many fonts/styles to choose from (types of print and size etc). Can even make your own fonts. Very professional looking! Supports all printer types. QUICKEN 6.0 The "mother" of all financial tracking programs. A marvelous and FUN way to keep personal and/or small business finances. Many different types of accounts available. Excellent reports and graphs. Ability to print checks. Highly recommended if you only need to balance a checkbook or are a bookkeeper for a small firm! LOTUS 123 SPREADSHEET is an excellent SPREADSHEET Program to do that kind of recordkeeping which demands the use of rows and columns. A large amount of built-in function codes to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and any other type of financial function imaginable at the tip of your finger. Highly recommended. In addition to these basic types of programs there are many other kinds of APPLICATION and ACCESSORY Programs, far too many to list here, to do just about anything you need doing, organizing, or compiling. Like I said: you need to look around in the FILE Areas of Bulletin Boards to see what is available. Just a note here on the concept of SHAREWARE. MOST program writers produce a program that will be helpful to the user. It takes a lot of time, effort and skill to write a program. Remiuneration is only right and just for using someone else's authored product. So most minor non-copyrighted programs (those unlike PUBLISH IT!, LOTUS, Q-MODEM and the like) are presented to the user in the context of SHAREWARE. This means they are NOT FREE....even though you effortlessly obtained a copy of it. If you use the program for a couple of weeks and decide to keep it and use it permanently then you are bound in conscience to send the specified amount determined by the author usually at the beginning or end of the .doc or document text file which gives instructions on how to run the program, or in a separate VENDOR or REGISTER or README file. Usually a more complete version and regular upgrades to newer versions are available to those who do send in their money. If you choose not to REGISTER or send in the fee, then you should delete the program files from your disk. This book, for example, is SHAREWARE. It costs $10 and if you want to keep it and print it out then you are bound to send me $10. (Free commercial!!!) A note on PIRATING: The unlawful distribution of coyrighted programs is called pirating. Programs that do not have a sophisticated copy protect mechannism built in are easy to distribute... even for profit. This is against the law, an infringement of copyright laws, and a felony. Nevertheless, the practice still flourishes underground. The ethical thing to do is not to get involved in it! In addition to DOS there is also another basic operating system called Micro-Soft Windows. Now at version 3.1. This is a shell program: meaning it can be the skeletal framework from which all of your programs can be run, as well as application programs designed especially for the Windows shell. Windows is icon/mouse based. One virtually does not have to know how to write a DOS command, only to recognize the name of it. Windows uses terms such as OPEN and CLOSE - true "window" terminology. To open a window one merely has to point to it at a graphic picture of what it is you want to work with with the mouse pointer and then "click" it on by pressing the mouse button twice in rapid succession. Icons (little graphic pictures) can be moved around by dragging them - placing the cursor/mouse arrow on the object and then while holding the left mouse button down ----moving the object wherever it is you want to go and then releasing the button once you get there. Windows is meant to make computing easy and FUN!! even doing the most sophisticated of projects. Windows has its own WORD PROCESSOR, DATABASE and SPREADSHEET Programs called WORKS for Windows. These are the basic programs but within the framework of the fun windows shell. There are countless numbers of smaller programs meant to run in Windows.....a lot of them SHAREWARE.... and most of the very good and useful for the purpose for which they were written. Again where do I get these programs! WINDOWS has to be gotten at a COMPUTER STORE. But the applications can be found at Computer Shows and on BBSes! One last word about software at this point: if it is COPYRIGHTED.... like a major program that can only be bought in retail stores...... then it is NOT to be passed around for free to other people like your friends. This is truly copyright infringement and is a felony. SHAREWARE likewise, just because it is easier to get a hold of, is still NOT FREE, and the fees must in conscience be sent to the author of the program. FREEWARE does exist. It is smaller programs that are truly meant to be passed around for free. Have fun with them and pass them around!