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INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS
Definition of a computer
(a) A computer is information processing machine.
(b) An electronic device that works under stored programs, accepting, manipulating and or storing
data and instructions.
What is fed in the computer is called data (raw facts, and figures e.g. 1+1 is data)
Information is the already processed data.
The definition of a computer can be viewed as illustrated below.

Input Process Output

Data & instructions Execution & storage Information /Results of processing

Qualities of a computer
i. It's automatic i.e it can work without human intervention once supplied with data and
instructions.
ii. It's a data processor-This means, it process raw facts and figures to produce information.
iii. It's a storage device-This means it stores information for later use.
iv. Its electrical i.e requires some sort of power to drive it.

Information Technology

Refers to the use of computers, telecommunication equipment’s, human skills and other technologies
i the creation, manipulation, processing, storage, dissemination or communication of information to
specific target, groups, or individuals for effective managing of organization.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF A COMPUTER.
ADVANTAGES
i. Stores large chunks of information in a limited space.
ii. Speed-performs tasks very fast.
iii. Consistency-Gives the same results given the same instructions
iv. Secrecy -Information is fairly protected if the computer system is well managed.
v. Versatility-Can do the same thing over and over without being worn out.

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 vi. Computers can work under hostile environment e.g volcanic eruption.
vii. They create job opportunities.
viii. Computer is very accurate in performing any task
ix. Computer is very flexible
x. Computer can tackle huge volume of data efficiently
xi. Computer is automatic
xii. Output of a computer is presentable
xiii. Computer records are more secured than manual
xiv.
DISADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERS
i. They are expensive.
ii. Cuts down employment opportunities.
iii. Needs expertise, which is expensive to hire and maintain.
iv. Computers are health hazards.
v. Can lead to lose of information if not well managed.
vi. Requires a lot of skills.
vii. Computer technology change too often
viii. Installation of Computer require retraining staff
ix. Computer is prone to failure
x. Computer cause job displacement

APPLICATION OF COMPUTERS
Industry and Commerce
 Computers are used in day-to-day operations in most companies and industries.
 Are normally used in keeping track of orders and bills (transactions) in companies and
industries.
 Computers play a major role in business by defining new products and services hence
providing new opportunities for management control.

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Communication
Digital communication using computers is popular and is being adopted worldwide. As opposed to
analogue communication using the telephoning system.
Computers have enhanced communication through email communication, electronic file transfer and
internet.
Education and reference
 Computers incorporate databases that are useful in managing educational resources.
 The internet has massive reference materials on almost every learning area.
 Computer systems have enabled efficient running of libraries for information storage and
retrieval.
Entertainment.
 Computers support high quality motion pictures and music files using high speed and
efficient digital storage devices such as CDs, DVDs, and VCDs etc.
 The internet provides great entertainment resources e.g. Games which has become a major
source of amusement at home and in special places.
Health Care and Medicine
Computers are used to keep patient records, medical insurance data and performing medical
diagnosis and patient medical monitoring.
Police and defense
 Computers are nowadays used greatly in fighting crimes through computer forensic.
 Police are able to enter fingerprints to databases which are automatically analyzed by a
computer.
 In defense, computers are used in electronic newsgathering, efficient communications,
detection and tracking of targets, radar systems, which are normally, employed in airports,
warning systems and guided missile systems.
COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM.
Atypical personal computer has components to enter data (keyboard and mouse), to display and print
information (monitor and printer), retrieve and store information (CD-ROM and communicate with
other computers (modem).
The basic components of the computer include;
 Hard wares

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  Soft wares
 Human ware/org ware.
COMPUTER LABORATORY
RULES & REGULATIONS
The lab is a privilege for all to share, but as we all are sharing this space we must be
considerate of others. We ask that you please follow these simple rules:
1.  There shall be NO EATING or DRINKING in the lab: No food or drink is allowed in the
lab.
2.  Observe Silence: Individuals accessing services in the lab must observe silence, be
considerate of other lab users -- this is a STUDY AREA. In consideration of others, do not
talk on cell phones in the lab. Please step outside the lab to conduct your phone call.
3.  Surf safely: Individuals shall only access approved sites (avoid PORNOGRAPHIC SITE
or SIMILAR SITES). These sites HARBOR dangerous viruses.
4.  In case you encounter problems with a computer/ its software, please seek assistance from
the technician in-charge and/or any other personnel in I.T. Technician. Do not tackle that
problem by yourself.
5.  Do not change the configurations set at your designated computer.
6.  Do not unplug and/or exchange parts (e.g. mouse, keyboard, power cables etc.) for another
without notifying the technician in-charge.
7.  Treat your colleagues, personnel and all the equipment’s in the lab with respect.
8.  Do not install any program(s) from online or elsewhere without the knowledge of the
technician in-charge: do not install or download any software or modify or delete any system
files on any lab computers. Most of this online software are MALWARES.
9.  The labs shall be utilized for Practical Lessons, Research and other Academic purposes.
Social sites shall be considered tertiary hence minimal time allocation for the same. If other
students are waiting to use the computer and you are not doing ACADEMIC related work,
please let them use the computer. The primary purpose of the lab is to assist with
ACADEMIC-related work.
10.  The use of personal laptops (except for Lecturers who use for lecturing) is also highly
discouraged within the computer laboratories. Please utilize the computers available to you in
the labs.

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 11.  After you finish utilizing the computer, do the following:-
 Keep your files organized and/or backed up
 Exit out of all programs.
 Log off and/or shutdown.
 Leave your workstation neat.
 Check and take your belongings.
12.  DO NOT USE THIS RESOURCE (Computer) FOR ILLEGAL MEANS. (E.g. Hacking,
Songs loading e.t.c.)

THANK YOU FOR ADHERING!!

HARDWARE
These are all physical tangible parts of the computer system. They include all input, processing,
output and storage components of the system.
Categories of Hard wares
1. Input devices
2. Output devices
3. Processing devices
4. Storage devices.
Input devices
These are devices that allow the user to enter data into the computer system. Input devices include;
1. Keyboard
This is an input device that resembles a typical typewriter which is used to convert human
understandable data into electrical pulses understood by the computer processor.
The keyboard is made up of five different parts i.e alphanumeric keypad, numeric keypad, cursor
positioning and exit keys, functional keys and special operation keys.
2. Mouse
This is an input device, which became popular with the emergence of graphical user interfaces
(GUI).
It is a plastic rodent which lies on the table a top of a plastic mat.
It is used to issue commands to the computer by activating certain spots on the computer screen.

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It has two or three buttons i.e. right, left and scrolling button.
Left mouse button is used to
1. Issue commands
2. Move items
3. Select
4. Highlight (holding down the left mouse button and dragging).
Right mouse button is used to:-
1. Retrieve commands.
2. Create shortcuts.
Other Output devices include.
1. Monitor/Screen
 It is also called a visual display unit (V.D.U)
 It is a primary output device.
 It is a screen that typed data appears.
Information displayed on the monitor/screen prior to printing is called softcopy
2. Printers
These are the output devices used to output data in hard copy (touchable i.e. data on paper)
Printers are normally classified according to how they print e.g. impact or non-impact printers.
3. Plotters
A plotter is a graphic printer that draws images with ink pens.
They are used to print graphics on larger sizes and full-size engineering and architectural drawings.
Other output devices include:
1. Speakers.
2. Monitors/screen

PROCESSING DEVICES.
These are the devices which does the actual processing of data.
The CPU is the computer processor. This is where the work of processing is done. The CPU can be
described as the computer brain or heart of the computer system. It monitors all computer
operations.
The CPU is made up of three main components namely;

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Control unit (CU)
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Main Memory Unit (MMU)

CONTROL UNIT (CU) OUTPUT

INPUT
ARITHMETIC LOGIC UNIT (ALU) DEVICES
DEVICES
MAIN MEMORY UNIT

SECONDARY STORAGE /
BACKING STORAGE

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

It performs arithmetic calculations such as multiplication, addition, subtraction& division and logical
comparisons/operation under the direction and command of the control unit.

Control unit (CU)

It is the part of the computer that controls, supervises and oversees all the activities of the computer
system. It interprets the instructions and issues signals so that the hardware executes them as
requested.
It manages all processing tasks of the computer.
Main Memory Unit (MMU)
There are two different types of memories in a microcomputer i.e main memory and secondary
memory.
Main memory-This is used for holding data and instructions required immediately by the C.P.U
Types of main memory include;
1. Random Access Memory (RAM)
2. Read Only Memory (ROM)

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RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM)
The name Random Access means that , information in any area of the RAM can be read or accessed
in the same amount of data randomly using a technique called algorithm generated
address/mathematical procedure.

Characteristics of RAM
1. It is the working area of the computer.
2. It stores data and information waiting processing.
3. Stores the intermediate results of the computer (computer users through the output unit).
4. It is volatile, it loses its content whenever the memory cells are de-energized on switching off
power therefore the contents must be saved or backups made for future use.
5. It read and writes memory- information can be written into it and read from it.
6. It makes 70% of the main memory.

READ ONLY MEMORY (ROM)

ROM is an acronym of read only memory. The contents of this memory section can be
retrieved/read but cannot be written to it. The contents of this internal memory cannot be altered.

Characteristics of ROM
1. It provides a permanent and semi-permanent storage i.e. its contents can be read but cannot be
written during normal computer operations.
2. ROM's are used in computer for permanent storage of instructions eg those that the computer
use while booting (startup).
3. It's non-volatile type of memory implying that its content remains intact even when the power
is switched off.

There are four types of ROM's used today namely

1. Read Only Memory. (ROM)
2. Programming Read Only Memory. (PROM)
3. Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory. (EPROM)
4. Electrical alterable Read Only Memory. (EAROM)

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STORAGE DEVICES
Secondary or Auxiliary storage
o This is used to supplement the main/internal memory. it can also be described as backing
storage media usually used for storing and maintaining data and or instructions that are not
immediately required by the processor.
o The media are normally fit into their relevant reading/writing units (drives) for recording data
and instructions into the media or reading the media contents in the computer memory.

TYPES OF BACKING STORAGE DEVICES AND MEDIA

Hard disks
 This is the main device that the computer uses to store information. it is also called hard disk
drive or fixed disk drive.
 Most computers have one hard disk located inside the computer case and is called drive C:
 The hard disk drive, magnetically stores data on stuck of rotating disk called platters.
 The hard drive has several read; write heads that read data from the disk.
Other storage devices include
i. Magnetic disks.
ii. Winchester disk.
iii. Magnetic tapes.
iv. Flash disks.
v. D.V.D ROM discs (Digital video disks)

SOFTWARES
The term software is used to describe the complete range of computer programs that enable the
computer to work effectively. They are defined as programs with step by step instructions that tell
the computer what to do.

Categories of software
1. System software
2. Application software.

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SYSTEM SOFTWARE
These are software that control the computer and enables it to run application software.
This system software consists of a set of instructions that enables the proper functioning of the
computer hardware.
System software is further sub-divided into two categories.
1. Operating system.
2. Utility programs.

1. OPERATING SYSTEM
 These are set of instructions that interface between the computer hardware and software.
 it consists of a set of programs that manage the basic operation of the computer.
 it remains in the memory(main memory) until the computer is switched off.
 Operating system manages all computer resources i.e. input-output transfers, memory
allocation and the central processing unit (CPU).
 It also ensures the proper orderly and efficient use of hardware by application programs.

FUNCTIONS OF THE OPERATING SYSTEM

1. Scheduling and loading of programs to provide a continuous job processing sequence or to
provide appropriate responses to event.
2. Handling of errors when they occur and using corrective routines where possible.
3. Passing of control from one program to another under a system of priority when more than
one application program occupies main storage.
4. Protecting hardware, software and data from improper use.
5. Acts as a link between computer hardware and software’s.

