Fall 1998 Computers and Society
Tuesdays 6 - 9:40 PM in 113 Rackham: GST 2710, Section 990 and AGS 3360, Section 983
Mondays 5:30 - 9:10 PM at NWAC: GST 2710, Section 984

Last updated: 9/21/98
Link back to course Welcome...

Second class: Agenda
Tuesday September 15 / Monday September 21

  1. Quiz 1
  2. Sign in when you arrive.
  3. Announcements:
    1. How to call me during Monday office hours (3:30 to 5:30 PM): (248) 417-5794
      Do not call during class hours. Class hours are listed at the top of each Agenda and the Syllabus. Calls unfairly disrupt the class. I do not answer the telephone during classes.
    2. On-line math tutor, an aid in preparing for the Math Proficiency Exam:
      http://www.cll.wayne.edu/olmt/
  4. Rackham:  Tuesday, November 24 is scheduled as a Thursday. No class that evening.
  5. Review of last week
    1. Introduction to computers: information, structure, primary and secondary structure
    2. Counting and adding in decimal and binary
  6. Computer systems and software
    1. What the operating system does
    2. What applications do
    3. Primary applications -- the ones covered by this course
      1. Word processing: Word
      2. Spreadsheet: Excel
      3. Database: Access
      4. Graphics: Draw
      5. Communications
      6. Computer programming: QBasic

      NOTE: You will of course need to learn how to use this specific software. Besides, this will be a valuable job skill, since Microsoft Office is the most common office software. Many people now list the software that they can use as a section on their resumes. However, just as important for this course is knowing the generic types of things you can do with a word processor, a spreadsheet program and a database program. This is the generic type of knowledge that normally earns college credits. In addition, this is very helpful if you need to learn how to use another word processor, spreadsheet program, or database program. Finally, if you assume a new responsibility, it is important to know whether a word processor, a spreadsheet program or a database program is the best tool for the job, or whether none of these will do what you need.

