Class notes × diploma in civil engineering

P.O. Box 342-01000 Thika
Email:
Web: www.mku.ac.ke




SCHOOL OF PURE AND APPLIED
SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY




COURSE CODE: BIT 1106
COURSE TITLE: COMPUTER SKILLS AND APPLICATIONS




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, 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 ................................................................................ 12
1.7 Chapter Review Questions ........................................................................... 12
Books for further reading ............................................................................................ 13
CHAPTER 2 .................................................................................................................... 14
BASIC HARDWARE UNITS OF A COMPUTER .................................................. 14
2.1 Input Devices .................................................................................................. 14
2.2 Output devices ............................................................................................... 15
2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)/Processor: ................................................ 16
2.4 Main Memory: ................................................................................................ 17
2.5 Secondary storage .......................................................................................... 18
2.6 Computer units interaction diagram .......................................................... 19
2.7 How information is stored in computers ................................................... 20
2.8 Size ................................................................................................................... 20
Byte – a string of 8 bits .............................................................................................. 20
2.9 Chapter Review Questions ........................................................................... 20
CHAPTER THREE ........................................................................................................ 22
COMPUTER SOFTWARE........................................................................................... 22
3.1 Classification of software .............................................................................. 22
3.2 System software ............................................................................................. 23
3.3 Application software ..................................................................................... 24
3.4 Chapter Review Questions ........................................................................... 26
Books for further reading ............................................................................................ 26
CHAPTER FOUR .......................................................................................................... 27
WINDOWS BASICS .................................................................................................... 27
4.1 Windows operating system Boot up Process ............................................. 27
4.2 Logging On to Windows XP......................................................................... 28
4.3 Windows 7 Desktop....................................................................................... 28
4.4 Starting a Program ......................................................................................... 29

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, 4.5 Working With Files and Folders .................................................................. 32
Books for further reading ............................................................................................ 34
CHAPTER FIVE ............................................................................................................ 35
WORD PROCESSING ................................................................................................. 35
5.1 Loading Ms-Word .......................................................................................... 35
5.2 The Ms-Word Screen ..................................................................................... 35
5.3 Creating, Saving and Closing Documents ................................................. 36
5.4 Formatting ....................................................................................................... 37
5.5 Editing Your Document ................................................................................ 41
5.6 To insert page numbers ................................................................................. 41
5.7 Columns .......................................................................................................... 45
Books for further reading ............................................................................................ 48
CHAPTER SIX ............................................................................................................... 49
SPREADSHEETS .......................................................................................................... 49
6.1 MICROSOFT EXCEL ..................................................................................... 49
6.2 THE EXCEL WINDOW................................................................................. 49
6.3 WORKING WITH WORKBOOKS AND WORKSHEETS ....................... 52
6.4 ENTERING DATA ......................................................................................... 53
6.5 FORMATTING A WORKSHEET ................................................................ 57
6.6 APPLYING BORDERS .................................................................................. 58
6.7 OPERATORS .................................................................................................. 59
6.9 WORKING WITH CHARTS ........................................................................ 63
6.10 Chapter Review Exercise .............................................................................. 66
Books for further reading ............................................................................................ 67
CHAPTER SEVEN ........................................................................................................ 68
DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ............................................................... 68
7.1 MS ACCESS .................................................................................................... 68
Queries ............................................................................................................................ 69
Reports ............................................................................................................................ 69
7.2 WORKING WITH ACCESS 2000................................................................. 71
7.3 WORKING WITH TABLES .......................................................................... 72
7.4 RELATIONSHIPS .............................................................................................. 75
7.5 WORKING WITH QUERIES ........................................................................ 76
7.6 FORMS............................................................................................................. 78
7.7 REPORTS......................................................................................................... 79
7.8 Chapter Review Exercise .............................................................................. 80
Books for further reading ............................................................................................ 80
CHAPTER EIGHT ........................................................................................................ 81
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, PRESENTATION GRAPHICS ................................................................................... 81
MS POWERPOINT .................................................................................................... 81
8.2 ADDING AND FORMATTING TEXT ....................................................... 82
8.3 WORKING WITH DIFERENT VIEWS ....................................................... 83
8.4 WORKING WITH OBJECTS ....................................................................... 84
8.6 ANIMATION.................................................................................................. 85
8.7 SAVING A PRESENTATION ...................................................................... 86
8.8 PRINTING....................................................................................................... 86
8.10 Chapter Review Questions ........................................................................... 86
Books for further reading ............................................................................................ 87
CHAPTER NINE ........................................................................................................... 88
COMPUTERS AND COMMUNICATIONS ........................................................... 88
9.1 Computer Networks ...................................................................................... 88
9.2 Introduction to the Internet .......................................................................... 89
9.3 Common Internet services ............................................................................ 89
Books for further reading ............................................................................................ 91
REVIEW QUESTIONS ANSWERS ........................................................................... 92




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