Local ApplicationsDefinitionsSlide 3The Word ProcessorThe SpreadsheetLocal Applications•Computers have progressed from number-crunchers to general-purpose machines which can do a variety of tasks.•Some computers are dedicated machines.Examples: Calculators, microwave ovens, watches.•Other computers are versatile in that they can be programmed to do a variety of different tasks.•To perform a task, a computer needs a program or an application to tell it what to do.Definitions•algorithm - a finite sequence of steps which produces the solution to a problem.•program - an implementation of an algorithm on a computer using a particular programming language.Examples of programming languages: BASIC, FORTRAN, Pascal, C, C++, Java, JavaScript, LISP.Definitions•hardware - the word used to refer to the actual components which make up a physical computer.Examples: central processor, random-access memory (RAM), peripheral devices such as printers, hard drives, floppy drives, CD drives.•software - the word used to refer to the programs or applications used to control a computer.The Word Processor•Word processors come in two flavors: WYSIWYG and mark-up.•Most common word processors are WYSIWYG.- What appears on the screen is what appears when you print the document.- What you do not see are embedded invisible characters which control formatting.•Popular WYSIWYG word-processing programs include Microsoft Word and WordPerfect.•HTML is an example of a mark-up word-processing language.The Spreadsheet•A spreadsheet program is modeled after an accountant’s ledger sheet.•It combines the attributes of a calculator and a word processor.•A spreadsheet consists of a rectangular array of cells. Cells can contain: - alphabetic and numeric data; - formulas; - formatting information.•Spreadsheets can be used to store data in an orderly fashion. However, their power and usefulness comes from their ability to do calculations