    4. Files
      1. What is a file?
        1. Collection of related information
        2. Exists in permanent storage
        3. Has a name - filename and extension: filename.ext
        4. Wildcards -- ? stands for any one character. * stands for any number of characters (including zero characters). For example, *.exe stands for a file with any name and an extension of exe. In Microsoft Word, there are several file types, whose extensions start with do. This can be indicated by *.do*. The normal extension for a Word document is doc, so filenames are *.doc.
      2. Types of files
        1. Program
        2. Data
      3. Hierarchical file system
        1. Directories / folders. A directory can contain files and other directories (sub-directories)
        2. Root directory
        3. Examples:
          C:\
          C:\STUDENTS
          C:\STUDENTS\SECT571
        4. "Path" means directory to a file, including the directory and file name. Example:
          C:\STUDENTS\SECT571\PROSPECTUS.DOC
        5. The path has several parts. In the example in d,
          1. C: indicates the drive.
          2. \STUDENTS\SECT571\ indicates the folders on that drive. The first backslash (\) indicates that the folder STUDENTS is a subdirectory of the root directory for that drive. Each succeeding folder is a sub-folder of the preceding one.
          3. PROSPECTUS.DOC is the filename. PROSPECTUS is the name, and DOC is the extension. In DOS and Windows, the extension tells what program was used to create the file. DOC is the default extension when saving a Word document, so PROSPECTUS.DOC was probably created using Word. When you are saving a file, you can change the default extension, but usually not a good idea, because it can cause difficulty when you go to reopen the file; programs normally show you files to open that have their default extension, so you may falsely conclude that your file has disappeared.
    5. Command Line Interface (example: DOS) Vs Graphical User Interface or GUI (example: Windows)
      1. Command line. This is a text-based interface. There is usually a "prompt" from the operating system signifying that it is ready for a command from the user. In DOS, the prompt is usually "C:>", where C: indicates the default drive (the drive that will be used unless the user changes it), and > indicating to type the command to the right. Note that this means that the user must know the correct command, and spell it correctly.
      2. GUI. The user usually sees a list of commands to choose from, and often a set of "icons" -- small pictures representing a program or other file. This requires only that the user know what s/he wants to do when it is in front of them.
    6. Windows basics
      1. Rackham: <Option><Return> to toggle (go back and forth) between Macintosh and Windows95
        1. If you see an apple in the upper left of the screen, you are in the Macintosh system
      2. Mouse actions (NWAC: on a Windows mouse, use left button)
        1. Point - the active part of the cursor is the extreme point of the arrow
        2. Click - to actuate buttons and menu items, to select icons
        3. Double-click - to open icons (can also select and tap <Return>)
          1. Double-click on Accessories to open it
          2. Double-click on Clock to open it
        4. Drag - select and move mouse with button down
      3. Open Word
        1. Click on "Start" at lower left hand of screen
        2. When the Start Bar displays, point at "Programs"
        3. When the new menu displays, slide the mouse cursor over onto it and click on "Word"
      4. Parts of a window
        1. Minimize / Downsize / Close boxes in upper right corner of window
          1. Minimize = reduce window down to an item on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen
          2. Close = leave the application
          3. Downsize = make window take only a part of the screen. This button has double overlapping boxes on it. Click on the downsize button to make Word into a typical window, which does not take up the full screen.
        2. Border - use it to resize -- mouse cursor changes shape
        3. Title bar - uses are to see what the window is, to show if window is activated (blue for activated, grey for inactivated. If you type or use the mouse, and you have several windows open, these actions go to the active window. The most important use for the title bar is: drag on the title bar to move the window
        4. Menu bar - use is to make window do work for you. Not all windows have a menu bar.
        5. Other bars. Many windows do not have these. Word commonly displays a toolbar and a format bar.
        6. When a window is downsized, its downsize button turns into a single large box, meaning that you can click on this to make the window take up the full screen again.
      5. Managing windows
        1. Open an icon into a window - double-click the icon. Do this to the recycle bin. When you delete files on a hard drive in Windows95/98/NT, they go to the recycle bin. The recycle bin can fill up. This requires you to empty the recycle bin. Do not empty the recycle bin now, but open it so that you can see how to manage multiple windows.
        2. Moving - drag on title bar
        3. Resizing - drag on border -- dragging on a corner can change height and width at once
        4. Closing
        5. Maximizing / downsizing / minimizing
        6. Bring to front, same as activating -- single click on a window anywhere to do this, or click on its entry on the task bar.
  7. Microsoft Office - combines word processing, database, spreadsheet and graphics
    You carry out the underlined items.
    1. If you have not previously started Word, do this now by
      1. clicking on the Start button in the lower left corner of the screen
      2. then pointing to Programs
      3. then sliding the mouse cursor over horizontally, then click on Microsoft Word
    2. Insert the test floppy diskette into the diskette drive window.
      1. The writing ("CH") is on on the top of the diskette
      2. The metal door is on the front of the diskette - it goes into the computer first.
      3. Push firmly until the computer takes the disk in the rest of the way. If the diskette sticks, do not force it.
      4. On the Word menu bar, click on File, then Open...
    3. Active elements -- these are common elements that appear in many Windows applications.
      1. Menu - a list of options that drops down when you click on the text on the menu bar. Click on the option you you want to choose it.
        1. Click on the File menu item, release the mouse button, and then click on Open.
          (In the future, we will call this the File / Open menu item.)
          This opens up the Open dialog. Take a close look. You will be using it many times. In order, check to make sure you get the file you want:
          1. Drive (a:, c: or other) -- here, a:
          2. Directory on that drive
          3. File in that directory
      2. Dialog: a collection of active elements to accomplish a multipart task. Dialogs are windows, so they have title bars. We will identify dialogs by their title -- the text on the title bar. When you start Word, the first thing you see is the Startup dialog.
      3. Button - a rectangular picture that looks like a button, often with a label, that takes an action when it is clicked.
      4. Pull-down list - a line of text with a down-pointing arrowhead to the right. When you click the arrowhead, a list of options drop down. Click on the option you want to choose it.
        1. On the Open dialog, use the pull-down drive list to choose drive a:
      5. List box - a list of choices inside a box, with the chosen item shown above the list.
        1. On the Open dialog, make sure that the root directory (a:\) is selected.
        2. On the Open dialog, make sure that the file "globwarm.doc" is selected. Click on this file name to select it; the selected filename shows in the small box above the list box.
      6. With the right drive, the right directory and the right file selected, click on the OK button.
      7. Scroll bars - bars at the right side and/or bottom of the screen with up and down arrowheads and an "elevator box." These are for moving ("scrolling") through a long text or graphics file. The elevator box shows your location within the file. Click on the arrowheads for small movements. Click on the bar near the arrowhead to move one full screen at a time. Drag the elevator box for large movements.
        Try all three.
    4. Open a second document. Select the File / New / Blank Document menu items. A new balnk document opens up. Type something -- anything -- in it. Now select the File / Save As.. menu item. On the Save As... dialog, make sure that the a: drive is selected. Type in a filename for the document. Click OK to save.
    5. You can work with both documents. Switch back and forth using the Window menu item.
      1. Switch to globwarm.doc.
      2. Select some text there by dragging over it with the mouse. The selected text is "highlighted" -- shown in reverse colors. This is the normal Windows signal that something is selected for further action.
      3. Copy the selected text to the Windows "clipboard" (an imaginary location to hold data) by selecting the Edit / Copy menu item. Alternate action: <Ctrl>C.
      4. Switch back to your new document. Copy the selection into this document using the menu item Edit / Paste. Alternate action: <Ctrl>V
      5. Resave the new version using the diskette icon on the Word toolbar. This saves to the location you selected in File / Save As... Alternate action: File / Save.