Examples of operating systems

 Windows 95. 97, 98, 2000
 windows XP
 Unix
 Novel

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  Ms-DOS
 Windows 7
 Windows 8
 Windows 10
2. UTILITY PROGRAMS
These are small programs, sub programs or modules that enable the computer to perform routine
jobs e.g computer translators, compilers, debuggers and database management system . They provide
useful service to the computer e.g. repairing discs and cleaning computer virus.

APPLICATION SOFTWARE
This refers to programs or set of instructions that enable the user to solve or perform his/her own
tasks when using a computer i.e. it enables a computer to operate effectively for a specific or general
task.

CATEGORIES OF APPLICATION SOFTWARE

1. General purpose application software.
2. User programs/tailor-made programs.
General purpose application software
This is a set of fully described or narrated programs, developed to solve particular problems with
little or no alliterations.
Some general purpose applications or software which are in great use today include:
1. Word Processors e.g. Microsoft word, word pad, word perfect, word star etc.
2. Spread sheets -lotters 1-2-3, sage, excel, QuickBooks etc.
3. Data base packages e.g. MS- Access, Oracle, d-based I&II, SQL.
4. Accounting packages e.g. sage, Quick Books etc
5. Presentation packages e.g. PowerPoint, Ventura etc.
6. Desktop Publishing Packages e.g Adobe PageMaker, Corel Draw etc

User programs/tailor programs

These are programs developed by users to solve specific processing tasks which suit specific
organizations and may not suit other organization needs.

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 Operating systems
(Control programs)
System
software
System utilities
(Service programs)

SOFTWARE
Application
Packages

Application
software User programs
(Tailor-made programs)

TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Computers can be classified by:
SIZE AND COST
Super computers
These are very expensive, very fast and the most powerful computers. They are mainly used in
scientific applications stations such as nuclear stations and weather forecasting stations. Support use
by many people at the same time.\
Main frame
They are large and very powerful computers. Support use by many people at the same time. Process
large amounts of data very quickly and therefore used by big companies such as banks and
government institutions.
Mini Computers
They are smaller and less powerful than main frame computers. Support a number of concurrent
users but are usually slower than mainframe computers. They are cheaper than main frame. They are
used as departmental servers in networked firms.

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Micro computers (personal computers)
These are computers with microprocessors. They are smaller than the mini computer. They are made
to fit on desktops for individual persons use. They are mostly used in offices and homes. They are
cheaper than mini computers.
Portable computers
They include laptop's note books and palm tops. They are extremely lighter than personal computers.
Note book computers typically weigh less than 3Kgs and are small enough to fit easily in a briefcase.
The main difference between microcomputers and laptop notebooks is their size. Portable computers
also support a limited number of peripherals compared to microcomputers.

PURPOSE
Digital computers: they are the most commonly used types of computers. Their arithmetic and
logical comparisons are based on digits (0s and 1s). They use binary language and can process both
numeric and alphanumeric data. Digital computers can store large chunks of information.
Analog computers: these are computers that perform arithmetic functions and logical comparisons
by measuring physical changes in physical magnitudes e.g. pressure changes, temperature changes
e.t.c Example of analog computers include slide rule, car speedometer etc.
Hybrid computers: Combine analog and digital computers capabilities.

Types of hybrid computers:

 General purpose-they are computers designed to be used in a variety of application
environment as required. The ranges of applications they can handle depend on the volume
of data to be processed and the processing power.
 Special purpose-They are designed to carry out special processing tasks in one or more
application areas. In networked environments a special computer called front-end processor
is used for processing communication tasks only.

COMPUTER VIRUS
A virus is a program designed specifically to damage other programs or cause irregular behaviors in
a computer system.

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Virus is designed in such a way that it can amend/destroy programs and data files by interfering with
normal processes of the operating system.
Sources of computer virus
1. Contaminated storage media- Any flash disk or any other storage media used on or a
contaminated system becomes, contaminated with the virus.
2. Pirated software- the use of pirated software introduces risk that they might be
contaminated with the virus.
3. Fake games- one can download a game program which has viruses.
Symptoms of computer virus
 Unfamiliar graphics or quizzical messages appearing on the screen.
 Programs taking longer than usual to load.
 Less memory allowance than usual.
 Programs or file mysteriously disappearing.
 Unusual error messages occurring more frequently.
 Disk access screening excessive for simple task.

A virus is designed to replicate itself this crushing the computer.

Security measures against viruses
 Avoid using foreign diskettes.
 Scan all foreign disks using an updated anti-virus program.
 Identify and discard any infected disks.
 Always use passwords to prevent unauthorized access to your computer.

TYPES OF COMPUTERS

Can be categorized according to:

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1. Computer generations (classification by age)
2. Classification by size
3. Classification by technology
4. Classification by purpose

1. COMPUTER GENERATIONS (CLASSIFICATION BY AGE)The development of computing

power can be classified into five major generations based on the relative change in processing speed,
storage capacity and the technology enabling this change;

a) First Generation
i. They are the earliest computers which were in use from around the mid 1950’s to late 50’s
ii. They used big physical devices in them.
iii. Used vacuum tubes to process data all programs were written in machine language.
iv. It was programmed manually using switches.
v. These computers used electronic valves like the ones used in radios and television.
Second generation
i. More reliable, smaller in size,
ii. Powerful machines than the first generation.
iii. Used transistors which replaced the vacuum tubes.
iv. Transistors were smaller, cheaper, lesser power consumption and heat production rates.
v. They were expensive machines and only large organizations could afford. and silicon –based.
Programmers could use high level programming language e.g. Fortran, Cobol, for
development of commercial based business applications. The speed increased to 200,000
instructions per second and the memory was about 32kb
Third generation
i. More powerful,
ii. Reliable and compact computers using simple integrated circuit (ICs).
iii. ICs are transistors etched onto a substrate bundled together. This allows thousands of
transistors to be packed together efficiently. This also made computers small comprising of
semi-conductor memory cells and interconnections manufactured on a semiconductor e.g.

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 silicon was divided into chips. These chips were packaged together with pins and
assembled on a printed circuit board.
iv. Microprogramming was used extensively to simplify the design of processors and increase
their flexibility
v. Operating system and the processor, he techniques of concurrent and parallel processing
were introduced eg multiprocessing, multiprogramming, pipelining.
vi. Methods for automatic sharing of facilities or resources of a comp were introduced.
Fourth generation
The computers in use today, contain more sophisticated microelectronic devices such as complex
integrated circuits, which are classified as “large scale integration or very large scale integration.
Networks, use of optical disks & magnetic disks were introduced
Programmers could use object oriented languages such as c++, Pascal, c etc
Fifth generation
Development of computers able to converse with people in a human like manner and able to mimic
human senses, manual skills and intelligence..... Artificial intelligence, symbolic processing. They
also use very large scale integrated circuits
2. CLASSIFICATION BY SIZE
Super computers
i. These are very expensive, very fast, and the most powerful computers in the world.
ii. They are quite are as they are mainly used in scientific research stations such as in nuclear
stations and weather forecasting stations

Mainframes
i. They are the large and very powerful computers.
ii. They can serve hundreds of people (multi-user system) and do many jobs at the same time.
They have extensive processing, storage capabilities
Mini computers
i. These are smaller and less powerful that mainframes.
ii. Several people can also use them from different locations at the same time.
iii. Used for medium scale tasks which cannot utilize fully the main frame
Microcomputers

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 i. Are the smallest but most important for the end users
ii. Also known as personal computers (PC’s). Can be used as standalone computers or in a
networked environment as terminals.
iii. They come in various sizes and shapes for a variety of purposes. Or based on their use, they
include home, personal, professional, workstation and multi-user
 Desktop computers
 Laptop computers
 Notebook computers
 Palmtop computers

COMPONENTS OF A MICROCOMPUTER
 Input components
 Central processing components (CU, ALU, Main Memory & Register)
 Output
 Buses
 Registers
 Storage devices

3. CLASSIFICATION BY TECHNOLOGY

Digital computers
Operations are based on two or more discrete states, binary digital computers are based on two
states a logical “on” and “off’ represented by two voltage levels of 0 and 1. These arrangements of
zeros and ones are used to represent all kinds of characters such as numbers, letters, graphics,
symbols and graphic instructions.

Analog computers
Are used in measurement of quantities such as thermometers and voltmeters with pointers on
circular dials

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These computers measure data varying continuously in value such as speed, temperature, voltages,
frequency, pressure, humidity etc

Hybrid computers
Is a combination computer using all qualities/features of both the analog and digital
computers.E.g? Petro pumps

CLASSIFICATION BY PURPOSE
Special purpose computers
Are designed for a particular job only; to solve problems of a restricted nature (a specific problem
domain).e.g. computers designed for use in petrol pumps.

General purpose computers

Are designed to solve a wide variety of general user problems. It can be adopted to perform
particular tasks or solve problems with special written programs
The range of the application s/ware available in the personal computer is a clear indication of the
problem areas it can be applied eg word processing, graphic design etc.

1.2 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND HARD WARE

COMPUTER HARDWARE
This refers to the physical, electronic and mechanical parts of the computer. They are divided into
the following categories;- input devices, processing devices, output devices, storage devices and
communication devices.

INPUT DEVICES
Used to enter data and commands into the computer system for processing.

Examples are:
a) Keyboard
b) Pointing devices i.e. mouse, light pen, digitizers, joystick, track ball and touch pads

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c) Scanners/imaging i.e. Scanners, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Optical Mark
Recognition (OMR), Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, Point of Sale (POS)/Barcodes.
d) Terminals
e) Voice Recognition

1. Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)

In this system characters are made by ink containing magnetized particles are able to be recognized
by the MICR which transfers them directly into computer system
They are commonly used in banks e.g. in clearance of cheques

Advantages
 Readable characters by both human and machine faster methods as far as transfer of information
is concerned (user friendly)
 Accurate hence reduces chances of errors getting into the system

Disadvantages
 Documents are expensive to produce
 It has limited application in practice
 It needs some manual key boarding ie when entering the name and the amount
 It needs careful handling ie no folding or stripping of chequesetc

2. Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

It is a method of input involving a machine that is able to read characters .Normally done by
passing the document through the OCR which produces a beam of light changing the characters
into signals for processing.
Can be used in payment of utilities e.g telephone, water and electricity bills and mail sorting.

Advantages
 They are fast

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 They often read ordinary typed texts
 Reduces chances of errors in the system

Disadvantages
 Limited application due to the limitation of the character set
 At times when the text is handwritten it is slow because it has to pass a number of times before
characters recognition

(3) Optical Mark Reader (OMR)

Generally used for numerical characters i.e. values are denoted by a line or a cross
This document is read by the OMR which senses the mark using and electric current and translates
it to the machine readable
It is used in marking multiples codes, analysis, stock control etc

Advantage
 It is accurate
 It is fast
 It is cost effective

Disadvantages
 Requires expensive equipment
 Limited business applications

(4) Terminals
Terminals are devices for transmitting or relieving data over communication channels
Terminals consists of cables, VDU (monitor), Mouse and keyboard

Functions/purposes of a terminal
Transmission of data from one location to another between computers in a local network
environment for text, data or electronic mail processing purposes

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 To enable users to have access to computers for firms sharing facilities either for programmed
development problem solving or processing
 Ton have access to real firms system e.g. airtime reservation systems hotel bookings etc
 To provide point of sale data capture in retail outlets e.g. supermarkets
 To provide access to cash outside banking hours and other banking services by means of cash
point terminals (ATM)
To support business systems e.g. online controls online entry online payroll systems. In order to
provide random inquiry etc

Types of terminals
a) Dump terminal
This is a terminal that entirely depends on a host computer for all its processing activities and is
simply installed with input/output devices ie a keyboard and a VDU
It provides a means of data entry only and viewing of the processed data

b) Smart terminals
They have efficient processing capabilities of their own to allow some editing storage etc

c) Intelligent terminals
They have efficient processing capabilities of their own and they can allow programmers to
programme.
5. Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS)
A POS is a term used for various types of devices used in retailing business to capture sales
inventory data
It consists of a VDU that displays items sold, their cost and quantity
A counter that gives an automate and itemized output is also part of the point of sale
A keyboard is used for limited data entry
The EPOS comprises of a range of electronic devices that are used to capture sales and inventory
data at the point of sale
It is mostly used in supermarkets, library, warehouses, manufacturing companies which need
regular information on stock composition and taking

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Advantages Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS)
a) They provide a faster means of data capture i.e. scanning is faster than keyboarding
b) It is less Labor intensive
c) It reduces level of errors i.e. transcription errors are minimized
d) Provides automatic inventory updates
e) There is better customer service because it’s fast
Disadvantages Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS)
a) There is high initial cost i.e. the cost of installing
b) They only operate when there is power supply
BARCODES
These are physical labels which represent information regarding a stocked item e.g. the stock no.
date of manufacture date of expiry, quality, quantity, type of item cost etc
It can also be described as a set of bars or spaces which represent data and information which is in
a computer sensible form

Disadvantages Barcodes

Cost of adding a label is relatively

They cannot be manipulated easily since they are not human readable

6. Kimball Tag reader

It is a plastic card used in textile and footwear shops and it contains details such as size, colour,
place of manufacture, type of item etc
During the transactions the card is detached and read by a Kimball tag reader and the sales data is
captured and stock levels is automatically updated
Kimball tags are mainly used for stock control purposes.
7. Turn around Document
This is a document that acts both as an input and output document i.e. a document that is an output
of one process and they become inputs of another
Examples: - OCR

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PROCESSING DEVICES
The purpose of the processing hardware is to relieve, interpret and direct execution of the software
instructions provided to the computer.
The CPU is the brain (heart of the computer) and it monitors all the computer operations
A computer fetches - decodes - executes
The CPU is made up of the following;
(i) Control Unit (CU)
(ii) Arithmetic Logical Unit (ALU)
(iii) Main Memory / Primary Memory (MM)
Functions of the CPU
1. Accepting and storing input data
2. Assembling & communicating input data
3. Rearranging data in the main memory
4. Carrying out calculations & logical operations
5. Accepting commands or instructions interpreting them executing them

a) Control Unit
This is the system coordinator and coordinates all the parts of the computer system - controlling the
transfer of data to and from the various major parts.

Its major functions include:-

 Controlling flow of data to and from the CPU
 Directing the activities of the input / output devices
 Responsible for fetch execution cycle; it fetches the required
information/commands/instructions from the main storage, stores it in a no. of specialized registers,
interpret the instruction and causes it to be executed by giving signals/command to the appropriate
hardware device.
b) Arithmetic Logical Unit
It is where actual processing takes place

23
The ALU carries out all arithmetic operations which include multiplication subtraction addition
division; the logic unit performs logical operations which are concerned with comparing, selecting,
matching, sorting etc
The speed of the processor/ computer speed or the speed of which a computer is able to process
data is measured in hertz = cycles per second/ instructions per second
Eg 1 MHz = 1,000,000 instructions per second ie the clock speed
Megahertz are the units used to measure the processor speed or its clock speed
A typical modern personal computer might have a specification of 600 MHz – 2.8 GHz
c) Main Memory
It is the memory found internally or within the computer.
It is used to store data within the processing unit.
NB The processing power or capacity of a computer is dictated by the capacity of the memory.
All characters (number, letters, space, symbols), pictures or words in a computer system must be
reduced to binary digits. A binary digit is called a bit and represents either a 0 or a I. In a computer
the presence of an electronic or magnetic signal means one and its absence signifies zero. A string
of 8 bits is called a byte.
1 kilobyte = 1024 bytes
1 megabyte = 1020 Kb
1 gigabyte = 1020 Mb
1 terabyte = 1020 Gb

e.g. a 32 megabytes computer with an internal memory of 32 million bytes i.e. it can hold 32
million characters

Functions of Main Memory

1. It holds input data in a small area of storage temporarily which is a waiting processing
2. It holds output data which is already processed
3. It provides a working area i.e. provides a small area to hold data that is being processed
4. The main memory will stop programs that are used to run the computer

Types of computer memories

24
a) Random access memory
b) Read only memory

a) Random Access Memory (RAM)

This memory is directly available to the processing unit. It offers high speed data access to the
processor and its speed of retrieval and transfer closely matches that of the processor. It holds data
in current use temporarily. Typical sizes of RAM for a PC are; - 32, 64, 128, 256, 512mb etc

Features / characteristics of RAM

1. It is volatile i.e. the contents of the ram gets lost/erased when the power goes off
2. It can allow reading or writing
3. It makes up to 70% of the internal memory.
4. It provides computer users with a working area

Functions of RAM
1. Stores data temporarily awaiting processing
2. Data currently being processed
3. Data awaiting output
4. Instructions awaiting to be obedient
5. Instructions currently being executed

b) ROM - Read Only Memory

It is a memory chip into which fixed data is written permanently at the time of its manufacture
Features
ROM is non-volatile and therefore its contents do not disappear in case of power failure
ROM only allows reading and not writing (you can only retrieve the contents of the ROM)
It constitutes 30% of the main memory.
Functions of the ROM

25
It stores control programs that are necessary for the initial activation of the computer hardware
when power is switched on - A process known as booting
Booting occurs when a computer is switched on and it involves the loading of the computer system
into the main memory.
The operating system is held in a section of the ROM called bootstrap
Types of ROM
a) Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM)
Type of memory that can be programmed only once. Gives opportunity to user to be able to
configure the setting according to its requirements

b) Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM)

Can be programmed and erased. Users can incorporate instructions in the memory and if need
arises erase and reprogram them

a) Electrical Erasable PROM (EEPROM)

A type of EPROM that can be electrically erased and programmed and as such doesn’t need to be
removed from the system to be erased.

Other types of important memories

Cache memory - it is a small amount of very fast static ROM located between the processor and
the main memory. It can be between 64 and 254 kilobytes. Its purpose is to hold a copy of
frequently used code and data so that instead of accessing the slow main memory for the data the
processor can go directly to the cache memory.
The virtual memory
The memory was developed after some problems of multi-programming became apparent
It holds programs more efficiently because the computer device the programs in to small fixed or
variable length or oceans
In the primary memory only a small portion of the programme is stored at any one time although
two or three large programs can be read to the main memory at different times
A certain part of the main memory generally remains underutilized because the program add up to
less than total amount of primary storage available given the limited amount of primary memory

26
only a small amount of programs can reside in the primary storage ie a few statements of a
program only execute at any given one time
The virtual storage breaks a program into a number of fixed lengths called pages or variable
lengths called segments and this permits a very large no of programs to reside in the primary
memory

Bubble memory
This type of memory represents data and instructions within it in terms of magnetic principles ie
polarized spots (bubble)
A bubble represents a 1 or the absence of a bubble represents 0

Advantages
It is convenient and easy to develop
It can withstand adverse conditions e.g. dust and this memory does not lose data while power goes
off
It can be expanded limitless
Disadvantages
It is very expensive and sometimes has ltd. capacity
Holographic / optical memory
This type of memory uses the principle of light to store data instructions and information.
The data or information is stored in form of dots on a light sensitive plate this memories are non-
volatile (permanent) and have very large storage capacity
E.g. compact disk.
Core memory
It is an internal store, which is made up small magnetic rings which are magnetized by the wires
threaded on them.
The polarity of these magnets is sent by currents ton represent data in terms of instructions
information using ones and zeros. The core storage is usually non volatile
The polarities do not change even if power is switched off and therefore very expensive
Semi-conductor memory

27
This type of memory is found in all types of computers, it is normally faster & cheaper than
magnetic core memory. It is volatile and uses its contents in the event of power failure .this can be
overcome by having back up power units
The physical size of this memory is very small.

STORAGE HARDWARE: BACKING STORE

This type of memory is found in all types of computers.
The major purpose of a backing store is to provide a permanent storage of data or information for
future reference.
It actually supplements the main memory, which is normally expensive and limited in capacity.
Characteristics
They are relatively cheap compared to the main memory
It provides mass storage of data and instructions
Provides permanent storage of data and information

They can be classified into 3:

i. Magnetic Disks
ii. Magnetic Tapes
iii. Optical Disks
Magnetic Disks
It is a regular metallic plate in which electronic data can be stored e.g. floppy and hard disks data
files on the disks can be read sequentially or directly.

Floppy Diskettes
This is s small flexible one disk unit coated with iron on which data is stored and it is available on
3 sizes 31/2 inch 51/4’’, 8"
3 1/2 diskette is the most popular of the 3 it has a hard plastic covering and a metallic shatter to
cover its surface when not in use

28
the computers operating system performs a format operation which divides the diskette into
concentric circles called tracks and pre shaped wedges called sectors. These tracks & sectors
determine the storage and location on a diskette.

Advantages
 They are portable
 They are relatively cheap compared to CD Allows users to read and write on them as many
times as possible
 Allows direct access

Disadvantages
 They have limited capacity
 Transmit virus

Hard Disk
It is made from the rigid light alloy coated on both sides with a layer of magnetized oxide data is
stored on the disk surfaces along concentric tracks
The disks rotate at a very high speed on the disk drive. (a disk drive is the input output device used
to transfer data from a hard disk and have a higher data transfer speed i.e. 3600 rotations / minute
as compared to the floppy disks of 360 rotation per minute. Reading is carried out by the read write
head.

Advantages Hard Disk

 Secure since it’s internally in the system
 Are affordable
 Are reusable – you can erase data and store again
Rotates at a very high speed. Therefore data transfer is also faster
 Higher storage capacity
Disadvantages Hard Disk
 Affected by magnetic and electrical fields
 Portability is a risk – coz they are very delicate – it’s rigid

29
In case of a virus infection, all data is lost.
Magnetic tapes
It’s an 1/2 '' or 1/4 '' ribbon of plastic light material coated with a thin layer of iron oxide
The magnetic tapes store very large amounts of data. Data n is stored when the read write head
aligns the iron particles
Magnetic tapes store data serially i.e. one recorded after the other the other to get to the data one is
looking for every record proceeding it must be read.
Between each record is a space where the tape starts and stops i.e. the inter blocking gap (IBG)
This allows the tapes to attain a proper speed before data can be read or written on , data access is
slow because the tape driven has to stop between each record.
Tapes can store large quantities of data inexpensively and so are always used as back up storage
medium.
They are reusable, erasable and durable
Magnetic tapes can take various forms
Optical Disks
They use optical technology, which uses highly concentrated beams of light to store data.
One laser beam writes to the recording surface and another reads the data from the light sensitive
recording surfaces.
Optical beams are becoming popular because they are less sensitive to environmental fluctuations.
They provide more direct access storage.
Features of optical disks.
They have a very high storage capacity.
They are difficult to damage i.e. data is held more permanent.
Data on optical disks cannot be erased accidentally.
There are 3 types of optical disks.
i. CD ROM
ii. WORM
iii. CD RW
CD-ROM
It is a read only technology, meaning that all data is implanted at manufacture
The capacity of a single CD ROM is over 550 Mb

30
Application
Delivering of text sound pictures though a single terminal (multimedia)
WORM
Write once read many
They are more advanced than CD ROM's in that users can enter their own data and once data has
been written to the medium it cannot be erased .

