This book is about writing well-designed software. To understand software, we must first have a fundamental understanding of its role in a computer system. Hardware
and software cooperate in a computer system to accomplish complex tasks. The nature of that cooperation and the purpose of various hardware components are important prerequisites to the study of software development. Furthermore, computer networks have revolutionized the manner in which computers are used, and they now play a key role in even basic software development. This chapter explores a broad range of computing issues, laying the foundation for the study of software development.

chapter objectives

Describe the relationship between hardware and software.
Define various types of software and how they are used.
Identify the core hardware components of a computer and explain their purposes.
Explain how the hardware components interact to execute programs and manage data.
Describe how computers are connected together into networks to share information.
Explain the impact and significance of the Internet and the World Wide Web.
Introduce the Java programming language.
Describe the steps involved in program compilation and execution.
Introduce graphics and their representations.

1.0 Introduction

1. Basic Computer Processing
2. Software Categories
3. Digital Computers
4. Binary Numbers
5. Exercises

1.3 bits

1.1 Hardware Components

1. Computer Architecture
2. Input/Output Devices
3. Main and Secondary Memory
4. Central Processing Unit
5. Exercises

1.1 computer
1.7 RAM ROM
3 Matching Questions

1.2 Networks

1. Network Connections
2. local-area networks and wide-area networks
3. the Internetthe World Wide Web
4. Uniform Resource Locators
5. the Internet vs. the World Wide Web
6. Exercises

1.10 LAN WAN

1.3 Programming

1. problem solving
2. the Java programming language
3. a Java program
4. comments
5. identifiers and reserved words
6. white space
7. Exercises

1.15 comments

1.4 Programming Languages

1. programming language levels
2. compilers and interpreters
3. syntax and semantics
4. errors
5. language evolution (1)
6. Exercises

1.20 errors
Compiler Interpreter Matching

1.5 Graphics - Not covering until at school

1. coordinate systems
2. representing color

1.6 Summary

1. Summary

1.8 Programming Projects

1.2 Broadcast Errors
1.3.Personal
1.4 Knowledge