      NOTE 1: To move text, "Cut" it first, then paste it in the new location.
      NOTE 2: Using Cut / Copy and Paste, you can move or copy a selection within a document as well as between documents. You can also move or copy between applications, such as between a word processing document and a spreadsheet.
      NOTE 3: Use File Save... in the following circumstances: (a) the first time you save a new document (if you choose File / Save the first time, you will actually get File / Save As...), (b) When you want to change the name, location or file format of the file (the original copy will continue to exist) or (c) when you want to double-check the name, location or file type (select Save As..., check that everything is the way you want, then click Cancel). Later, we will even cut/copy and paste files from one drive to another, and parts of graphics, too. Cut/Copy and Paste is very general and easy to use in Windows.

  8. Rackham: Turning these computers off
    1. Go to Macintosh system (<Option><Return>)
    2. Choose "Special" menu
    3. Choose Shut down
    4. When the system warns that the PC is still running, click OK)
    5. Wait for OK to shut power off, then turn off the power on both the computer (base unit) and the monitor.
  9. Pictures
    1. This is not a requirement of the course. If you do not want your picture on the course web site, that is fine; just let me know. The camera is a digital camera. It does not use film, pictures are downloaded directly to a computer.

Be sure to turn the test diskette back in.

Assignment 2

  1. Read the assigned chapters in the textbooks (see the assignment schedule). In Computers in Your Future98, turn in answers for the following questions: Pgs 1-21 & 1-22, Matching (all), Multiple Choice 1 - 10. On Pg 1-46, turn in answers for Completion 1- 10.
  2. Write the numbers after the following numbers (binary):
    1. 11011
    2. 1101
    3. 1011
  3. Convert each of the above numbers to decimal format
  4. Convert the following decimal numbers to binary
    1. 87
    2. 9
    3. 32
  5. Identify the parts of each of the following filenames, and describe the type of file:
    1. a:\globwarm.doc
    2. c:\dos\format.exe
    3. c:\MyDocuments\sect945\budget.xls
  6. List the active parts that occur in all windows in Windows, and what you can use them for.

Quiz 2

Quiz 2 at the start of class next week will cover: