TABLE OF CONTENTS

COURSE OUTLINE .................................................................................................... 5

CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................... 7
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS ...................................................................... 7
1.1. History of Computers ................................................................................... 7
1.2 Generation of Computers ............................................................................. 7
1.3 Characteristics of Computers ....................................................................... 9
1.4 Basic Computer Concepts ............................................................................ 9
1.5 Types of Computers...................................................................................... 9
1.6 Software and Hardware ............................................................................. 11
1.7 Chapter Review Questions......................................................................... 12
CHAPTER 2................................................................................................................ 13
BASIC HARDWARE UNITS OF A COMPUTER................................................. 13
2.1 Input Devices............................................................................................... 13
2.2 Output device .............................................................................................. 14
2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)/Processor: ............................................... 15
2.4 Main Memory: ............................................................................................. 16
2.5 Secondary storage ....................................................................................... 17
2.6 Computer units interaction diagram......................................................... 18
2.7 How information is stored in computers .................................................. 18
2.8 Size ............................................................................................................... 19
2.9 Chapter Review Questions......................................................................... 19
CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................... 20
COMPUTER SOFTWARE........................................................................................ 20
3.1 Classification of software ........................................................................... 20
3.2 System software .......................................................................................... 21
3.3 Application software .................................................................................. 22
3.4 Chapter Review Questions......................................................................... 24
CHAPTER FOUR....................................................................................................... 25
WINDOWS BASICS ................................................................................................. 25
4.1 Windows operating system Boot up Process ........................................... 25
4.2 Logging On to Windows XP ...................................................................... 26
4.3 Windows XP Desktop................................................................................. 26
4.4 Starting a Program ...................................................................................... 28
4.5 Working With Files and Folders ................................................................ 31
CHAPTER FIVE......................................................................................................... 34
WORD PROCESSING.............................................................................................. 34
5.1 Loading Ms-Word....................................................................................... 34
5.2 The Ms-Word Screen .................................................................................. 34
5.3 Creating, Saving and Closing Documents ................................................ 35
5.4 Formatting ................................................................................................... 36
5.5 Editing Your Document ............................................................................. 40
5.6 To insert page numbers .............................................................................. 40
5.7 Columns ....................................................................................................... 44
5.8 Chapter Review Exercise............................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
CHAPTER SIX ........................................................................................................... 48
SPREADSHEETS ...................................................................................................... 48
6.1 Microsoft Excel ............................................................................................ 48
6.2 The Excel Window ...................................................................................... 48
6.3 Working With Workbooks And Worksheets............................................ 51
6.4 Entering Data............................................................................................... 52
6.5 Formatting A Worksheet ............................................................................ 56
6.6 Applying Borders........................................................................................ 57
6.7 Operators ..................................................................................................... 58
6.8 Introduction To Data Analysis................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
6.9 Working With Charts.................................................................................. 62
6.10 Chapter Review Exercise ............................................................................ 65
CHAPTER SEVEN .................................................................................................... 67
DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ............................................................. 67
7.1 Ms Access..................................................................................................... 67
7.2 Working With Access 2000......................................................................... 70
7.3 Working With Tables .................................................................................. 71
7.4 Relationships ................................................................................................... 74
7.5 Working With Queries................................................................................ 75
7.6 Forms............................................................................................................ 77
7.7 Reports ......................................................................................................... 78
7.8 Chapter Review Exercise ............................................................................ 79
CHAPTER EIGHT ....................................................................................................... 87
COMPUTERS AND COMMUNICATIONS ......................................................... 87
9.1 Computer Networks ................................................................................... 87
9.2 Introduction to the Internet ........................................................................ 88
9.3 Common Internet services ......................................................................... 88

REVIEW QUESTIONS ANSWERS ........................................................................ 91

 Computer Applications -

I. Introduction to Computer and its components

A. History of computers
B. Generations of computers
C. Characteristics of computers
D. Types of computers
E. Software and Hardware

II. Hardware and software

A. Hardware: input and output devices, backup storage, central processing
unit, memory (ROM, RAM).
B. Software: Categories of software, System software, applications software,
general purpose software, integrated packages and software suites.

III. The key role of the central processing unit.

A. The fetch execute cycle
B. The Control unit and the arithmetic/logic unit (ALU)

IV. Peripheral Devices

A. Input: keyboard, mouse, tracker ball, graphics tablet, scanner, digital
camera, touch screen, OMR, OCR, bar code scanner, magnetic stripe reader,
microphone.
 B. Output: monitor (CRT and LCD), printer (dot matrix, ink jet, laser), plotter,
speakers.

V. Word-processing software.
A. word processing terms
B. Creating new documents and open existing ones
C. Typing and editing text
D. Using Save and Save As
E. Spelling and grammar check
F. Applying formatting to text and page
G. Print previewing a document and print it
H. Mail Merging

VI. Spreadsheets
A. Spreadsheet terms
B. Creating new spreadsheets and open existing ones
C. Inputting text, numbers and simple formulae
D. Employing simple functions such as SUM, AVERAGE
E. Creation of and modification charts/graphs to illustrate data

VII. Database
A. Common database terms
B. Opening and use an existing database
C. Designing and creating a simple database
D. Saving database objects with appropriate names
E. Creating simple queries
F. Designing input forms
G. Designing output reports

VIII. Internet and

Email
A. Requirements for connecting to the Internet.
B. Features of common Internet services.
C. e-mail terms
D. Reading, replying to and forwarding messages
E. Sending attachments
 CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS
Objectives
At the end of the chapter the learner shall be able to;
i. Explain the evolution of computing technology and the technological
advancement in computer architecture to current technologies
ii. Explain the characteristics of computers and how they are different from
humans.
iii. Explain the different types of computers categorized based on size, price
and capabilities
iv. Explain the fundamental difference between computer hardware and
software

1.1. History of Computers

When the human race started doing some trade, it felt a need for a calculating
device. The first calculating device, which was used 2000 years ago was called
abacus and the improvements in the calculating device in that age were slow.
The next change came after about 1600 years. Following this, the changes were
frequent and the mechanical desk calculator was developed around 1800 A.D.
In 1833, Prof. Charles Babbage, the father of the computer, developed a machine
called analytical engine which was the vase for the modern digital computer.

1.2 Generation of Computers

1.2.1 Computer generations

First generation computers (1946-1956)

They made use of vacuum tubes to store and process information. The tubes
consumed a lot of power and generated a lot of heat (overheating). They were
huge in size and occupy a room. They used magnetic tape. Storage capacity was
very low i.e. 2kb and speed of processing was also very low. First machine in this
category was ENIAC (electronic discrete variable automatic computer) and later
came UNIVAC (universal automatic computers).these computers were mostly
computational machines. Their input /output capabilities were usually limited to
the keyboard and or punched card input and printer and or punched cart output.
The speed of these machines was described in milliseconds (1/1000 of a second)

Second generation computers (1957-1967)

These computers used transistors after invention of transistors. The transistor is
smaller cheaper and produced less heat than vacuum tubes and consumed less
power. The cost of computers decreased and the speed increased. The second
generation saw the introduction of more complex ALU and CPU, the use of high
level languages and provision of system software with the computer. Data access
time was measured in micro-seconds. Removable disk storage units were
developed for use on these machines. The speed of these machines was described
in microseconds (1/1000, 000 of a second). These computers had programming
languages whose vocabularies are close to the human natural language, English
language.

Third generation computers (1965-1980)

Introduced the use of very small electronic circuit called integrated circuits (IC)
by combining several transistors together between 3 transistors to make 1 IC.
With IC you can house thousands of transistors in one IC. This change further
decreased the size, heat output and the maintenance complexity of the
computers while increasing its speed. The small circuitry that resulted improved
the processing speed i.e. 10 times the past. The speed of these machines was
described in nanoseconds (1/1,000,000,000 of a second). They have higher main
memory capacity, reliable and increased processing power (have the capability
of holding more than one set of instructions and operate on them) than the
second generation computers. Invention of IC revolutionalised electronics and
started the error of micro-electronics. The IBM 360 is an example of third
generation computers.

Fourth generation computers (1980s)

Use large scale integration circuits which housed hundreds of transistors and
very large IC which are between 200,000 to 400, 000 in one IC. Memory used
includes magnetic disc and optical disc. Memory size expanded up to several MB
and speed was 10 times faster. This generation marked the origin of mini
computers in use today.

Fifth generation computers (1990-current)

The design of these computers was based on VLSI (very large scale integration)
technology, the micro chip technology that gave rise to the smaller computers
known as the micro computers in use today. These computers are used in
networking .examples of micro computers are IBM PCs BBC micro etc. the micro
computers are usually described as PCs or stand alone or desktop computers
because they were designed primarily to serve single person at a time. The fifth
generation is still a state of the art technology that relies on predictions and
further technological refinements.

Summary
Research shows that the trend in computer technology revolution is that there is;
o Continual decrease in computer size
o Improved speed and power processing
o Decrease in computers and the related facilities cost
 500,000 physical elements e.g. transistors, capacities, diodes etc per
chip(IC).

1.3 Characteristics of Computers

1. Speed – a computer is a very fast machine. It can perform in a very few

seconds the amount of work that a human being can do in a year if he/she
worked day and night doing nothing else.
2. Accuracy – the computer accuracy is consistently high.
3. Diligence – computers are free from monotony, tiredness and lack of
concentration etc. It can therefore work for hours without creating an
error. For example if 10 million calculations are to be done, a computer
will do the tenth million calculations with exactly the same speed and
accuracy as the first one.
4. Versatility – a computer performs various tasks with ease. I.e. it can
search for a letter, the next moment prepare an electricity bill, and write a
report next then do an arithmetic calculation all with ease.
5. Power of remembering – a computer can store and recall any information
due to its secondary storage capability.
6. No intelligence Quotient (IQ) – a computer cannot make its own
decisions and has to be instructed on what to do.
7. No feelings – computers are devoid of emotions. They have no feelings or
instincts and none possesses the equivalent of a human heart and soul.

1.4 Basic Computer Concepts

Definition of a computer
A computer is an electronic device capable of executing instructions, developed
based on algorithms stored in its memory, to process data fed to it and produce
the required results faster than human beings.
The definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary
:
"one that computes; specifically : a programmable electronic device that can store,
retrieve, and process data"

1.5 Types of Computers

What different types of computers are there ?

This categories are based on size, price and capabilities
 o Number of components in computer per circuit (IC) greatly increased over

Super computers

They are very large in size and use multiple processors and superior technology.
Super computers are biggest in size, the most expensive in price than any other is
classified and known as super computer. It can process trillions of instructions in
seconds. This computer is not used as a PC in a home neither by a student in a
college. Governments specially use this type of computer for their different
calculations and heavy jobs. Different industries also use this huge computer for
designing their products.

In most of the Hollywood‟s movies it is used for animation purposes. This kind
of computer is also helpful for forecasting weather reports worldwide. They are
known for von Newman‟s design i.e. multiple processor system with parallel
processing. In such a system a task is broken down and shared among processes
for faster execution. They are used for complex tasks requiring a lot of
computational power.

Mainframe computers
A mainframe is another giant computer after the super computer and can also
process millions of instruction per second and capable of accessing billions of
data .They are physically very large in size with very high capacity of main
memory. This computer is commonly used in big hospitals, air line reservations
companies, and many other huge companies prefer mainframe because of its
capability of retrieving data on a huge basis. They can be linked to smaller
computers and handle hundreds of users they are also used in space exploitation.
The term mainframe was mainly used for earliest computers as they were big in
size though today the term is used to refer to large computers. A large number of
peripherals can be attached to them. They are expensive to install.

Minicomputers
They are smaller than the main frame but bigger than minicomputers. They
support concurrent users. They can be used as servers in companies. They are
slower and less costly compared to mainframe computers but more powerful,
reliable and expensive than micro computers.

Micro computers
They are of advanced technology i.e. the micro era based on large scale
integration that confines several physical components per small elements thumb
size IC, hence the size reduced. It is the smallest of the three computers. They are
usually called personal computers since they are designed to be used by
individuals. The micro chip technology has enabled reduction of size of
palmtop
o Notebook computer An extremely lightweight personal computer.
Notebook computers typically weigh less than 6 pounds and are small
enough to fit easily in a briefcase. Aside from size and portability,.
Notebook computers use a variety of techniques, known as flat-panel
technologies, to produce a lightweight and non-bulky display screen.
o Desktop Computer is an independent personal computer that is made
especially for use on a desk in an office or home. The term is used mainly
to distinguish this type of personal computer from portable computers
and laptops, but also to distinguish other types of computers like the
server or mainframe.
o Laptop A small portable computer light enough to carry comfortably,
with a flat screen and keyboard that fold together. Laptops are battery-
operated, often have a thin, backlit or sidelit LCD display screen, and
some models can even mate with a docking station to perform as a full-
sized desktop system back at the office. Advances in battery technology
allow laptop computers to run for many hours between charges, and some
models have a set of business applications built into ROM. Today's high-
end (Advanced) laptops provide all the capabilities of most desktop
computers.
o Palmtop A small computer that literally fits in your palm. Compared to
full-size computers, palmtops are severely limited, but they are practical
for certain functions such as phone books and calendars. Palmtops that
use a pen rather than a keyboard for input are often called hand-held
computers or PDAs. Because of their small size, most palmtop computers
do not include disk drives. However, many contain PCMCIA slots in
which you can insert disk drives, modems, memory, and other devices.
Nowadays palmtops are being integrated into the mobile phones as
multipurpose devices.

1.6 Software and Hardware

A computer has to main components;
I. Hardware
II. Software
Computer hardware refers to the physical components of a computer such as the
monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, system unit etc shown in the diagram below.
computers. Microcomputers can be a desktop, laptop, notebooks, or even

Computer software
A set of programs associated with the operation of a computer

The two components (hardware, software) will be discussed later in other

chapters.
 CHAPTER 2

BASIC HARDWARE UNITS OF A COMPUTER

Hardware units (Devices) of a computer can be categorized into five units;

I. Input unit
II. Output
III. Central processing unit (CPU) or processor
IV. Main Memory
V. Secondary storage/Backing Storage

2.1 Input Devices

An input device lets you communicate with a computer. They are used to enter
information and issue commands to the computer. Commands tell the computer
to do something, like save the file. A keyboard, mouse, scanner, digital camera,
touch pads and joystick are examples of input devices.
o Keyboard Used to type data into the computer. It has special keys for
giving the computer commands called command or function keys
o Pointing Devices Pointing devices move some object on the screen and
can do some action Mouse is a common pointing device
o Scanner allows you to scan documents, pictures, or graphics and view
them on the computer. You can also use software to edit the items you
scan. Used to put printed pictures and text into a computer. It Converts an
image into dots that the computer can understand .To scan text, optical
character recognition (OCR) software is needed
o Digital Camera Used to take electronic pictures of an object. The pictures
taken by a digital camera can be used directly by a computer
o Microphone Used to put sound into a computer. Need sound recording
software
o Video Capture Card Usually place inside the computer's case. Use to put
video into a computer. Need a video source, either a video camera or
video recorder
 o Voice input device-A computer I/O device in which vocal commands
may be entered into a computer system.
o Optical character recognition (OCR) is computer software designed to
translate images of handwritten or typewritten text (usually captured by a
scanner) into machine-editable text, or to translate pictures of characters
into a standard encoding scheme representing them (e.g. ASCII or
Unicode).
o Optical Mark Reader (OMR) A special scanning device that can read
carefully placed pencil marks on specially designed documents. OMR is
frequently used in forms, questionnaires, and answer-sheets
o Magnetic Stripe reader Cards with magnetic stripes are used as credit cards,
debit cards, railway tickets, phone cards and many other applications. The
magnetic stripe can be encoded with up to 220 characters of data. A
magnetic
stripe reads the information held in the magnetic stripe.
o Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) In this method, human readable
characters are printed on documents such as cheque using special magnetic
ink. The cheque can be read using a special input unit, which can recognize
magnetic ink characters.

2.2 Output devices

An output device displays information on a screen, creates printed copies or
generates sound. A monitor, printer, and speakers are examples of output
devices.
o Monitors and Displays Shows the processed information on a screen. A
monitor uses a Picture Tube like a television with the image displayed on
the front of the tube, which is called the screen.
o Printers produce a hard copy. The information is printed on paper and
can be used when the device is off. It is also called a printout. There
different types of printers;

 Dot-matrix printers (impact printer)

Uses metal pins to strike an inked ribbon to make
dots on a piece of paper.
Lowest print quality of all of the printers.
Very low in cost per page to use.
 Ink jet printers (non-impact printer)
Use drops of magnetic ink to produce dots on a page to
produce text or images.
The print quality is almost the same as a laser printer's.
The ink is very expensive
The ink is water soluble and will run if the paper gets wet
 Highest cost per page of all the printers
For producing color documents, it has the highest quality
at a reasonable price.
 Laser printers (non-impact printer)
A laser or LEDs make dots on a light sensitive drum
Toner (very tiny particles of plastic) stick to the drum
where the dots where made
For black and white printouts, very low cost per page
Printout is permanent
Color laser printers are still fairly expensive
o Speakers Used to output sound
o LCD Projectors Similar to monitors but projects an image on to a screen.
They are mainly used for presentations.

2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)/Processor:

It is the main part of a computer system like the brain of a human being. It
interprets the instructions in the program and executes one by one. The CPU of a
microcomputer is called a microprocessor. Central Processing Unit is
implemented in a single piece of silicon device known as a computer chip.

The processor and main memory of a PC are commonly held on a single board
called a mother board. The processor has the following functions:

It controls the transmission of data from input devices to memory;

It processes the data held in main memory;

It controls the transmission of information from main memory to output

devices.

The processor contains the control unit and the arithmetic/logic unit(ALU).

The control unit coordinates and controls all the operations carried out by the
computer. The control unit operates by repeating three operations which are:

Fetch – cause the next instruction to be fetched from memory;

Decode – translate the program instruction into commands that the
computer can process
Execute – cause the instruction to be executed

The arithmetic/logic unit(ALU) plays two roles.

 Arithmetic operations – these operations are addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division..
Logical operations – it compares two data items to determine whether the
first one is smaller than, equal to or greater than the second item.

2.4 Main Memory:

The cycle (input - processing - output) would not be possible without a holding
place for the instructions and data that the processors (CPU) can easily reach.
This holding place is known as memory also called main storage and is internal
to the computer consisting of RAM and possibly ROM.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Is the basic kind of internal memory that holds data and instructions while
the computer is in use.
It can be read from and written to.
It is called random access because the processor or computer can access
any location in memory in any order as contrasted with sequential access
devices which must be accessed in order.
RAM is volatile; losing the stored information in an event of power loss,
and quite expensive.

There are two basic types of RAM.

Static RAM does not need to be refreshed, which makes it faster; but it is also
more expensive than dynamic RAM. Dynamic RAM needs to be refreshed
thousands of times per second. Both types of RAM are volatile, meaning that they
lose their contents when the power is turned off.

ROM (Read only memory)

Is also random access but only for reads, once data has been written onto a
ROM chip, it cannot be removed and can only be read.
It refers to special memory used to store programs that boot the computer
and perform diagnostics. Most personal computers have a small amount
of ROM (a few thousand bytes).
Retains its contents even when the computer is turned off and is therefore
referred to as being nonvolatile.
2.5 Secondary storage

These are devices which are used to store huge information for future use. This is
mostly hard drives and removable media such as floppy disks, optical media
(CD ROM) etc.

Hard Drive:
Floppy Disk: Floppy disks allow information to be transported easily from one
computer to another they have limited storage capacity, generally 1.44 MB.
Saving and retrieving information from a floppy disk is slower than on a hard
drive. They are more susceptible to physical damage and viruses than the hard
drive. The size of a hard drive is usually expressed in terms of megabytes and
gigabytes.

Compact Disk Read Only Memory (CD ROM): CD ROMs are read only storage
medium. Typically, a CD ROM holds up to 650 MB of information. While
information retrieval is faster than from a floppy disk, it is still not as fast as from
the hard drive.

Compact Disk-Writable (CD-R): A CD-R is highly effective for storing a large

amount of data. Can hold up to 700MB of information. A CD-R is a one time
recordable compact disc.
Compact Disk-Re-Writable (CD-RW):
A CD-RW allows you to read, write, erase and write again. Writing takes place in
a single pass of the focused laser beam. This is sometimes referred to as direct
overwriting and can be repeated several thousand times per disc.
2.6 Computer units interaction diagram

Main Memory

Input Output
Devices Processor Devices

Secondary/Backing
Storage

The diagram above shows how the units interact with each other in the
processing of data. Input devices enter information to be processed by the
processor. The processor can read and write into the secondary storage devices.

The processor also stores the instructions being currently executed into the main
memory. So can be able to read and write into the main memory (RAM). Once
the data has been processed by the processor, the data can be displayed by the
output devices. Please note the direction of the arrows as it depicts the flow of
the data and instructions.
 CHAPTER THREE

COMPUTER SOFTWARE

Software is a Program commercially prepared and tested in software by one or a

group of programmers and system analyst to perform a specified task. Software
is simply set of instructions that cause a computer to perform one or more tasks.
The set of instructions is often called a program or, if the set is particularly large
and complex, a system. Computers cannot do any useful work without
instructions from software; thus a combination of software and hardware (the
computer) is necessary to do any computerized work. A program must tell the
computer each of a set of tasks to perform, in a framework of logic, such that the
computer knows exactly what to do and when to do it. Data are raw facts and
ideas that have not been processed while Information is data that has been
processed so as to be useful to the user

3.1 Classification of software

Software

System software Application software

Operating Service General /ready Special/tailor

system programs made made
applications applications
Software can be broadly classified into system software and application
software

3.2 System software

Consists of programs that control operations of the computer and enable user to
make efficient use of computers. They coordinate computer activities and
optimize use of computers. They are used to control the computer and develop
and run application programs examples of jobs done by the system software are
management of computer resources, defragmentation etc. They can be divided
into;
(i) Operating system – is a complex program and most important program that
runs on a computer and which controls the operation of a computer. It perform
basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the
display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling
peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers. In general the operating
system supervises and directs all the software components and the hardware
components. Sophisticated operating system could handle multi-processors,
many users and tasks simultaneously. Examples of computers operating systems
are UNIX, Microsoft windows 95/98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows
XP, Windows Vista and Linux.
(ii)Service programs are programs designed for general support of the processes
of a computer; "a computer system provides utility programs to perform the
tasks needed by most users". The service programs can further be divided into;
o Utilities Performs a variety of tasks that maintain or enhance the
computer‟s operating system Utility programs are generally fairly small.
Each type has a specific job to do. Below are some descriptions of utilities.
 Anti-virus applications protect your computer from the damage
that can be caused by viruses and similar programs
 Compression utilities make files smaller for storage (or sending
over the Internet) and then return them to normal size.
 Data recovery utilities attempt to restore data and files that have
been damaged or accidentally deleted.
 Disk defragmenters reorganize the data stored on disks so that it is
more efficiently arranged.
 Firewalls prevent outsiders from accessing your computer over a
network such as the Internet.

o Development programs are used in the creation of new software. They

comprise of sets of software tools to allow programs to be written and
tested. Knowledge of appropriate programming language is assumed.
Tools used here are
 Text editors that allows one to enter and modify programs
statements
  Assembler- allows one to code in machine programs language .i.e.
processor specific
 Compilers-makes it possible for programmer to convert source
code to object code which can be stored and saved on different
computers.
 Interpreters-used to convert source programs statement by
statement as it executes the program without being compiled first.
 Libraries- commonly used parts or portions of a program which
can be called or included in the programmer‟s code without having
to recode that portion.
 Diagnostic utilities-used to detect bugs in the logic of program
during program development
o Communication programs- refer to programs that make it possible to
transmit data.

3.3 Application software

Are programs for user to do their jobs e.g. typing, recording keeping, production
of financial statements, drawing, and statistics.
o General/ready made software is developed to perform a variety of tasks,
usually determined by use. Such software can be customized by user to
achieve specific goals e.g. ms office which is a suit of programs
performing a variety of tasks e.g. word processing for producing
documents, database for storing, retrieving and manipulating data and
various calculations on spreadsheets. General purpose programs are
discussed below;
 Word processing applications. Writing tasks previously done on
typewriters with considerable effort can now be easily completed
with word-processing software. Documents can be easily edited
and formatted. Revisions can be made by deleting (cutting),
inserting, moving (cutting and pasting), and copying data.
Documents can be stored (saved) and opened again for revisions
and/or printing. Many styles and sizes of fonts are available to
make the document attractive. Example: MS Word, Word Pad etc.
 Spreadsheet applications. spreadsheet software permits
performance of an almost endless variety of quantitative tasks such
as budgeting, keeping track of inventory, preparing financial
reports, or manipulating numbers in any fashion, such as averaging
each of ten departmental monthly sales over a six-month period. A
spreadsheet contains cells, the intersection of rows and columns.
Each cell contains a value keyed in by the user. Cells also contain
formulas with many capabilities, such as adding, multiplying,
dividing, subtracting, averaging, or even counting. An outstanding
 feature is a spreadsheet's ability to recalculate automatically. If one
were preparing a budget, for example, and wanted to change a
variable such as an increase in salary or a change in amount of car
payments, the formulas would automatically recalculate the
affected items and the totals.. Example: Excel, Lotus1-2-3 etc.
 Database software: A database contains a list of information items
that are similar in format and/or nature. An example is a phone
book that lists a name, address, and phone number for each entry.
Once stored in a database, information can be retrieved in several
ways, using reports and queries. For example, all the names listed
for a given area code could be printed out and used for a
commercial mailing to that area. Examples of database software is
Ms Access, Dbase, Oracle etc.
 Presentation software: for making slide shows. Allows users to
create visual presentation A speaker may use presentation software
to organize a slide show for an audience. Text, graphics, sound, and
movies can easily be included in the presentation. An added
feature is that the slide show may be enhanced by inclusion of
handouts with two to six slides printed on a page. The page may be
organized to provide space for notes to be written in by the
audience as the presentation ensues. An example of this is Power
Point. Preparation of the software is simplified by the use of
'wizards' that walk the user through the creation of the
presentation.
 Desktop publishing software: This software permits the user to
prepare documents by using both word-processing devices and
graphics. Desktop publishing software uses word-processing
software, with all its ease of entering and revising data, and
supplements it with sophisticated visual features that stem from
graphics software. For example, one can enhance a printed message
with virtually any kind of illustration, such as drawings, paintings,
and photographs. . Examples of Desktop publishing software is
PageMaker, Corel Draw, and Ms Publisher
 Multimedia applications for creating video and music. Allows
users to create image, audio, video etc. Example: Real Player,
Media Player etc.
 Activity management programs like calendars and address books

NB: Nowadays most of the general purpose software is being sold as a complete
software suites such as Microsoft office or Lotus SmartSuite. These suites offer
four or more software products packaged together at a much lower price than
buying the packages separately.
o Tailor made/special purpose software Tailor-made computer system
refers to computer application developed by in-house IT personnel or
outside software house according to specific user requirements in a firm.
They are developed for given purpose e.g. Payroll system, stock control
system etc.
 CHAPTER FOUR

WINDOWS BASICS

4.1 Windows operating system Boot up Process

Booting Up

It is useful to understand what happens behind the scenes when you switch on
your computer from an idle machine to an operable and functional system. There
are essentially two forms of booting - the soft boot and the hard boot. The warm
boot or hard boot involves powering the computer up from an initial zero power
supply. A cold boot on the other hand takes place when a software application
or operating system triggers the computer to perform a reboot.

A successful boot is dependent on 3 conditions - the hardware, BIOS and

operating system files to function without errors. When an error occurs, you will
be notified by error messages, beeping sounds or in the worst scenario, a blank
screen.

Boot-up Process

The boot-up process is a list of detailed procedures that the system undergoes to
perform all system checks and load all necessary files to bring the computer to an
operable state.

The Windows XP boot-up process comprises of the following procedures:

a. The Power-On Self Test Phase

b. BIOS ROM Phase

c. Boot Loader Phase

d. Operating System Configuration Phase

 e. Security & Logon Phase

4.2 Logging On to Windows XP

You must log on to the PC before you can use it. Each user is given a user name
and a password which must be entered in the log-on screen before Windows will
start up. When you log on you will have access to your own personal space.
The default Login screen for Windows XP computers is appears when you
switch on the machine. To login; Enter your user and password in the
respective boxes.
When you enter your password, Windows XP will display a series of
●●●●●●●●●●● s to protect your password from wandering eyes.
Press ENTER on the keyboard or click OK

4.3 Windows XP Desktop

Desktop is your work area on which program and files icons are located. it is
basically a workspace where you can access everything you need to operate
your computer, such as system components, applications, the Internet, etc.
The desktop contains: icons

Start button taskbar

System Tray

The desktop contains:

Start button: one of the most important tools you will use while working
with Windows XP. The Start button allows you to open menus and start
applications.

Taskbar: primarily used to switch between open windows and

applications

Icons (or graphical pictures): represent applications, files, and other parts
of the operating system. By default Windows XP provides you with one
desktop icon, the Recycle Bin. Learn more about the Recycle Bin in a later
module.
My Computer. The My Computer icon provides access to the resources on
your computer. You can access your drives and other peripherals by
 clicking on the My Computer icon. You can also access the Control Panel
through My Computer.
Internet Explorer. The Internet Explorer icon launches the Internet
Explorer browser.
My network places. If you are working on a network, this displays all of
the computers on the network
System Tray. The part of the taskbar that holds the clock, volume control,
and icons for other utilities that runs in the background of your system.
Recycle Bin. This is where you dump any files you want to delete.

4.4 Starting a Program

1. Click the Start button, the Start menu will pop up. 2. Point your cursor to All
Programs. A Menu listing the different program categories pops up.

3. Point your cursor to Microsoft Office Another menu will appear to the right of
the All Programs menu, as shown below. 4. Click on Microsoft Word.
Parts of a Window
Windows contain buttons and menus to control the program and window.
Windows are used in most programs, but the good news is once you learn the
window of one program, you will be familiar with the windows for most
programs since the window, menu and button layout appears in just about every
window program.

Close Button Closes the window or program, removing it from the screen and
the computer‟s memory. Minimize Button Minimizes a program from view. The
program is still ready for use and can be found in the task bar.
Maximize Button Enlarges the window so that it fills the entire screen, allowing
you to see your entire workspace. Notice, when a window is maximized, this
button is not shown.
Restore Button When a window is maximized, this button is shown. Clicking it
will make the window smaller.
Tab Controls what a program does. The menu functions listed will change from
program to program, but the bar is always located at the top.
Status Bar Displays information about the program, such as instructions or
special information.
Title Bar Displays the name of the program and name of the file in use.
Main Window .This is where you work within a program. If it is Microsoft
Word, this is where you would type, if it is a web browser this is where the web
page would be displayed.
Ribbon. Have shortcuts to the menu items

Log off and Switch Users

More than one person may use your computer. For example several coworkers
may be able to access your computer on a computer network. Windows XP
allows everyone who uses your computer to have separate computer accounts. A
computer accounts tracks each person's unique settings, documents, and email
accounts.

Windows XP even enables you to log off the computer so someone else can log
on without having to restart the computer.

To log off/switch users:

Click the Start menu and click Log Off.

A dialog box appears asking you if you want to Switch User or Log Off.
Switch User allows someone else to log on to the computer. If you choose
to Switch User, your applications will continue to run in the background
while the new user logs on.
If you choose Log Off, your applications will close.
In any case, you're taken to a Windows XP logon screen where you're
prompted to enter your username and password.

Turn Off and Restart the Computer

When you've finished using Windows XP, be sure to turn off (or shut down) the
computer correctly.

To turn off the computer:

Click the Start menu.

 Click Turn Off Computer.
A dialog box opens. Click Turn Off.

If you're experiencing computer problems or have installed something new, you

can simply restart your computer.

To restart the computer:

Click the Start menu.

Click Turn Off Computer.
A dialog box opens. Click Restart.

Always turn off or restart your computer using this method. Do not turn off your
computer by switching the power off and on. If you do so, you may damage
Windows XP.

4.5 Working With Files and Folders

Open your Folders
Double click my computer and locate your file.
Double click on the folder.
The contents of the folder will be displayed in the open window. To get
back to the previous folder, click the Back Button.

Creating a Folder
Locate the place to create your folder e.g. My Documents, Desktop, C
Drive
Go to File – New – Folder. Or if creating on the desktop right click on the
desktop and use the new option to create a folder.
The folder will appear at the bottom of your list. When it displays as a
black rectangle with the words New Folder highlighted in blue, it is
prompting you to give it a name. Type the name of your folder and hit
Enter.
 Renaming a Folder
To rename an existing folder, move your mouse over the name and right click. A
menu will appear. Close to the bottom you will see the word Rename. Click it,
and the black rectangle with the word highlighted in blue will appear. Rename
your folder and hit Enter.
Deleting a folder
Right click on the folder and select delete or.
Select the file, go to file menu and select delete
A dialog box appears asking if you want to delete the folder, click yes
Once files are deleted they go to the recycle bin which is a holding or storage
location for files not required. Such files are still in the hard disk. These files can
be retrieved from recycle bin as long as recycle bin have not been emptied.

Retrieving files
Go to recycle bin.
Locate the file and right click on it and select restore.

Moving and copying files in folders

Using menu command
Select the file
Go to edit and click on copy
Select the folder
Go to edit and click on paste.
By dragging
Click on the file and hold
Drag it to the folder and release the button
Procedure of creating shortcuts
Locate the item
Right click and select shortcut
Drag the shortcut created to the desktop.
To set a program to start when windows start
Right click on the start button and select open.
Click on the program or file you want and hold and drag it to the start
menu on the icon for programs.
Printing
If any printers are already set up their icon appears in the printer folder (on start,
then printers and faxes).
To set up a printer;
Click start menu, control panel.
Select printers and other hardware.
 CHAPTER FIVE

WORD PROCESSING

Word processors are programs that enable you to Create, Edit and Format
documents. Examples of word processors are, Microsoft Word, Word perfect,
Word star.

Microsoft Word (MS-WORD)

Ms Word is a powerful word processing program that helps the user create, edit,
format and save documents.

5.1 Loading Ms-Word

Click start button at the task bar
Point at programs
Click at Microsoft word

Loading can also be achieved by clicking the Ms Word icon on the Microsoft
shortcut bar (only if it is available)

5.2 The Ms-Word Screen

The Ms Word screen contains various features. The common ones are:

1. TITLE BAR: This bears the name of the application followed by the name
of the current document or the file.

2. OFFICE BUTTON: It contains commands such as new for creating a new file,
open, save, save as etc and commonly used commands.
3. TABS: There are seven tabs in word 2007, Home, insert, page layout,
references, mailings, review, view each of them has a ribbon with a set of
commands.

Ms-Word Screen
When the program starts, the following document window will be displayed on
the screen.

5.3 Creating, Saving and Closing Documents

Creating
Option 1
1. From the office button, click New then double click the Blank Document
icon.

Saving

To save a new document

On the office button click Save As.

Type the file name on the File name box that appears.
Chose the location to save the file in the Save in box e.g. floppy (A),
hard disk(C) etc
Click the Save button.

Closing
 Click close button on the Ms- Word desktop or
From the file Menu click Exit.

Selecting Text/Block of Text

SELECT D O T HI S
A word Drag over the word or Double click it
A graphic Click anywhere within the graphic
A line of text Drag over the text or Double click at the start of line
A sentence Hold Down Ctrl key and click anywhere in the Sentence
A paragraph Triple click anywhere in the paragraph to select
Entire document From Edit, click Select All

5.4 Formatting

To bold text
Select or highlight the text.
In the home tab click bold.

To Italicize text
Select or highlight the text.
In the home tab click italics

To underline text
Select or highlight the text.
In the home tab click underline.

To change Font size

Select or highlight the text.
 In the home tab click font size.
Under font size choose and click the font size desired.

To change Font type of text

Select or highlight the text.
In the home tab click font type.
Under font choose and click the font type desired.
Click Ok.

To change the font color

Select the text.
In the home tab click font color.
Under color box, choose the color desired.

Formatting Paragraphs
Word displays text, as it will appear when printed.

About line spacing

Line spacing determines the amount of vertical space between the lines and
text. Word uses single line spacing by default.

Inserting line spaces

In the home tab.
Under line spacing, choose and click the desired line spacing.

Aligning text
Select or highlight the text.
In the home tab.
Under alignment, choose and click alignment desired i.e. left, right or
center.
Click Ok.
Creating drop caps
Place the cursor at the beginning of the line/paragraph you want to
have a drop cap on.
In the insert tab, click drop cap.
Chose the desired option

Change case
Highlight or select the text.
In the home tab choose and click the desired case option e.g. upper,
lower, title or sentence cases.

Adding bullets and numbers

Select the items, which you want to add bullets or numbers.
In the home tab click on the Bulleted or Numbered tab.
Choose and click Bullet or Number format desired.

Remove bullets or numbering

Select the items, which you want to remove bullets or numbers.
On the format menu, click Bullets and Numbering.
Choose none.
Click Ok.

Page Break
1. Position the cursor where you want the page break to appear.
2. From the insert tab click on page break.

Add a background
You can add different backgrounds to Word documents.

1. On the home tab, point to background and then check the color you want
or click more colors to see additional color choices. Click fill effects for
special effects such as textures.
2. Select the option that you want.
Note: To remove a background, click NO FILL option.

Using SmartArt

This feature enables you to create visually compelling text affects e.g.
slanting, curving text in a document.

1. From the insert tab, select smartart and click the smart art graphic desired.

Shapes
The insert tab has a variety of features used to create different shapes in a
document.
1. From the shapes icon, select a tool that you will use to draw a certain
shape e.g. a rectangle.
2. Click and drag to the desired position.

Insert a picture
You can insert a clip art or a picture from the clip Gallery.

1. Position the insertion point(cursor) where you want to insert a clip art or a
picture.
2. From the Insert tab, click the clip art icon.
3. Click a clip art category then choose a clipart and click insert clip.

To resize the objects

1. Click inside the object i.e. clipart, word art or a drawing.
2. Position the mouse pointer in either of the placeholders.
3. Click and drag to the desired size.
4. Release the mouse button.
5.5 Editing Your Document

To undo mistakes
Next to the office button, click undo or click the Undo button.

To undo several actions

1. Click the arrow next to the Undo button to see a list of the most recent
actions.
2. Click the action you want to undo. If you don‟t see the action, scroll
through the list.

5.6 To insert page numbers

Select insert, page numbers from the insert tab
Choose the position of page numbers
Choose alignment of page numbers

Removing Page Numbers

Select the page numbers icon to see the remove page numbers option as
the last option in the list.

Adding Headers and Footers

A header is the text that appears repeatedly at the top of a document while
footers is that text that repeatedly occurs at the bottom of a document.

To add a Header and Footers

Under the Insert tab chose either the header or the footer
Type the header/footer text
You can switch from the header to the footer by clicking the switch
button to move to the footer
Click close button to return to the document.
To remove a header /footer - refer to removing page numbers

Copying and Pasting Text

An existing piece of text may be required in a different document. Ms word
allows the user to copy this text rather than retype then paste it to the required
area. when text or graphic is copied or cut, it is stored in the clipboard and can
be pasted into as many documents as desired.

To copy and paste text

Select the text to copy.
Select Copy or copy icon on the home tab. Position
the cursor where the text is to be placed. Select
Edit, Paste or Paste icon on standard toolbar.

Moving text
Select the text to move.
Select Cut or click cut icon on the home tab.
Position the cursor where you want the text placed.
Select Edit, Paste or click paste icon on standard toolbar.

Note: When you cut, the text is completely removed from the original
location.

To spell check a Document

Select Spelling and Grammar… on the review tab.
Follow the instructions as given to replace a word, ignore, edit etc
Click Ok button when spelling and grammar is complete.

To find text
On the home tab, click on Find.
In the find what box, type the word/text being sought
Click find next button
To close the dialogue box, click cancel button

To Replace Text
You can find and replace test at the same time
On the home tab, click on replace
In the find what box type word / text as above
In replace with box type the word/ text to replace the sought word
/ text
Click replace all button
To close the dialogue box click cancel button
Changing Page Setup
Depending on the size of the paper required and / or paper orientation and
layout,
Ms –word will allow changing of the default to users requirement.

To change page setup

On the page layout tab, click size to change the paper to A4, A5, DL etc
Under orientation check the circle for either portrait or landscape

Working With Tables

A table is made up of rows and columns that can be filled with text and graphics.
You can sort and perform calculations on them. Tables make it easy to read
information that would otherwise have to be written in a representative and
lengthy fashion. Use tables to organize information and create interesting page
layouts with side-by-side columns of text and graphics.

The simple table:

1. In the insert tab click table.
2. In the no. of columns box enter the number of columns.
3. In the no of rows box enter the number of rows.
4. Click Ok.

Creating a table with a different format

1. In the insert tab click table
2. Choose a table format of your choice under quick tables
3. Click Ok.

Merging cells in a tab

1. Select the cells to be merged.
2. Right click to see the merge cells option.

Splitting the cells

1. Select cell to be split
2. From the shor tcut menu obtained by right clicking choose split cells
3. Type the number of columns and rows each cell is to be cell splitted
To delete rows and columns in a table
1. Select the row or the column to be deleted
2. From the shortcut menu choose deleted cells
3. In the deleted cell dialog box choose an option i.e. entire row or column
4. Click Ok

Adjusting column width

1. Position the mouse pointer over the column boundary until it changes
shape
2. Drag the column boundary to the right or left

Adding rows to a table

1. Select the row to row as above which you want to insert a new row
2. From the table menu choose insert cells
3. In the insert cells dialog box choose an option e.g. insert the entire row.
4. Click Ok.

To delete cells in a table

1. Select the cells you want to delete
2. From the layout tab choose the delete cells option
5.7 Columns

Newspaper style columns

You can format text into multiple newspaper style columns. This is best applied
when creating documents like newspaper, newsletters or brochures.

Option 1
Using the columns button on the page layout tab
1. Highlight the text to be columned.
2. Select the number of columns you want.

Templates
A template is a document that contains predefined settings. The use of templates
ensures that there is consistency between documents.

1. From the office menu choose new.

2. Click on the relevant tab depending on the type of document you want to
create e.g. letters and faxes, legal document, menus etc.
3. Select the template that you want to use.
4. Click Ok.
5. Delete the default text and type your own.

To Print a Document
1. From the office menu, click print.
2. In the name box select a printer.
3. Choose an option for the number of pages to be printed i.e.
ALL: -Prints the entire document
CURRENT PAGE: -prints the current page
PAGE: -you can select certain pages within a document
4. .In the number of copies box, specify the number of copies you want in each
page.
5. Click Ok.

Mail Merging
If you had to type the same form letter 100 times, you know what boring and
back breaking work it can be. Never again, by setting up the form letter as a Ms
Word merge documents, you need type the letter only once.

STEP 1
1. From the mailings tab click Mail Merge and choose letters
STEP 2

Select recipients
One can select from an existing file or by creating a new data source

Creating a new data source

1. Choose get data type new list
2. Create data source dialogue appear as shown below
3. Remove the fields not needed and / or create new field
4. When you have finish creating the fields click ok
5. Type the data to be stored

STEP 3
1. Place the cursor to position of field insertion
2. From the mail merge toolbar click insert merge field
3. Repeat field insertion until all the fields have been inserted
4. Choose Finnish merge
 CHAPTER SIX

SPREADSHEETS

Spreadsheets are application packages used for manipulation of figures. A spreadsheet

usually consists of a series of rows and columns. The figures or text are inserted into
cells. Examples include Ms Excel, Lotus 1-2-3,Supercalc, Quattro Pro.From the
examples given, we shall tackle Ms Excel.

Applications of Spreadsheets
1. Can be used to record sales, produce invoices and compile statements.
2. Researchers can compile and analyze their results.
3. Teachers can compile their students‟ marks and produce overall results.
4. Clerks and secretaries can easily create tables of figures and manipulate.

6.1 MICROSOFT EXCEL

START EXCEL
Option 1
Click the start button moves to programs move to Microsoft excel and click
Option 2
Click the excel button on the Microsoft shortcut if only if the option available

6.2 THE EXCEL WINDOW

Window
When you work in Excel, you use workbook files to hold your information. Each
workbook consists of several worksheets made up rows and columns of
information.
A workbook therefore allows you to organize various kinks of related
information in a single file (or workbook)

Worksheet
A worksheet is one sheet in an Excel workbook. Each worksheet consists of 256
columns and 65,536 rows.

Columns
Columns are the vertical divisions of a worksheet that are identified by letters.
The columns begin with A and proceed through the alphabet. The 27 th column is
AA followed by AB, AC, and this convention for naming continues through the
entire alphabet until you end up with the last column (column 256) which is
designated IV.

Rows
Rows are the horizontal divisions of a worksheet and are identified by numbers.

Cells
A cell is the intersection of a row and a column. Each cell has an address that
consists of the column letter and row number (A1, B3, C5 and so on)
Each cell is capable of containing different types of information e.g. text, number,
times, formulas. Excel data basically comes in two varieties: labels and values.

A label is a text entry consisting of alphanumeric characters. It is called a label

because it typically provides descriptive information such as the name of a place,
person, e.t.c. A label has no numerical significance in Excel.

A value is data that has numerical significance. These include numbers, dates
and times that you enter on your worksheet. Values can be acted on by formulas
and functions.
The figure below shows the elements of an Excel window.

Element Description
Formular bar When you enter information into a cell, it
appears in the Formula bar.You can use the
formula bar to edit the data later. The cell‟s
location also appears.

Column Headings The letters across the top of the worksheet,

which identify the columns in the worksheet.

Row Headings The numbers down the side of the worksheet,

which Identify the rows in the worksheet.

Cell Selector The dark outline that indicates the active cell. It
Highlights the cell you are currently working
in.

Worksheet tabs These tabs help you move from worksheet to

Worksheet within the workbook. The active
Worksheet is displayed in bold.
Active cell It indicates the cell in which the typed data will
be entered. It is also known as the current cell.

Create a new workbook

Option 1
1. On the office menu, click New
2. To create a new blank workbook, click the General tab and then double click
the workbook icon.

Saving a workbook
1. In the office menu click save as.
2. In the save in text box click and specify the location to save in.
3. In the file name text box type the name of the file.
4. Click save.

NB
The first time you click „save as‟ from the file menu, the Documents folder is
displayed by default as the folder to save in.

Close a workbook
On the file menu click close.

6.3 WORKING WITH WORKBOOKS AND WORKSHEETS

Moving around in a worksheet

To move between cells on a worksheet, click any cell or use the arrow keys.
When you move to a cell, it becomes the active cell (the selected cell in which
data is entered when you begin typing. Only one cell is active at a time .A heavy
border bound the active cell)
To see the different area of the sheet, use the scroll bars.

Switch to another sheet in a workbook

Click the sheet tab
(A tab near the button of a workbook window that displays the name of a sheet
To display a shortcut menu, click a tab with the right mouse button .To scroll
through the sheet tabs, use the tab scrolling buttons to the left of the tabs)

Insert a new worksheet

On the home tab, click insert and then chose worksheet

Delete sheets from a workbook

1. Select the sheets you want to delete.
2. On the home tab select delete sheet.

Rename a sheet
1. Double click the sheet tab.
2. Type a new name over the current name.

6.4 ENTERING DATA

Enter numbers, text, date, or time

1. Click the cell where you want to enter data.
2. Type the data and press ENTER or TAB.

Use a slash or a hyphen to separate the parts of a date, for example, type 8/6/99
or jun-99
To enter a time based on the 12-hour clock, type a space and then a or p after the
time for example, 9.00 p. Otherwise, Microsoft Excel enters the time as AM.

Enter a formula
1. Click the cell in which you want to enter the formula.
2. Type =(an equal sign)
3. Enter the formula.
4. Press ENTER.
Enter the same data into several cells at once
1. Highlight the cells where you want to enter data.

The cells can be adjacent or nonadjacent

2. Type the data and press CTRL+ENTER

Fill in a series of numbers, dates or other items

1. Select the first cell in the range you want to fill and enter the starting value
for the series.

To increment the series by a specified amount, select the next cell in the range
and enter the next item in the series. The difference between the two starting
items determines the amount by which the series is incremented.

2. Select the cell or cells that contain the starting values.

3. Drag the fill handle over the range you want to fill.

 To fill in increasing order, drag down or to the right.

 To fill in decreasing order, drag up or to the left.

Cancel or undo an entry

To cancel an entry before you press ENTER, press ESC.

To undo a complete entry, click Undo button on the standard tool bar.

Tips on entering numbers

To avoid entering a fraction as a date, precede fractions with a 0 (zero); for

example, type0 ½ (there is a space between zero and ½)
Precede negative numbers with a minus sign (-), or enclose the numbers in
parentheses ().

Select cells, ranges, rows and columns

To select Do th is
A single cell Click the cell, or press the arrow keys to move
to the cell.
A range of cells Click the first cell of the range and then drag
to the last cell.
All cells on a worksheet Click the select All button.
Nonadjacent cells or cell ranges Select the first cell or range of cells, and
then
hold down CTRL and select the other cells or
ranges.
A large range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then hold
down SHIFT key and click the last cell in the
range.
An entire row Click the row heading.
An entire column Click the column heading.
Adjacent rows or columns Drag across the row or column headings.
Non-adjacent rows or columns Select the first row or column, and then
hold
down CTRL and select the other rows or
columns.

Select sheets in a workbook

If you select more than one sheet, Microsoft Excel repeats the changes you make
to the active sheet on all other selected sheets. These changes may replace data
on other sheets.

To select Do this
A single sheet Click the sheet tab.
Two or more adjacent sheets Click the tab for the first sheet and then
hold down
SHIFT and click the tab for the last sheet.
Two or more nonadjacent sheets Click the tab for the first sheet and then hold
down
CTRL and click the tabs for the other sheets.
All sheets in a workbook Right click a sheet tab and then click Select All
Sheets on the shortcut menu.

To cancel a selection of multiple sheets in a workbook, click any unselected sheet.

If no unselected sheet is visible, right click the tab of a selected sheet then click
Ungroup Sheets on the shortcut menu.

Clear or delete cells, rows or columns

When you delete cells, Microsoft Excel removes them from the worksheet and
shifts the surrounding cells to fill the space. When you clear cells, you remove
the cell contents (formulas and data), formats or comments but leave the blank
cells on the worksheet.

To clear contents, format or comments from cells

1.Select the cells, rows or columns that you want to clear.
2. Press the delete key on your keyuboard.

Delete cells, rows or columns

1. Select the cells, rows or columns you want to delete.
2. Home tab, click Delete.

Undo mistakes
To undo recent actions one at a time, click Undo next to the save icon.

To undo several actions at once, click the arrow next to Undo button and select
from the list. Microsoft Excel reverses the selected action and all actions above it.

To undo several actions at once, click the arrow next to Undo button on the
standard toolbar and select from the list. Microsoft Excel reverses the selected
action and all actions above it.

Insert cells, rows or columns

You can insert blank cells, rows and columns and fill them with data.

Insert blank cells

1. Select a range of existing cells where you want to insert the new blank cells.
2. Select the same number of cells as you want to insert.
3. On the insert icon under the home tab, click cells.
4. Click Shift cells right or shift cells down.

Insert rows
1. To insert a single row, click a cell in the row immediately below where you
want the new row. For example, to insert a new row above Row 5,click a cell in
Row 5.
To insert multiple rows, select rows immediately below where you want the new
rows, select the same number of rows you want to insert.

2. On the Insert menu, click Rows.

Insert columns
1.To insert a single column, click a cell in the column immediately to the right of
where you want to insert the new column. For example, to insert a new column
to the left of column B, click a cell in column B
 To insert multiple columns, select columns immediately to the right of where
you want to insert the new columns. Select the same number of columns as
you want to insert.

2. On the Insert icon on the home tab, click Columns.

6.5 FORMATTING A WORKSHEET

Change the size, font, colour, or other text format

You can specify a font, font size and font color by clicking buttons on the home
tab.

Change the font or font size

1. Select whole cells or the specific text in a single cell that you want to format.
2. In the Font box, click the font you want.
3. In the Font size box, click the font size you want (on the home tab)

Make selected text or numbers bold, italic or underlined

1. Select whole cells or the specific text in a single cell that you want to format.
2. On the home tab, click a button for the format you want.

To make text Click

Bold B

Italic I

Underlined U

Change the text color

1. Select whole cells or the specific text in a single cell that you want to format.
2. To apply the recently most selected color, click Font Color A
To apply a different color, click the arrow next to Font Color A and then click a
color on the palette.

6.6 APPLYING BORDERS

To apply border styles

1. Click the Border tab in the home tab.
2. Click the line style you want and then click a button to indicate the border
placement.

To apply borders to selected cells that contain rotated text

1. Click Cells on the Format icon under the home menu.
2. Click the Border tab and then use the Outline and Inside buttons under
Presets.
The borders are applied to the edges of the cells which are rotated to the same
degree as the rotated text.

To change the line style of an existing border

1. Select the cells on which the border is displayed.
2. On the Border tab (Cells dialog box, Format menu) click the new line style in
the style box and then click the border you want to change in the cells diagram
under border.

Change column width and row height

You can adjust the width of columns and the height of rows. You can also define
the default width of columns for a worksheet. Defining the default column width
adjusts all columns to the same width except columns that have previously been
changed.

Change column width

Using different options

1. Drag the boundary on the right side of the column heading until the
column is the width you want.

2. To change the column width for multiple columns, select the columns you
 want to change. Then drag a boundary at the right of a selected column
heading.

3. To change the column width for all columns on the worksheet, click the
Select All button (at the left edge of the borders) and then drag the boundary
of any column heading.

4. To make the column width fit the contents, double-click the boundary to
the right of the column heading

Change row height

Using different options

1. Drag the boundary below the row heading until the row is the height you
want.

2. To change the row height for multiple rows, select the rows you want to
change then drag a boundary below a selected row heading.

3. To change the row height for all rows on the worksheet, click the Select All
button (at the left edge of the borders) and then drag the boundary below any
row heading.

4. To make the row height fit the contents, double-click the boundary below the
row heading.

THE FILL HANDLE

The fill handle enables you to extend a series. It is also used for copying
formulas.

Procedure
1. Position the mouse pointer right on the block like mark in the bottom right
corner of the active cell.
2. Click and drag to extend a series.

6.7 OPERATORS
Operators are signs or symbols which specify the type of a calculation that you
may perform in the elements of a formula.
There are four different types of calculation operators i.e.
1. Arithmetic
2. Comparison
3. Text and
4. Reference

ARITHMETIC OPERATIONS
They perform basic mathematical operations e.g. addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division.

Operator Performs Sample Formula Result

^ Exponentiation =A1^3 Enters the result of

raising the value in
cell A1 to the third
power.
+ Addition =B1+B2 Enters the total of
The values in cells
B1 and B2.
- Subtraction =B1-B2 Subtracts the value
In cell B2 from the
value
in cell B1.
* Multiplication =A1*B1 Multiplies the value
cell A1 by cell B1.
/ Division =A1/B1 Divides the value in
cell A1 by the value
in cell B1.

COMPARISION OPERATORS
They compare two values then produce a logical value i.e. TRUE or FALSE.

OPERATOR EXAMPLE
= (Equal to) A1=B1
> (Greater than) A1>B1
< (Less than) A1<B1
>=(Greater or equal to) A1>=B1
<=(Less or equal to) A1<=B1
<>(Not equal to) A1<>B1

REFERENCE OPERATORS

OPERATOR EXAMPLES
:(COLON) Range operators which
produces one reference for all the cells B5:B15
between two references.

,(COMMA) Union operator which combines

multiple references into one. Sum (B5:B15,
D5:D1)

FORMULAS
A formula is an equation that analyses data in a worksheet. Formulas perform
operations e.g. addition, multiplication, comparison etc. They can refer to other
cells on the same worksheet as well as other sheets in the same workbook or
even in other workbooks .A formula must always begin with an equal sign or
symbol e.g.=10-5. The result of the formula is then displayed in the cell.
You can use parentheses to change the syntax (structure or order of elements)
e.g. in the formula =5+2*3 Excel carries multiplication first .If the parentheses are
used, the syntax changes.
E.g. =(5+2)*3

FUNCTIONS
This is a special kind of predefined by Excel
The specific arguments required by a function depend on what the function does.

THE SUM FUNCTION

The sum function sums up a range total. This function saves time e.g. instead of
creating a formula = A1+B1+C1+A2+B2+C3+A3+B3+C3 a sum function will
make it easy i.e.
=SUM (A1:C3)
Please, note the reference operator :(colon)
RETURN VALUES OF FUNCTIONS

AVERAGE: If cell A1 contains value 12 and B1 value 8,the function =average

(A1:B1) returns 10.

MODE: This is the most frequently occurring or repetitive value in an array of

data
syntax e.g. =mode (10,3,4,3,5,3,7,3,4)
N/B If a data set has no duplicate values, mode returns the # N/A error value.

MEDIAN: This is the middle value or the number in the middle of a set of
numbers
Syntax e.g. =median (2,4,6,8,10)
Numbers in the middle e.g.
=Median (1,2,3,4,5) equal 3
=Median (1,2,3,4,5,6,) equals to 3.5 and this is the average of 3+4

Excel Error Values

The various types of errors you may encounter as you use formulas are:

Error Description
#DIV/0! The formula is attempting to divide by zero. Check the cell
references for blanks or zeros that may have resulted if you
deleted a cell referenced by the formula.
#N/A The formula refers to a cell with a #N/A entry or a cell that
contains no value. This error warns you that not all the data
referenced by a formula is available.
#NAME? Excel doesn‟t recognize a name you entered in a formula.
Verify that all names in the formula exist and define any
missing names.
If applicable, verify that you used the correct function name.
#NULL! The formula specifies two areas that don‟t intersect. Check to
see
if you entered the cell or range reference incorrectly.
Remember to
use commas (not spaces) between function arguments.
#NUM! There is a problem with a number used in the formula.
Check for the correct use of function arguments.
#REF! A cell reference in the formula is incorrect. Check for
changes to cell reference caused by deleting cells, rows or
 columns referenced by the formula.
#VALUE! The formula contains the wrong type of argument or
operator. Check for the correct syntax of the formula.

Merge cells to span several columns or rows

Merging combines two or more selected adjacent cells to create a single cell. The
resulting merged cell contains the upper left-most data in the selection which is
centered within the cell. The cell reference for a merged cell is the upper-left cell
in the original selected range.

1. Select the cells that you want to merge.

2. To merge cells in a row and center the cell contents, click Merge and Center.

To merge any selection of cells within a row or column, click merge cells on the
home tab.

6.9 WORKING WITH CHARTS

You can display Microsoft Excel data graphically in a chart. Charts are linked to
the worksheet data they are created from and are updated when you change the
worksheet data. You can create charts from cells or ranges that are not next to
one another.

1. Select the cells that contain the data that you want appear in the chart.
2. Under the insert tab select the kind of chart you want.
3. The chart is prepared for you.

Create a chart from non-adjacent selections

1. Select the first group that contains the data you want to include.
2. While holding down CTRL key, select any additional cell groups you want to
include.
3. Under the insert tab select the kind of chart you want.
4. The chart is prepared for you.

Move and resize chart items by the use of the mouse

You can use the mouse to resize and move the chart area, the plot area and the
legend. Microsoft Excel automatically sizes titles to accommodate their text. You
can move titles with the mouse but not resize them.
1.Click the chart item.
2.To move a chart item, point to the item and then drag it to another location.

To resize a chart item, point to a sizing handle.

When the mouse pointer changes to a double-headed arrow, drag the sizing
handle until the item is the size you want.

Rotate text in a chart title or along an axis

You can rotate or “angle” text in a chart or along an axis. However, you
cannot rotate legend text.
1. Click the axis or the title you want to format.
2. If you clicked an axis, click Axis on the Format menu.
3. Click the Alignment tab.
4. To rotate text, under Orientation, click a degree point or drag the indicator
to the position you want.

About using a list as a database

In Microsoft Excel, you can easily use a list as a database. When you perform
database tasks such as finding, sorting or subtotaling data, Microsoft Excel
automatically recognizes the list as a database and uses the following list
elements to organize the data.

 The columns in the list are the fields in the database.

 The columns labels in the list are the fields names in the database.
 Each row in the list is a record in the database.

Sorting a list
You can rearrange the rows or columns of a list based on the values in the list
by sorting. When you sort, Microsoft Excel rearranges rows, columns or
individual cells by using the sort order that you specify. You can sort lists in
ascending (1 to 9,A to Z) or descending (9 to 1,Z to A) order and sort based on
the contents of one or more columns.

Sort in ascending or descending order A Z

Z A
1.Click a cell in the column you would like data sort.
2.Click Sort ascending or descending button on the standard toolbar.
Sort columns based on the contents of rows
1.Click a cell in the list you want to sort.
2.On the Data tab, click sort.
3.Click Options.
4.Under Orientation, click sort left to right and then click Ok.
5.In the Sort by and Then by boxes, click the rows you want to sort.
6.Click Ok.

Using apply filter

Autofilter
Displays only those rows that match the value in the active cell and inserts
Autofilter arrows to the right of each column label.

Show all
Displays all of the rows in a filtered list.
 CHAPTER SEVEN

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

These are software that allow records to be entered in the system and to be
retrieved in a specified format. Examples are Ms Access, Paradox, Dbase, FoxPro,
Sybase.
From the above examples, we shall look at Ms Access.

7.1 MS ACCESS
MS Access is a database tool used to store, maintain and use a collection of
information that is organized to serve a specific purpose.

A database is a collection of related information organized to serve a specific

purpose.

Benefits of using database to store information

1. Fast retrieval of information i.e. data is easier to find.
2. Easy to maintain accurate and up to date data.
3. Easy to analyze and make summary reports on the stored data.
4. Easy to protect your data from unauthorized access.
5. Information can be accessed in many ways.

Database objects
Tables, Queries, Forms, Reports, Macros, Modules.

Tables
Collection of data about a specific subject e.g. customers, employees e.t.c.
In a table, data is organized in fields (columns) and records (rows)
A table consists of:
 (a) Field names
(b) Data types
(c) Description

(a) Field name: - these are column headings for the table being created.
(b) Data types: - the attribute of a field that determines the type of data it can
hold e.g. text, Numeric, Currency etc.
(c) Description: - This column is optional but can be used to give a detailed of
the field name.

Primary key: - This is a field that is used to uniquely identify each record
stored in a table.

Queries

A query is a type of database search. It enables you to retrieve data that has met
conditions you specify, indicating data from tables.
The word „query‟ literally means „to ask‟. Access queries provide a way of asking
about your data. When you design a query, you identify the fields to be included
and the records to be retrieved from one or more tables.
You can as well update or delete multiple records at the same time, perform built
in or custom calculations on your data.

Forms

They are used for adding new data, editing or displaying existing data. This data
can be in a table or a query. Information entered directly in a form will appear in
Tables automatically.

Reports

The desired result of any database is to provide information in the form of

reports. You can print reports from tables or queries in any desired format.
Reports are used to summarize and display data from your database. It
displays the most up-to-date information.

Modules
They are collection of codes using Access Basic programming language. If
programming is necessary, you can write modules.
 Database definitions
1. Field: This is any piece of information in a database e.g. Names, Age, Birth
date.
2. Record: It is a collection of several related fields.
3. Database File: This is a collection of several records.

Applications of databases
1. Educational applications: Preparing students‟ reports, class schedules.
2. Retail applications: This may include sales projections and Quotas,
Market analysis e.t.c.
3. Legal applications: This may include client information and case
schedules.
4. Financial applications: This may include stock market forecasting and
end of year financial reports.

PLANNING REQUIREMENTS
In order to plan an efficient database you need to ask yourself some
questions, these include.

1. What information do I need to keep track on?

2. What is my hardware and software capability?
3. Who will be using the database?
4. What are the projected future database needs?
Using the example of student records database, let us design, implement and use
Access as a database manager.

The subject/object here is a student and the suggested field names could be;
i) Student‟s name
ii) Student‟s registration number
iii) Student‟s address
iv) Parent‟s name
v) Age
vi) Sex
vii) Course
taken viii)
Subjects
ix) Hours a subject
takes x) The lecturer
xi) Lecture‟s rate per hour
xii) Tuition fee
xiii) Course duration
xiv) Date of admission
 xv) Amount paid

All the above listed is information about one object – student. There is need
however to limit the list to the subject area only.

Therefore the next stage you ask question (s) like:

 Do I want to store information about lecture‟s records or student‟s?
 If I want the student‟s records, should I include fee payments records,
timetable or
examination records?

Let us assume we wish to store student fee payment records only. This will
reduce above list to the following.

i) Student‟s name
ii) Student‟s registration number
iii) Student‟s address
iv) Course
taken v) Age
vi) Sex
vii) Date of
admission viii)
Amount paid

7.2 WORKING WITH ACCESS 2000

Starting Access
1. Click start button and move to programs.
2. Move to Ms access and click.
3. The resulting dialog box prompts you to create a new database using
either blank database, database wizard or existing database.
4. Click „blank database, option since you are creating a new one. To
open an existing one, click the appropriate option.
5. The „file new database‟ window appears. Enter the name of the
database you want to create i.e. (Macarl student record system) and
click Create.
6. A database window appears. It is blank since there are no tables,
queries, forms, and reports.

NB: The database name (Macarl student record system) is displayed on the title
bar of the database window.
7.3 WORKING WITH TABLES
When you create a database in Ms Access a new table is created for the user. In
order to customize the table follow the following steps.

1. Select view under the datasheet tab.

2. Select design view
3. The „table window‟ appears with field name, data type and description
columns (as discussed in tables earlier)
4. In the Field name, type the first field i.e. assuming we are creating a
table on students, one suggested field could be Student name.
Therefore, type Student name.
5. Click data type column and select the data type, (in this case text)
6. Click the description column and describe the field you have just
made. However it is optional and could be skipped.
7. Define all other student‟s detail fields by repeating steps 5-7.
8. Close the table and respond affirmatively to „save changes‟ dialog box.
Save the table as „students‟
NB: your database now has one table object.
DATA TYPE USE EXAMPLE

Text (Default) text or combination Stephen, Mary, KAZ

of text & numbers as well as 078w KQ2534
numbers that don‟t require
calculations such as phone
numbers. The default size is
50 characters but up to 225
characters can be stored.
Memo Lengthy text or combination Notes and descriptions
of text and numbers. Can
store up to 64,000 characters
Number Numerical data used in 6634,76731,890987,33,978
mathematical calculations,
except that involving money.
Date and time Dates and times values for the 2-jan, 17/8/90, 09:55AM
years 100 through 9999 4-march-1789
Currency Monetary values $5689,ksh9873, £5637

Auto number A unique sequential

(incremented by 1) number or
random number assigned by
Ms Access whenever a record
is added. AutoNumber cannot
be updated
Yes/No Yes or No values or fields
contains only one or two
values (true/false, yes /no, on
off)
OLE object Graphics and objects such that
Ms Excel spreadsheets,
sounds can be embedded to
Access

A unique field is required in every table. This is an identification key like the
national ID card that identifies each person individually. The unique key is
referred to as primary key in Access. It is useful when you want to avoid
entering duplicated records.
If what you design does not have a unique field, Access lets you include a
special field called AutoNumber which contains sequential or random numbers
that Access automatically generates as you add new records.
Setting a primary key
1.In the table design view, click inside the key you want to define as the primary
key.
2.Click on the primary key in the design tab.

N/B: If Access has already taken AutoNumber as the primary key, delete the
record by choosing it from the border and pressing delete key from the
keyboard.

Using the data sheet view and the design view

1.Double click on the table to open it

2.The table is open displaying all the field without any record
3.At this juncture, you can add records in your table
4.In case you want to change the a field name, click view from the menu bar
5.Click design view, highlight the field you want to rename and type the new
name.

N/B:
Datasheet view allows you to add records while you modify the table in
design view.
You can rename a field in data sheet view by double clicking the field and
typing a new name

Sorting records in the table

 Sorting helps to quickly locate the highest or the lowest value in a list E.g.
you can sort to know who has paid the highest amount.
 It also helps arranging data in order of priority.

Procedure
1) Position the cursor in the field you want to sort.
2) To sort in ascending or descending, click the sort ascending/descending from
the home tab.

Insert, Delete or Rename a column

 To insert a new column to the left of the current column, click on add new
column on table datasheet view.
 desired.
 To delete a column, click the column heading to select it and then
click
Delete on the home tab.
 CHAPTER NINE

COMPUTERS AND COMMUNICATIONS

At the end of the chapter the learner shall be able to;

Explain the hardware and Requirements for connecting to the Internet.
Explain the features of common Internet services.
Explain the e-mail terms
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of the internet

9.1 Computer Networks

A computer network is an interconnection of two or more computers to form a

network in order to share information and resources.

Local Area Network (LAN) & Wide Area Network (WAN)

Interconnection of computers which are within the same building or nearby

locations forms a network of computers and this network is called a Local Area
Network (LAN). A LAN permits sharing of data files, computing resources and
peripherals. Interconnection of computers located in far away locations using
telecommunication system is known as Wide Area Network (WAN).

Advantages of Networks

It allows the sharing of information held on disk drives to be accessed by

all permitted users.
It allows the sharing of resources such as printers, scanners and disk
storage.
Application programs can be stored on one computer and make them
available to all users rather than having copies individually installed on
each computer.
Allows electronic messages to be sent between the users.
It allows the connection of different types of computer which can
communicate with each other.
9.2 Introduction to the Internet

The Internet is a world wide computer network, which interconnects computer

networks across countries. It started with an initial 4 computers in 1969 and grew
over the next ten years to connect 200 computers in military and research
establishments in the US. Today there are more than 4 million host computers,
any of which could be holding the information you are looking for, and as many
as 50 million people connected.

The World Wide Web

This is a special part of the internet that allows people to view information stored
on participating computers. It is an easy-to-use, graphical source of information
which has opened the internet to millions of people interested in finding out
information.

Requirements for connecting to the internet

Internet service provider – an internet service provider provides you with a

connection to the internet and the software you will need to navigate.
telecommunication line – a telephone line is required to connect you to the
internet service provider.
Modem – a modem converts a digital signal received from a computer into an
analogue signal that can be sent along ordinary telephone lines, and back to
digital at the other end.
Web browser – a web browser is software used to view and download Web
pages and various types of files such as text, graphics and video. Examples
are Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator.

9.3 Common Internet services

E-mail

Electronic mail can be sent to another internet user anywhere in the world within
seconds. E-mail facilitates; sending of messages, file attachments, address book,
sending E-mail to a group, forwarding messages and many others.

Internet Relay Chat

This is a live chat facility that where the text you type is instantly broadcast to
everyone on the same channel. Some channels are dedicated to particular topics,
for example politics, science, games etc.
Videoconferencing

In this facility you can see the person at the other end of the line and you can be
able to talk to them using a microphone.

Advantages of the internet

- It offers different ways of communicating and innovations are going on to

make it faster, more reliable.
- The Internet is a virtual treasure trove of information. Any kind of
information on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet.
- It is a source of entertainment where users can play computer games, visiting
chat rooms or just surfing the Web.
- Many services are now provided on the internet such as online banking, job
seeking, purchasing tickets for your favorite movies etc.
- Business (E-commerce) can be transacted over the internet.

Disadvantages of the internet

- Personal information such as name, address, credit card number etc. can be
stolen by other culprits and misused.
- Unwanted e-mails in bulk (Spam), which provide no purpose and needlessly
obstruct the entire system, can be sent on the internet.
- Computers attached to internet are more prone to virus attacks and they can
end up into crashing your whole hard disk.
- Pornographic sites on the Internet that can be easily found by children which
can corrupt their morals.
- Anyone can publish incorrect information online because there‟s no quality
control

Effects of computerization

- The introduction of computers has lead into unemployment, in some

companies thousands of workers have been made redundant.
- Computer technology has created new opportunities for crime such as
hacking, theft of data and the introduction of viruses.
- Computers have caused stress at places of work as humans try to keep up
with the output of their computers.
- People who work with computers a lot without interacting with other people
are likely to develop psychological problems due to isolation.
- Computers have affected relationships of people working together such as
employee-supervisor relationships and thus becoming a dehumanizing
factor.
- Computerisation has caused job content reduction and role ambiguity.
- Cause of power redistribution in organizations due to change in
organizational structure.
- Computers have been blocking factor for career paths.