CD RW
IT comprises of a magnetized recording medium sandwiched between 2 plastic disks
The content of the disk can be altered magnetically at high temperatures and in this disk old data
can be erased.

Factors to consider for storage devices

* Cost
* Security
* Access of data
* Storage capacity (ccty)
OUTPUT DEVICES
The purpose of output devices is to relay/deliver the output of processing.
The most commonly used output devices include
* Printers,
* Visual display units,
* Graph plotters and
* Computer output on microfilms
There are two categories of output devices i.e.
* Hard copy output devices
* Soft copy output devices
Hard copy output devices
There are devices which produce tangible output e.g. printers and plotters
Printers

31
Printers can be classified into
Impact and non-impact printers
Non-impact printers
-Are quiet in operation since there is no contact between the print head and the paper during
printing process
Examples include the laser printer i.e. they operate on the principle of laser technology the same as
the photocopier, thermal printer they use heat technology to produce characters, ink jet printers
they don't make any contact between the print head and the paper.
Features of non-impact printers
They are expensive
They operate at high speed (page printers)
They produce high quality text and graphic output
They have low noise levels while in operation.
Impact printers
They are noisy in operation since there is physical contact between the printers head and the paper
eg daisy wheel, dot matrix, chain printers.
Features of impact printers
i. They have low quality output
ii. They are less expensive compared to non-impact printers
iii. They are very noisy
iv. They have limited graphic capability and therefore cannot produce high quality graphics
v. They are slow since they are character or line printers
Graph plotters
They are output devices used to come up with artistic designs they can be used by architects and
engineers to come up with intricate shapes
Types
Flatbed plotter
 Drum plotter
Soft copy output devices
They include the VDU, COM
They are outputs which cannot be touched but can only be seen.

32
COM -Device
Micro films are photographically reduced documents on a film.
The computer displays the results on the screen whose contents are then photographed onto the
microphone

Advantages of com -device

It saves on storage space. I.e. compared to the voluminous books on text.
Microfilms occupy small storage area and are able to hold a large capacity of data
They are not bulky and hence easily portable
They have a larger life span as compared to paper medium output.
The medium is not easily read using naked eyes hence guaranteeing the security of the report.
Disadvantages.
The technology is expensive
Updating the records is difficult
VDU/ monitor
Uses pixels for resolution
Types
VGA - video display adapter
SVGA- super VGA
LCD- liquid crystal displays
Flat screen
Antiglare screen- protective lacing for the eyes.
Computer jackets stop radiators
Factors to consider when choosing an output medium
1. Format of output -
When we need only to view the data a VDU will be sufficient.
2. Volume of data
For very voluminous data a hard copy medium will be suitable compared to soft copy.
3. Speed of the output medium
4. Some printers are faster than others

33
 5. Cost
Non-impact printers are more expensive than impact
Compatibility
The medium should be compatible with the current technology
Security
A computer output i.e. soft copy is more secure than a printed output.

2 MICROSOFT WINDOWS
This is graphical user interface that provides users with a user-friendly interface that relies on
clicking. Windows has an outstanding feature called WIMP.

W-Windows (working area)

I- icons (Graphical representation of data)
M-mouse (input device)
P- Pull down menus.

PARTS OF THE DESKTOP

Desktop- this is the working area in which you see the programs. The desktop can be customized to
look and act as you want it to look and act.

1. Icons-these are graphical representations of programs files and folders.

2. Task bar- this is a row of buttons and usually appears along the bottom of the screen.

The task bar has several parts namely:

 The start button which is usually at the left-hand of the taskbar.
 The task manager which contains buttons for opened windows.
 System tray which contains the system clock.

Typical icons on the desktop include

34
My computer icon: that lets one browse through all the resources attached to the computer system.
The recycle bin: this is a temporary storage location for deleted files.

PARTS OF A WINDOW
1. Minimize button- shrinks the window to the taskbar.
2. Maximize button-the window expands to cover the whole screen upon clicking the
maximize button.
3. Restore button-when you click restore button (with two overlapping rectangles), the
window shrinks to its previous size and maximize button disappears.
4. Close button-closes the window and exits the program.
5. Menu bar-provides a row of menus used to choose commands.
6. Tool bar-provides a row of buttons used to give commands.
7. Status bar-displays information about a running program.
8. scroll bar-provides a way to "pan" a window up and down or left and right to show
information that doesn't fit in the current window.
9. Window borders- are the outside edges of the window. They provide a way to drag around
the edges of the window to change the size and shape of the window.
10. Insertion point- marks the place where text and graphics will appear when typing and
drawing is started.
11. Mouse pointer- appears with the movement of the mouse.
12. A cursor blinking object- shows the insertion point. It looks like a blinking stick on the
screen.
13. Ruler-shows the lines length in inches.

CREATING FOLDERS
A folder is a memory location set apart for storage of particular files or programs. Folders are
created to enable the user store programs and objects in an organized manner.

Creating a folder on the desktop

i. Position your mouse on any empty area on the desktop and right click on it. Point to new
then folder.

35
 ii. Type the name of the folder.

Renaming a folder on the desktop

i. Right click on the folder to rename.
ii. Click at rename.
iii. Type the new name.

Deleting a folder on an opened window

i. Click on it once.
ii. Click on file men.
iii. Click on delete.
Alternatively select the folder and press the delete key on the keyboard.

Deleting a folder on the desktop

i. Right click on the folder you want to delete.
ii. Click on delete.
RECYCLE BIN
This is where all deleted files and folders are stored. Anything that is deleted is stored in the recycle
bin and you can restore if it was deleted accidentally.
FILES
A file is any collection of related information that is given a name and stored in a disk so that it can
be retrieved when needed.
Creating files
i. Open the source program e.g. clicks on start then programs.
ii. Click at program to open e.g. Microsoft word.
iii. Key in data in to the file.
SAVING A FILE
This is the process of transferring data from the main memory to the permanent storage e.g. hard
disk, floppy disk.
Opening a file
i. while the source is open

36
 ii. Click on file menu then click at open.
iii. complete the dialog box (ensure that the file that you want to open is selected on the preview
window)

Copying and Moving files and folders

Copying entails making a copy of the original file or folder in another location.

Procedure for copying

i. Select the file to copy
ii. Click on the edit menu then click at copy
iii. Locate the destination to transfer copied file or folder then click on the edit menu then click
at paste.
Moving a file / cutting a file.
It entails moving a file to a different location
Steps
i. Select the file to move
ii. Click onto to edit menu then click at cut
iii. On destination location or folder click on the edit menu then click at paste.
Deleting a file
This means getting rid of files that you no longer need by sending the file to the recycle bin.
Steps
i. Click on the file to delete
ii. Point to file and click
iii. Point to delete and click
Alternatively
 Select the file and press delete key on the keyboard
RESTORING FILES (DELETING FILES) FROM THE RECYCLE BIN
i. From the desktop, double click on the recycle bin to open
ii. Select the file to restore by clicking on it.
iii. Click on file menu then at restore
SORTING FILES

37
This is arranging your file in order. It makes it easy to locate files or folders needed
STEPS
Click on the folder whose contents you want to sort
Point to view menu, select arrange icons
Select the order which you want to view the files i.e Name type size and date

ACCESSORIES
These are programs that come together with operating system and can be used to accomplish some
routine task e.g
i. Editing using word pad/Notepad
ii. Phone dialer-used for making telephone calls
iii. Paint –used for editing graphics and drawing.
iv. Scan disk-used for checking and correcting errors on the computer secondary memory I.e
floppy disk, hard disk e.t.c
v. Disk Defragmenter- used to organize files in the computer secondary storage.
STEPS TO START ACCESSORIES
I. Click on start
II. Point to programs
III. Point to accessories
IV. Select the accessory to use from the extended drop down menu.
SETTING DATE AND TIME.
 Click on the start menu
 Point at setting
 Click on control panel
 Double click on the mouse icon
 Complete the dialogue box
 Click on apply then ok
SETTING THE SCREEN APPEARANCE
You can personalize the desktop and windows screen with pictures, patterns and colors from the
control panel.

38
Under setting. It acts as a form of security to information by denying access to the computer. Setting
a password for a screensaver can do this.
SETTING A SCREEN SAVER.
i. Click on the start button.
ii. Point to setting and click on control panel
iii. Double click on the display icon
iv. Click on the screen saver tab
v. In the screen saver list click the screen saver you want to use then click on apply then ok.
BACKGROUND SETTING
i. Click on start button
ii. Point to setting and click on control panel.
iii. Double click on the display icon
iv. Click on the background tab on the dialog box that appears
v. Click on wall paper to choose then at apply

3. MICROSOFT WORD
This is an application package that deals with creating formatting and editing of documents
Examples of word processors
i. Microsoft word
ii. Word perfect
iii. Word star
iv. Word pro
v. Note pad
vi. Word pad
ADVANTAGES OF WORD PROCESSING
1. Time saving –during word editing when a line is full the program automatically wraps itself
to the next line (word wrap).
2. Ability to edit –shows spelling and grammar mistakes. During typing one is able to trace
errors and correct or delete them.

39
 3. Formatting- The term formatting means changing the appearance of text. Word allows one
to include line spacing, changing fond colors, underlining text, page numbers, viewing heads
and footers etc.
4. Spelling and grammar checkers-Word has this feature that helps one to compare each word
in the dictionary stored in a computer memory. If ny error is detected the program suggest
the correct spelling and grammar.
5. Combination of texts-word processor allows one to combine text from another file with text
in a current document.
Word processing terminologies.
i. Bold – produces dark heavy print.
ii. Center –centers aline of text evenly between the margins
iii. Edit – change or modify the contents of a document
iv. Format –defines how the printed document will appear e.g inch setting, line spacing etc.
v. Grammar checker- a supportive feature that checks id grammar, phrasing, capitalization.
vi. Justified – enables text to evenly align on both the left and right margins.
vii. Spelling checker- a supportive feature that checks words on the entire document for correct
spelling.
viii. Text data – any number, letter or symbol you can type on the keyboard
ix. Thesaurus – a supportive feature that displays synonyms (similar meaning) or antonyms
(opposite meaning) for words in a document.

OTHER WORD PROCESSING TERMS

TEXT WRAPPING
This is a feature which when activated, wraps the text to the next line without having the need to
press the enter key.
DOCUMENT EDITING
This is the process of making changes to a document thus updating. It may involve insertion,
deletion and searching, replacing, moving copying editing tables and graphics manipulations.
TEXT ENHANCEMENT
This refers to the process of changing text properties including font attributes, character cases,
underlining, size, style, color etc

40
TEXT INSERTION
This refers to the process of adding more words and characters between characters or words within a
document.
Two modes of character insertion
i. Insert mode
ii. Overtype mode.
The overtype mode allow for character overwriting i.e replacing the characters as one types,
whereas the insert mode makes its characters to create its own space. To activate the overtype
mode, press insert key on the keyboard or double click (OVR) on the status bar.
This is the process of erasing text or characters within a text or a document.

METHODS OF DELETING.
1. Using the delete key-Delete character to the right of the cursor.
2. Using a back space key-Delete characters to the left of the cursor.
3. Pressing control plus delete-Delete one word to the right.
4. Control plus back space key- Delete one word to the left.
5. Selecting text to be deleted and pressing the delete key.
TO LOAD / START MS WORD
i. Click on the start button
ii. Point to programs
iii. Click on Ms word
Alternatively
i. Click on the start button
ii. Click on run
iii. From the dialog box that appears type the part of where Ms program is located
iv. Then click on ok
SAVING A DOCUMENT
PURPOSES
To enable future use of the document saving helps to prevent data loss in case of power failure.
STEPS OF SAVING A DOCUMENT
i. Click on file menu.

41
 ii. Choose the save option otherwise if you are saving the document for the first time click on
file menu, then click the save button.
iii. Select location to contain the document from “ save in” drop down menu.
iv. Specify the file name
v. Click on save.

FONT TYPE
A font is a collection of periods’ numerical punctuations marks, characters, symbols and special
characters having common characteristics. Examples times new roman, wide Latin book man, old
stylebook antique, monotype Corsiva, Algerian etc.

PROCEDURE
Select the text.
Pull down the format menu.
Within the dialogue box activate the format menu.
Within the font dropdown list select the needed font.
Or
Delete the text and use the font option within the formatting tool bar and specify the needed fonts
FONT STYLE
These are used to create impact within a specific text. They include bolding,italicing,bold italics and
regular normal styles
PROCEDURE
i. Select text to change style.
ii. Pull down the format menu and select font option.
iii. Within the dialogue box activate font section.
iv. Select the needed style within the styles section of the font dialogue box.
v. Click ok when through.
Or
Select the text to change style and press Ctr+I for italics or Ctrl+B for bold or use the style icon
within the formatting toolbar to apply the style.

42
NB: To remove the font style back to the regular re-do the procedure.
FONT SIZE
Font’s sizes are measured in points. A point is approximately 1/72 of an inch.
PROCEDURE
i. Select text to change the font.
ii. Pull down the format menu and select font option.
iii. Within the dialogue box activate font section.
iv. Use the dropdown list box of the size section to specify the required size then click ok when
through.
Or
Use the font size icon in the formatting toolbar or press Ctrl +Shift > to increase the font size or
press Ctrl +Shift < to reduce the font size.
CHANGING FONT COLOUR
PROCEDURE
i. Select text to change the font colour.
ii. Pull down the format menu and select font option.
iii. Within the dialogue box activate font section.
iv. Use the colour dropdown list box ,select the required colour and click ok when through
UNDERLINING
This is a process of creating a line beneath a text.
PROCEDURE
i. Select the text.
ii. Pull down the format menu and select font option.
iii. Within the dialogue box activate font section.
iv. Using the underline dropdown list box specify the requires underline [Link] , dotted ,
none e.t.c.
v. Click ok.
Or
Use the underline icon within the formatting toolbar or press Ctrl+ shift +Ctrl +D for single
and double underlining respectively.
PAGE SETUP

43
This is the procedure of specifying the document workspace, paper size, paper margins, page layout
e.t.c
PROCEDURE
i. Pull down the file menu and select the page setup option.
ii. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
iii. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
iv. Hanging paragraphs
PROCEDURE
i. Be in the paragraph to be indented.
ii. Pull down the format menu to select paragraph option
iii. Using the required indent option specify in measurements the indent size( for hanging
and first line indentation activate the special section )
iv. Click Ok

BORDERS AND SHADINGS

Border is a line showing the boundary of an item e.g. Table borders, page borders etc.
Procedure
i. Select the section to be bordered
ii. Pull down the format menu and select boarders and shading.
iii. Within borders and shading dialog box activate the borders section
iv. Chose the borders option required
v. Click ok when through.
Removing borders
i. Select the borders
vi. Pull down the format menu and select boarders and shading.
ii. In the border and shading box activate the section
iii. Select none option at the window
iv. Click ok.
SHADING
This is the background color of the document entries.
Procedure

44
 i. Select the section
ii. Pull down the format menu and select borders and shading option
iii. Activate the shading option
iv. Select the required color and click ok

TEXT COLUMNS
This is a temporary text division that runs vertically from top to bottom.
Procedure
i. Pull down the format menu and select columns section.
ii. Within the columns dialog box , specify the type of columns required
iii. Specify the number of columns needed, column size, space between columns and if
necessary check mark lines between columns
iv. Finally click ok

HEADERS AND FOOTERS

A header is a text that automatically appears at the top of each and every page of a document section,
while footer is any text that appears at the bottom of each or every page or at the lower section of the
page.
Inserting Header and Footers
Procedure
v. Select the section
vi. Pull down the format menu and select borders and shading option
vii. Activate the shading option
viii. Select the required color and click ok

DROP CAP

45
Create a large capital letter at the beginning of a paragraph.
Procedure
i. Select the first character of the paragraph.
ii. Pull down the format menu and select drop cap option
iii. Specify the drop cap style, label, distance between the drop cap and the text and if necessary
the font attribute
iv. Click ok.
CREATING BULLETS AND NUMBERING
PROCEDURE OF ADDING BULLETS
i. Be in the paragraph to acquire the facility.
ii. Pull down the format menu and select bullets and numbering options.
iii. Within the bullets and numbering dialog box activate the required options and active bullets.
iv. Specify the required type of bullets or numbers. You can modify the bullets selected to
specify the parameters including font color, font size, indentation, alignment e.t.c.
v. Click ok.
Alternatively use the bullets and numbering icon within the formatting tool bar to either add or
remove bullets.

TAB SETTING
Tab is a temporary line alignment future that aligns text against a specific position.
Tabs are recognized into two:
i. Default tab
ii. Custom tab
Default tab
Are pre-designed tab measurements applicable to any document template with no custom tab
specification? To activate it, press the tab key.
Custom tabs
Are user defined and are applicable within a document or paragraphs only:
Types of custom tabs include:
i. Left align tabs.
ii. Right align tabs.

46
 iii. Center aligns tabs.
iv. Decimal aligned tabs.
Procedure
i. Be in the paragraph to acquire.
ii. Pull down the format menu and select tab option.
iii. Within the tab dialog box specify the tabs position alignment and leader if necessary.

Deleting tabs
i. Pull down the format menu and select the format option.
ii. Within the tab dialog box, select the tab to be removed, click the clear button and click ok.

INDENTATION
This is the process of moving the text margin away from the page margin.
Types of indentation
i. Right indentation.
ii. Left indentation.
iii. First line indentation.

PRINTING A DOCUMENT
i. While the document to be printed is open.
ii. Pull down the file menu and select print option.
iii. Within the print dialog box specify the printing option including the range number of copies,
the printer to be used etc.
iv. Click ok when through.
Or
v. Press Ctrl + P to access to print dialog box.
Or
vi. Use the print icon within the standard tool bar.

INSERTING OBJECTS/PICTURES AND GRAPHICS

47
  An object is an icon that can be sized, moved and manipulated.
 A graphic is an icon text element or object such as a drawing of pictures that can be added to
a document.
 A picture is an illustration such as a scan photograph or pictures stored on the clip gallery.

Procedure
i. Click on insert menu point to picture.
ii. Specify either from clip art or from file.
iii. Select the required object/picture or graphic and click on insert or copy.
iv. Click at paste on the document.

WORD ART
It is a feature that is used to enhance a document by changing the shape of texts by adding 3-D
effects.
Procedure
i. Click on insert menu.
ii. Point picture.
iii. Click word art.
iv. Specify the word art by selecting on style and click ok.
v. Type the text and change the format eg. Bold, italic, and then click ok.

TABLES
Tables are collections of columns and rows organized in a cell. A table is an interaction between
rows and columns.
INSERTING A TABLE
i. Pull down the table menu and select insert table option.
ii. Within the insert table dialog box, specify the number of columns and rows needed.
iii. If necessary, the size of the column.
iv. Click ok when through.
DRAWING A TABLE

48
 i. Click on table menu.
ii. Click on draw table.
iii. The mouse pointer will change to a pencil like device, which will assist you in drawing the
design.

TABLE AUTOFORMAT
It is the table templates that offers several table design which when chosen provides a special tab
design.
Procedure
i. Pull down the table menu and click auto format option.
ii. Within the table format dialog box, select the table design required.
iii. Specify columns and rows needed.
Or
iv. Click on close when through.
PAGE NUMBERS
These are numeric used to specify the position of a page.
Procedure
i. Pull down the insert menu select page numbers option
ii. Within the page numbers dialog box specify the page position, alignment format and if
necessary start number
iii. Finally click ok

PROOF READING A DOCUMENT

This refers to document examination and cross checking with a sole object of having its
authenticity i.e. checking of the correctness of a document jointly
Ms Word as a word processor provides the following document proofing facilities.
Auto correct-This is a facility that automatically corrects common typing errors [Link]
names of days and it also enhances typing speed.
Procedure
i. Pull down the tool menu and select auto correct option
ii. Check mark the required option
iii. Specify your custom entry within the lowest pen and click on the add button

49
 iv. Click on ok/close when through

THESAURUS
This is a facility offered by Ms Word that lets one change a word to its synonym and antonym
PROCEDURE
i. Select the word
ii. Pull down the tool pint at language
iii. Click the thesaurus
iv. Within thesaurus dialog box select the word required using lookup button where necessary
v. Click on change and finally close

WORD COUNT
This is a facility used for getting the documents statistics in terms of the total number of
characters used, total number of lines, total number of pages, spaces and total number of paragraphs
used in document.
Procedure
Pull down the tool menu and select the word count option.

GRAMMAR AND LANGUAGE

This is an option that checks grammatical mistakes in a document
PROCEDURE
Pull down the tool menu and select spelling and grammar option
Follow the procedure as you will be guided by the speller and grammar operation using ignore,
ignore all change, change all or add where necessary
Click close when through.

PRINTING
This is the end of document creation in Ms Word and involves the production of an output either in
hard copy.
Procedure
Select auto format from the tool bar
CELL HEIGHT AND WIDTH
Be in whose size to be changed
Pull down table menu, select insert row or column respectively
Specify the number of rows or columns required
Click ok
DELETING ROWS AND COLUMS
i. Select the rows and columns to be deleted
ii. Pull down table menu and select delete rows or columns respectively

MERGING CELL

50
 i. Select cells to be merged
ii. Pull down table menu and select merge cells

SPLITTING CELLS
i. Select the cells to be split
ii. Pull down table menu and select split cells
iii. Within split cell dialog box, specify the number of columns and rows
iv. Click ok when through

MAIL MARGING
This is the process of combining two different documents to become one. It also refers to the
process of sending multiple letters to different recipients. We use main document and data base
documents.
Main Documents
This is the document that contains global information. Contents of the main document should be
duplicated in all the records known as primary file.

Data source Document

Also known as secondary file. It contains information about each individual who will be part of the
mail merge.
Steps of Mail Merging (office 200)
1. Create the main document
2. Pull down the tool menu, point to letters and mailing then click at the mail merge option
3. Click on letters option then at next
4. Click on current document then at next
5. Click on type a new list option then create
6. Specify the fields required in the data source file then click at close
7. Save the data source structure
8. Edit data source recipient if necessary and click at ok
9. Enter the data records required using insert merge fields icon
10. Position the fields in their required position in the main document using the insert merge field
icon within the merge tool
11. Click on the merge to document icon to finish.

TASK 1
The management of Lentice Company wishes to send invoices to clients who owe the company.
Assuming that you have been tasked to prepare the invoices in a word processor using the mail
merge feature.
(a) Open word processing package and create a data source file containing the details of clients
to be invoiced as shown in table [Link] the document as invoicedatasource in the

51
KNECEXAMINDEXNO.
First Last Company Item 1 Item 2 Amount1 Amount2 Date1 Date2
name name name
Job Jones Maringa Blankets Mattresses 250,000 320,000 17/05/2014 10/11/2014
youth
polytechnic
Andrew Marita Mudayi Sugar Maize 100,000 200,000 18/03/2014 17/08/2014
youth
polytechnic
Ann Tony Ndende Games kit Balls 150,000 220,000 19/09/2014 19/08/2014
youth
polytechnic
Paul lintons Shembe Desktop Computer 500,000 250,000 22/12/2014 28/10/2014
youth computers desks
polytechnic

(b) Open a blank word document and type the following main document letter, inserting
Appropriate fields in their specified location. (81/2 Marks)

LENTICE COMPANY
[Link] 4567
MITETI

Customers INVOICE
Att:<<First Name>><<Last Name>>
<<Company Name>>
In respect to the goods issued to you, we hereby request that you make the
payments as follows:

<<item 1>> <<Amount <<date 1>>

1>>
<<Item 2>> <<Amount <<date 2>>
2>>

From: ANTONY FRED

(c) (i) Using the data source created in (a) and the main document created in (b),generate
customized invoice for each client.(1mark)
(ii) Save the merged invoice as invoice merged in the KNECEXAMINDEXNO.
(d) Print out later:
(i) invoice data source;

52
 (ii) Invoice merged.

TASK 2
The manager of Bokoli Printers intends to invite KYEOP Students for training on conflict
Management. As an IT expert, you have been requested to write letters KYEOP Students on behalf
of the Manager of Bokoli Printers.
a][i] Open a word processing program me and create the following letter as it appears, save it as
INVITATION in the NITA Exam 2 folder.

BOKOLI PRINTERS,
P.O BOX 50,
BOKOLI.
BUNGOMA COUNTY.
Date: 27th Feb 2020
<<Title>><<Name>>
<<Course>>
<<PHONE NUMBER>>
<<Residence>>
Dear<<Title>><<Name>>

INVITATION FOR THE TRAINING

You are invited to attend a three days training on conflict Management in Roseland hotels boardroom. The
training will take place on 20th-23rd March.2020 starting at 9:00am daily
Be punctual
Yours faithful,

Paul Wafula.
Company manager.
1. Using Mail Merge feature, create customize letters with the data source
TITLE NAME COURSE [Link] RESIDENCE
MRS DAMARIS DIPLOMA IN SOCIAL WORKER 0719415917 NAIROBI
MRS NAOMI DIPLOMA IN ELECTRICAL 0796222619 MOMBASA
MR HUDSON DIPLOMA IN FINANCE 0792459779 BUNGOMA
MRS ELIZABETH DIPLOMA IN ICT 0712610061 KAJIADO
MRS CHRISTINE DIPLOMA IN HUMAN 0790317035 KITALE
RESOURCE

53
2. Save the data source as INVITATION DATA in the NITA EXAM Folder.
3. Save the Marked letters as INVITATION to print out letter.

TASK 3
Bokoli Printers
P.o box 3879,
Bokoli.
To:
<<Title>>
<<First name>>, <<surname>>
P.O BOX<<Box number>>, <<Town>>,
Dear Sir/ Madam,
RE: INVITATION FOR NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH PARTY
You are hereby invited to attend the above named event on 10th March 2020, the event party will be
at the Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi at <<TIME >>The Launch will begin at the stated time and
strictly those with invitation cards will be allowed in.
Thanks in advance,

Paul Wafula Nalianya.

MANAGER BOKOLI PRINTERS.
0716986682
The following persons have been invited for the Birthday Party.
TITLE FIRST SURNAME BOX TOWN TIME
NAME NUMBER
Mrs. Caro Simiyu 456 Nairobi 8:00PM
Mr. Konzi Rai 67 Mombasa 8:00PM
Dr. Wafula Dennis 78 Kisumu 8:00PM
Prof. Tom Onyango 89 Homabay 8:00PM
Mrs. Josephine Nafula 200 Kakamega 8:00PM
Mrs. Johnstone Ole Ntitu 401 Migori 8:00PM
Mrs. Jane Njeri 468 Kericho 8:00PM
Mr. Evans Korir 346 Kiambu 8:00PM
Mrs. Grace Akoth 456 Kajiado 8:00PM
Mr. Joel Abuga 789 Kisii 8:00PM

4. MICROSOFT EXCEL
Spreadsheets are electrical ledger books which are powerful tools for organizing, analyzing and
presenting data. The spreadsheets are part of an electronic accounting. Electronic accounting can be

54
defined as the management of financial data on computer. The program that enables electronic on
your computer is called a spreadsheet program and the data it manages forms part of it.

Examples of spreadsheets
1. Microsoft excel
2. Lotus 1,2,3
3. Quick books
4. Sage
5. Pastel etc.

TERMINOLOGIES USED IN SPREADSHEETS

Alignment-this is the position of a word within the cell space.
Cell- it is the intersection between a row and a column.
Column-it is the vertical blocks of cells identified by cells.
Rows- they are the horizontal blocks of cells in a worksheet identified by numbers.
Labels- an entry that consists of text and numerical characters.
Formula-an entry that performs calculations.
Functions- are inbuilt formulas e.g. sum
Work books- a group of worksheets on a normal document.
Cell address- this is an individual label used to identify each cell.
Worksheet-an electronic page or a single page in a workbook.

Format-this is a style applied to a cell to control how it is displayed, they include currency,
percentage, number, decimal places etc.

FEATURES OF SPREADSHEETS
i. Have rows and columns.
ii. Has a single unit of a row and a column called a cell, which is identified by a cell address.
iii. Has cell entry made into a cell.
iv. A cell entry can be moved or copied into other cells.
v. Sorting is possible.

55
 vi. It allows various modes of formatting e.g currency accounting etc.

ADVANTAGES OF SPREADSHEETS
i. Calculations such as arithmetic (addition, subtraction, division etc.) for large amount of
numbers can be done.
ii. It’s just with the right formulae.
iii. Assists one to quickly edit and format data effectively.
iv. Files can be saved for future reference.
v. Cell entries can be copied hence it’s faster.
vi. Has ability to produce a visual display of data in form of graphics and charts.
vii. Large databases can be created by the use of many worksheets.
viii. Complete functions are available to ease calculations.
ix. Has ability to link spreadsheets so that when data is once changed it automatically links data
in another file.

DISADVANTAGES OF SPREADSHEETS
i. Some databases are large to be seen at the same time.
ii. Wrong formula brings wrong results.

USES OF SPREADSHEETS
i. In repairing budgets.
ii. Cheque book registers.
iii. Loans and mortgage payment calculations.
iv. Stock price tracking.
v. Loss and profit statements.
vi. Income tax preparation.
vii. Expense reports.

TYPES OF DATA THAT CAN BE ENTERED IN SPREADSHEETS.

 TEXT- Consist of alphabets.
 NUMBER- Consist of figures.

56
  SYMBOLS-Consist of special characters.
 GRAPHICS- consist of charts and graphics.

PARTS OF EXCEL/SPREADSHEETS WINDOWS

Figure 1(MS Excel Window)

TITLE BAR- shows the workbook, which is open and the spreadsheet application e.g. MS Excel.
MENU BAR- contains lists of menu options used to choose commands or perform certain
operations.
TOOL BAR- gives a list of essential tools needed to perform operations more quickly instead of
following long procedures.
FORMULA BAR- shows what is in a cell.
NAME BOX-Is also referred to as reference area. It shows the rows and columns number of the
active cell e.g. A4.
STATUS BAR-displays the information about the current command highlighted or selected. It’s a
bar, which shows worksheet or chart sheets you are working on.
SHEET TAB-shows names of worksheets in the workbook.

ENTERING/EDITING CELL CONTENTS

ENTERING
The status of a cell is determined by the character entered. By default each cell is approximately one
character wide. However it is possible to view and enter labels that are longer than the cell width.

EDITING
Select the cell to activate it, the text will appear on the formula bar on top of the screen. Position an
insertion before a character in the formula bar. You can use delete key to delete to the right of
insertion key point or backspace key to delete to the left of insertion key. You can also edit a cell
entry by overtyping new content to the cell or double clicking on the cell to edit.
ADDING ROWS OR COLUMNS
Procedure (rows)
i. Select one of the rows.

57
 ii. Click on insert menu.
iii. Select row.
Procedure (columns)
i. Select column
ii. Click on insert menu.
iii. Select column.

ADJUSTING COLUMN/ROW WIDTH/HEIGHT

i. Click on format menu and point row.
ii. Click on height measurement.
iii. Click ok.
Or
i. Locate the screen pointer on the vertical line between two columns till it changes double
headed arrow.
ii. Press down the mouse button and drag the column to desired height.
TO ADD A WORKSHEET
i. Click on insert menu.
ii. Select worksheets.
TO DELETE A WORKSHEET
i. Select the worksheet to be deleted.
ii. Click on edit menu and select delete sheet.

RENAMING A WORKSHEET
i. Right click on the sheet tab.
ii. Select rename.
iii. Type the name of the sheet and click outside the sheet tab.

COPYING DATA

58
This enables one to duplicate, arrange data and cell format to another range in the data copying
worksheet.
PROEDURE
i. Select the range starting from the left most cells.
ii. Choose copy from the edit menu.
iii. Click on edit menu again and choose paste.

MOVING DATA
When moving data, the data is removed from one location and is inserted in to another location.
Moving data can be accomplished by combining cutting and pasting to the location or selecting
range and dragging to the paste location.
PROCEDURE
i. Select the range of data you want to move.
ii. Click again on edit menu ten select paste.

FORMATTTING
Format controls how information in a cell is displayed. It includes font alignment etc.
To format data
i. Select the range of cells containing data
ii. Click on format menu and then cells.
iii. Click on number tab and then select number.
iv. Choose the data pattern from the displayed samples.
v. Click ok.

RANGE
A range is a selection of two or more cells. The cells in a range can be adjacent. Adjacent range is a
rectangular block of cell joint. Non-adjacent range is more selected cells or range that is not
adjacent.

AUTOFILL

59
The auto fill feature makes entering a series by logically repeating distinctly like series.
HEADERS AND FOOTERS
STEPS
i. Select the sheet you want the header or footer to appear.
ii. Click on the file menu and select page setup.
iii. Select header or footer tab.
iv. Customize the header or footer by typing the text.
v. Click ok.

SPLITTING OF WINDOWS
STEPS
i. Point the mouse pointer at the column header and click column from where you want to split
your windows.
ii. Click on window menu then click on split.
iii. If you want to split your window in a quarterly manner click on the middle point of your
sheet where you want your split to appear.
iv. Click on window menu and click split.

FREEZING PANES
This is preventing data in the pane from scrolling as you move to different areas in a worksheet. You
can freeze the information in the top and left panes of a window only.
STEPS
i. Click on the part of the sheet where you want the freeze to appear.
ii. Click on window menu and point to freeze pane and click.

To unfreeze panes
i. Click on the window menu.
ii. Click on unfreeze panes.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPLITTING AND FREEZING PANES

60
FREEZING: is to keep row/column and label visible as you scroll while SPLITTING is the
viewing of split parts of a worksheet at the same time.

FORMULA
It is an entry that performs calculations. Routes of the calculations are displayed in the cell
containing the formula. It always begins with equal sign (=), which defines it is a numerical entry.
Arithmetic operations used are +,-,* & /

ENTERING A FORMULA
Steps to enter a formula
 Click on the cell where you want to enter a formula.
 Type an equal sign(=)
 Type the calculation you want to perform by using cell references instead of actual numbers.
 As you type the formula it will be visible on the formula bar.
The following numerical operators are recognized by excel:
 Multiplication(*)
 Addition(+)
 Subtraction(-)
 Division(/)

The following logical operators are recognized by excel

 > greater than
 < less than
 >= greater than and equal to.
 <= less than and equal to
 <> not equal to
e.g. = (b3+c3+d3)
= (g8/f8)*100

FUNCTIONS

61
These are prewritten formulas that perform certain types of calculations automatically. A function
can also be defined as a complex ready-made formulae or expression that performs a series of
operations on specified range of values. E.g. count, average, maximum, minimum etc.
An argument is the data used by the function to perform calculations. The argument is endorsed in
percentages and multiple arguments are separated by commas.

TODAY FUNCTION
This function inserts the current data according to the computer system clock.
i. Select the cell where you want to enter the function, click n insert menu and select function.
ii. Select the time and date category and the today function.
The today function requires no argument. Click ok in the net screen. This will insert the argument
date in the cell selected.

AVERAGE FUNCTION
Returns the average (arithmetic mean) provided by the argument.
MAXIMUM FUNCTION
Finds the largest number in a selected range

MINIMUM FUNCTION
Finds the smallest number in a range of selected cells.
SUM FUNCTION
Add all the numbers in a range of cells.
PRODUCT FUNCTION
Multiplies all the numbers given the argument and returns the product.
IF FUNCTION
Evaluates all conditions and returns one of the values depending on the results of the evaluation. If
condition is true, it returns one value, if it is false, It returns the other value.

There are two types:

1. SIMPLE IF
Used to test for two conditions only e.g. (if i2>=50,”pass”,”fail”)

62
Procedure
i. Position the cursor on the cell to contain the result.
ii. Click on insert then select function.
iii. Choose IF from the list functions.
iv. Click ok.
v. Type the cell address in which you are basing the argument then type the result if the
argument is true and the other option is false.
vi. Click ok.

2. COMPLEX IF (NESTED IF)

Used to test up to several conditions.
=if i2>=80,”excellent”
=if i2>=70,”v. good”
=if i2>=60,”good”
=if i2>=50,”fail”
To use this formula, position the cursor in the cell to contain the result
Type the formula directly or use the function. Press enter or click ok.

N/B you must close the brackets as many times as you opened it.
Assignment
Question 1
Names Hours Rate Basic Gross Tax NSSF Allowance Net pay
Worked Per Pay Pay Deduction Contribution
Hour
John 8 255
Peter 9 236
Charles 8 300
Joan 9 299
Anne 10 321
Cosmas 10 308
Patrick 11 200

63
 Benson 12 360
Nancy 8 500
Titus 9 218
Tito 10 222
Raphael 8 254

ALLOWANCE 7.5%
TAX 20%
NSSF 3.82%

1. Key in data to the following tables

Fill the table

where:
a. Basic pay=hours worked*rate per hour
b. Allowances are allocated at 7.5% of the basic pay.
c. Gross pay=basic pay + allowances
d. Tax deduction = 20% of Gross pay
e. NSSF Contribution = 3.82% of basic pay
f. Get the net pay = Gross pay – NSSF – Deduction

SORTING OF DATA
Sorting is the process of arranging your data in a predetermined format either ascending or
descending order.
Steps
 Select the worksheet range to be sorted.
 Click on data menu.
 Click on sort.
 Choose the column to use as the sort option.

64
  Choose the sort order.
 Click ok.

FILTERING DATA
Is the process of retrieving data that fulfills a certain condition in your worksheet.
 Select the worksheet range.
 Click on data menu.
 Point on filter then click at auto filter.
 Click onto the record you want to filter/the part of the record will be hidden.

Remove filter
 Click on data menu
 Point at filter then click at auto filter.

CHARTS
Charts are usually appealing and make it easier for users to see comparisons, patterns and trends in
data.

TYPES
There are 14 basic types of charts each with many different types of format.
The basic chart types are:
1) Area chart- shows the magnitude of change over time by emphasizing the area under the
value created by each data series.
2) Bar charts- display data on evenly spaced bars. The categories are displayed along the y-axis
and the values displayed horizontally, placing more emphasis on comparisons and less on
time.
3) Column charts- display data as evenly spaced bars. They are similar to bar charts except the
categories are organized horizontally and values vertically to emphasize variation over time.
4) Line chart- displays data alongside a line. They are used to show changes in data over time,
emphasizing time and rate of change rather than the amount of change.

65
 5) Pie charts- display data as slices of a circle or pie. They show the relationship of each value
in a data series as a whole. Each slice of the pie represents a single value in the series.
6) Arcs- similar to pie charts except they can show more than one data series.
7) Radar chart- displays a line or area chart wrapped around a central point.

CHART ELEMENTS
The bottom bounding line is the x-axis. It is used to label the data being charted such as a point in
the time category.
The category name- displayed along the x-axis corresponds to the heading for the worksheet data
that is plotted along the x-axis.
The left bounding lines of the chart is the y-axis. This axis is a numbered scale whose numbers are
determined by the data used in the chart. Typically, the x-axis line is the horizontal line and the y-
axis is the vertical line.
The selected worksheet data is visually displayed within the x-y axis boundaries. This is called the
plotting areas. Each group has related data, such as numbers in a row or column of the selected area
of the worksheet is called the data series. A data marker identifies each number represented in data
a series. A data marker can be a symbol, color or pattern. Chart guidelines are commonly displayed
to make it easier to read the chart data.

Chart data gridlines extend from the y-axis line across the plotted area. A legend identifies the chart
date series names and data marker that correspond to each data series. The title explains the contents
of the chart. It is displayed off the center above the chart area. The x-axis title line is called category
axis title. And the y-axis title is called the value axis title.

In pie charts, there are no axes instead the worksheet data that is charted is displayed as slices in
circles or pies. Each slice is labeled. In 3D charts there can be additional axis, called the Z axis
which allows you to compare data within a series more easily. This axis is the vertical axis.

PROCEDURE OF MAKING CHARTS

 Mark the data range you would like to create the hart with.

66
  Click on the chart wizard button.
 Click on the worksheet on the insert menu.
 Fill the dialog box then click next.
 Click on the finish button.

EDITING A CHART
 Click on chart and drag to move.
 Drag the sizzling handles on the sides and corners to enlarge chart.
 Click on the chart and press delete to remove the chart from the worksheet.

How to change chart types

 Activate the sheet containing the chart you want to change
 Click on the format option on the menu bar.
 Click on the selection you want e.g. three dimensions then click ok.

FORMATTING CHART
 Double click on any item that you want to format either text or graphics items on the chart,
then from format chart area dialogue box select the options that you want i.e. either fonts or
patterns.
 Or select item to be formatted form the chart, and then from format menu select the (selected
item) option. In the format chart area dialog box, select the options that you want either fonts
or patterns.

Deleting a chart
 Select the chart and then press delete on the keyboard.
WORKSHEET PROTECTION
 Click on tools.
 Click protection.

67
  Click protect sheet.
 Type the personality.
 Click ok.

5 . MICROSOFT ACCESS.
Ms-Access is a Window-based program used to manage information, which is in form of databases.
It helps in storing information about different subjects in separate tables. It also enables the user to
add and edit records, sort, query and also print records.
Note. Ms-Access can be installed as a stand-alone program, but it is mainly found within the
Microsoft Office suite. It is very useful for routine and simple database management tasks.
Starting Microsoft Access.
1. Click Start, point to Programs, then click Microsoft Access.
-OR-
Click on the Microsoft Access icon on the Microsoft Office Shortcut Bar, if it is displayed on
the desktop.
Features (Parts) of the Microsoft Access Window.
Menu bar.
It appears horizontally at the top of the window. It is used to issue Ms-Access commands.
Toolbars.
They appear after the Menu bar. They contain icons (buttons).The toolbars provide many of the
tools you need to find, edit, and print records. You can use the buttons in the toolbars to:
Add or delete records.
 Preview and Print data.
 Check spellings.
 Cut, copy, or paste selected text, fields, whole records, or the entire datasheet.
 Sort records.
 Find or replace values, and also Filter records.
Scroll bars.

68
They enable the user to see data not visible on the screen.
Status bar.
It is a horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen that displays information about commands, toolbar
buttons, and other properties.
COMPONENTS OF A DATABASE (Database Terminologies).
Data.
The material (stuff) that a database program stores, organizes and manages for you.
Table.
A collection of related data organized in rows and columns.
A collection of data about a specific topic.
A collection of records that describe a similar data.
Field.
An element of a table that contains a specific item of information.
A single unit of information within a table.
The place where data is placed within a database.
A collection of related characters.
A group of characters that form a unit of information such as Age, Telephone number, or a Job
classification.
In a datasheet, each column represents a Field.
One field holds one piece of data. E.g., in a Student record, the possible fields are Name, Admission
number, and [Link] the fields for one student constitute a Record.
Field Name:
This is the name that indicates each column (field).
It is the column title/ heading or a label for a field.
Field Type:
It is the type of data stored in a field.
Record.
A group of logically related fields treated as a unit. It can be a collection of data about a person, a
place, an event, or some other item.
A set of all the fields for one row in a table.
Each record contains fields for storing your information. For example,

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Name Age Origin Sex
John 23 Machakos Male
In a database table, each row represents a Record.

DESIGNING A DATABASE STRUCTURE.

Good database design makes the database easy to maintain. Data is stored in tables and each table
contains data about only one subject, e.g., Customers.

Before using Ms-Access to build tables, queries, forms, and other objects, it is advisable that you
first sketch out and rework the design on a paper.
The following are some of the basic steps in designing a database.
Determine the purpose of the database file and how it has to be used.
Think about the questions that you would like the database to answer.
 Gather the forms used to record the data.

 Sketch out the reports you would like the database to produce.

This helps you to determine what facts (Fields) will be stored in the database and what table each
fact belongs to.
1 Determine the fields needed in the database.
Each field is a fact about a particular subject. E.g., if you are designing a database that will handle
your customers, you might need to store the following facts: Company name, Address, City, State,
&Phone no.
Create a separate field for each of these facts.

When determining the fields that are needed, ensure that the following design principles are
observed:

 Include all of the information you will need.

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 Store the information in the smallest logical parts. E.g., a name is usually split into 2 or 3
fields; First Name, Middle Name & Last Name. This makes it easy to sort the data.

 The Fields should not be similar to each other.

E.g., in a Suppliers table, you should not create fields such as Product1, Product2, &Product3,
because it will be difficult to find all suppliers who provide a particular product. This will also
force you to change the design of your database if a supplier provides more than 3 products.

In the Products table, you need only one field for Products.

2. Determine the type of tables needed in the database.

Each table should contain information about one subject. The list of fields you have will enable
you to know what tables you need.

E.g., if you have a Hire Date field, its subject is an employee, and so it belongs in the Employees
table.

You might have a table for Customers, a table for Products, and a table for Orders.
3. Identify the field or fields with unique values in each record.
In order for Ms-Access to connect information stored in separate tables; for instance, to connect a
customer with all the customer's orders, each table in your database must include a Primary key (a
field or set of fields that uniquely identifies each individual record in the table).
3. Determine the relationships between tables.

After dividing your information into tables and identifying primary key fields, you need a way to
tell Ms-Access how to bring related information back together again in meaningful ways. This is
done by defining Relationships between the tables.

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4. Refining the design.

After designing the tables, fields, and relationships you need, study the design and detect any
mistakes that might remain. If there is any, change your database design before entering the data.

5. Entering data and creating other database objects.

After making sure that the table structures meet your needs, add your data to the tables.

CREATING A MS-ACCESS DATABASE.

Database is a collection of data and objects, such as tables, queries, or forms, related to a particular
topic or purpose.

MS-ACCESS DATABASE FILES.

Using MS-Access, you can manage all your information from a single database file.

Database File:

 A collection of logically related records.

 A collection of all tables and objects used to manage data.

A Database file consists of rows and columns.

Within the file, you can use database objects such as:

 Tables - to store your data.

 Queries - to find and retrieve any data you want.

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 Forms - to view, add, and update data in tables.
 Reports - to analyze or print data in a specific layout.

Methods of creating an Ms-Access Database file.

(A). Create a new Blank database file.

You can create a Blank database& then add the Tables, Forms, Reports & other objects later.

This requires the user to define each database element separately allowing him/her to create a self-
defined database.

1. Click New on the File menu or on the Standard toolbar (or press CTRL+N).
2. Under New, click Blank Database, then click the OK button.
3. In the File New Database dialog box, specify a name & location for the database file, then
click on the Create button to display the Database window.

Note. All Ms-Access databases are saved with an automatic extension of .mdb

4. Click on the tab that has the object you want to create, e.g., Tables, and follow the
instructions provided in the resultant dialog box.

Database window - The window that appears when you open an Ms-Access database. It displays
tabs/ buttons for the database objects, such as Tables, Queries, Forms, Reports, Macros and
Modules. These shortcuts are used for creating new database objects and opening existing objects.

(B). Create a database file using the Database Wizard.

The Database Wizard allows the user to create in one operation the required Tables, Forms, and
Reports for the type of database you choose. The wizard provides a set of databases where the user
is free to modify them according to his/her needs.

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1. On the File menu, click New.
2. Under New from template, click General templates.
3. Click the Databases tab, then double-click the icon for the kind of database you want to create,
(or click the icon, then click the OK button).
4. In the File New Database dialog box, specify a name & location for the database.
5. Click on the Create button, then follow the instructions in the Wizard to define your new
database.

DATABASE TABLES.

A Table is a collection of data about a specific topic.

Defining the structure of a database Table.

Tables organize data into columns (called fields) & rows (called records).

E.g., in a Products table, each field contains the same type of information for every product, such
as the Product's name.

Each record in that table contains all the information about one product, such as the Product's
name, supplier ID number, units in stock, and so on.

When defining a table structure, enter the following:

(1). Field Name:

Each column in a database table is called a Field.

Field name is the name that identifies each column (i.e., it is the title of a field or column).

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 To enter names in the columns, for example, enter the FirstName in its own column &LastName
in a separate column.

(2). Field Type:

This specifies the type of data to be used/ stored in the field.

(3). Field Size:

Specifies the maximum no. of characters that can be typed in that column.

Field width – the no. of spaces required to hold the largest data item to be stored in the field.

FIELD DATA TYPES.

A Data type is the characteristic of a field that determines what type of data it can store / hold.

Field Data types available in Ms-Access.

1. Text.

A Text field can store text or combination of text & numbers, such as names, addresses, or any
numbers that do not require calculations, such as Telephone nos., or Postal codes.

A Text field stores up to 255 characters.

2. Memo.

A Memo field is used to store lengthy text & numbers that are more than 255 characters, such as
notes or descriptions.
A Memo field can store up to 65,536 characters.

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3. Number.

A Number field is used to store numeric data that would be included in mathematical calculations.
Stores 1, 2, 4, or 8 characters.

Note. A Number field only stores Whole numbers (i.e., numbers without decimal values) from 0
to 255.

4. Currency.

A Currency field is used for currency values or to store any calculations that involve money or that
require a high degree of accuracy. This prevents rounding off during calculations.

Stores 8 characters.

A Currency field is accurate to 15 digits to the left of the decimal point & 4 digits to the right.

5. Date/Time.

A Date or Time field is used to store dates and times depending on the formats chosen.
It stores 8 characters.

6. Yes/No.

Used for data that can be only one of two possible values, such as Yes/No, True/False, On/Off.
Stores 1 character.

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7. AutoNumber.

AutoNumber is a field data type that automatically stores a unique number for each record as it is
added to a table.
It automatically numbers the records in the table. It is used for unique Sequential (incrementing by
1) or Random numbers that are automatically inserted when a record is added.

It stores 4 characters.

8. OLE Object.

An OLE Object field allows one to bring data & files from another program into the current field.

Used for OLE objects (such as Ms -Word documents, Ms -Excel spreadsheets, Pictures, or Sounds)
those were created in other programs using the OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) protocol.

9. Hyperlink.

A Hyperlink field links the fields to another table within the same database or in a different
database.

10. Lookup Wizard.

The Lookup Wizard is used to create a field that allows you to choose a value from another table or
from a list of values using a combo box.

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Choosing data types and field sizes

The following considerations determine the kind of data type to use for a field:

(i). The kind of values you want to allow in the field, e.g., you cannot store text in a field with a
Number data type.
(ii).The amount of storage space you want to use for values in the field.
(iii). The types of operations you want to perform on the values in the field, e.g., Ms-Access can
sum values in Number or Currency fields, but not values in Text or OLE Object fields.

Note. A field's data type defines what kind of values you can enter in a field. E.g., if you want a
field to store numerical values or data that you can use in calculations, set the field’s data type to
Number or Currency. A field whose data type is Text can store data consisting of either text or
number characters.

CREATING A DATABASE TABLE.

Ms-Access provides 3 ways of creating a blank (empty) table;

(1). Use the Table Wizard. The Wizard enables the user to choose the fields for the table from a
variety of predefined tables such as Business contacts, Household inventory, or Medical records.

(2). Create a table in Design view where you can add fields, define how each field appears or
handles data, and create a primary key.

(3). Enter data directly into a blank datasheet. When you save the new datasheet, Ms-Access
will analyze your data and automatically assign the appropriate data type and format for each
field.

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 TO CREATE A TABLE USING THE DATASHEET VIEW.

Datasheet view - A window that displays data from a Table, Form, or Query, in a row-and-column
format. In Datasheet view, you can edit fields, add and delete data, and search for data.

1. Click New on the File menu or on the Standard toolbar (or press CTRL+N).
2. Under New, click Blank Database, then click the OK button.
3. In the File New Database dialog box, specify a name & location for the database file, then click
on the Create button to display the Database window.
4. Under Objects, click Tables, then click New on the Database window toolbar.
5. Double-click Datasheet view (or click on Datasheet view, then choose the OK button).
A blank Datasheet with rows and columns is displayed.
6. Enter the Field names.

To rename each field/column.

Double-click the column name.
-OR-
Click in the column, then choose Rename Column on the Format menu. Type the Field name,
then press the ENTER key.
7. Click in the cells and enter your data. Press the TAB key to go to the next field or record.
8. After adding data to all the columns you want to use, save the Datasheet table.
9. If you do not set a Primary key before saving the newly created table, Ms-Access will ask if you
want it to create a primary key for you. If you answer Yes, Ms-Access will create an AutoNumber
primary key.
After saving the table, Ms-Access will assign data types to each field based on the kind of data you
have entered.

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Note. Any columns you leave empty will be deleted when you save the Datasheet.
Customer Orders: Table
Order Customer ID Company Name City Required Date
Number
11022 BSBE V B’s Beverages London 25-May
11023 HANAR Hanari Carnes Rio De Janeiro 09-May
11024 EAST C Eastern Connection London 10-May

To add or edit data in a datasheet.

1. To change data within a field, click in the field you want to edit, then type the data.

To replace the entire value, move the pointer to the leftmost part of the field until it changes into
the plus pointer, then click to select. Type the data.
Notes.
 To correct a typing mistake, press the BACKSPACE key.

 To cancel your changes in the current field, press the ESC key. To cancel your changes in the
entire record, press the ESC key again before you move out of the field.

 When you move to another record, Ms-Access saves your changes.

To rename a field in a table in Datasheet view.

Method 1.

1. Double-click the field selector of the field that you want to change.
2. Type the new field name, then press the ENTER key to save it.

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Method 2.

1. Click in the column that you want to change.

2. On the Format menu, choose Rename Column.
3. Type the new field name, then press the ENTER key.

To change the Column Width in Datasheet view.

Method 1.

1. Click in the column whose width you want to change.

2. On the Format menu, click Column Width.
3. Type the desired width in the Field Size box, then choose the OK button.

To make the column width fit an entry, click Best fit.

Method 2.

1. Point to the edge of the column whose width you want to change. The pointer becomes a
double-headed arrow.
2. Drag the arrow to increase or decrease the column width.

To change the Font, Appearance, Font Size, Colour& Underline of text in a field or record in
Datasheet view.

Method 1.

1. Select the text, Record or Field whose contents you want format.

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2. On the Formatting toolbar, click the arrows to the right of the Font, FontSize, &Font Color
button, then choose the options you want, or click the Bold, Italic, Underline button.

Method 2.

1. On the Format menu, click Font, then choose the options you want in the Font dialog box.

To change the Row Height in Datasheet view.

1. Click in the row / record whose height you want to change.

2. On the Format menu, click Row Height.
3. Type the desired height in the Row Height box, then choose the OK button.

SELECTING FIELDS & RECORDS IN A DATASHEET USING THE MOUSE.

To select Do This

A single field Point to the left edge of the field. When the pointer changes into a Plus, click
the left mouse button.
-OR-
Click in the field, then press F2.

Adjacent fields click the left edge of a field, then drag to extend the selection.
-OR-

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Select the first field; hold down the SHIFT key, then press the Left or Right arrow to extend the
selection.

A column Click the field selector.

Adjacent columns click the field name at the top of the column, then drag to extend the selection.
A record (row) Click the Record selector.
-OR-
Click in the row, then click Select Record on the Edit menu.

Multiple records click the record selector of the first record, then drag to extend the selection.

All records Click Select All Records on the Edit menu (or press CTRL+A).

Field selector - A small box or bar that you click to select an entire column in a datasheet.

Row selector - A small box or bar to the left of a record that, when clicked, selects an entire row in
table in a Datasheet view.

To move between records by using record Navigation buttons in a datasheet.

The navigation buttons are located at the bottom of the window in Datasheet or Form view. You
can use these buttons to move quickly between records.

To Move to Click

First record |
Next record 
Previous record (1 record to the left) 
Last record |

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New record 
Add a field (column) to a table in Datasheet view.

Note. A Datasheet view table consists of 30 columns. To insert an additional column at any time
in Datasheet view,

1. Click in the column to the right of where you want to insert a new column.
2. On the Insert menu, click Column.

To insert a new record (row) in Datasheet view.

1. Click in the row below where you want to add the new record.
2. On the Insert menu, click New Record, (or click New Record button on the toolbar).

Save a record in a datasheet.

Ms-Access automatically saves the record you are adding or editing as soon as you move the
insertion point to a different record, or when you close the datasheet you are working on.

 To save the data in a record while editing, click Save Record on the Records menu.

Delete a field from a table in Datasheet view.

1. Select the column you want to delete.

2. On the Edit menu, click Delete Column.

Delete a record (row) from a table in a Datasheet.

1. Click the row selector of the record you want to delete.

2. On the Edit menu, click Delete Record (or click Delete Record on the toolbar).

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Delete an item (contents of a field or record).

1. Select the field, text, or other item that you want to delete.
2. Press DELETE (or click Delete on the Edit menu).

CREATE A TABLE IN DESIGN VIEW.

Design view -A window that shows the design of the database objects: tables, queries, forms,
reports, and macros. In Design view, you can create new database objects and modify the design of
existing ones.

1. Press F11 to switch to the Database window.

2. Under Objects, click Tables, then click New on the Database window toolbar.
3. Double-click Design View. Access takes you to the design view of your table.
4. Define each of the fields in your table.

How?

• Click in the Field Name column and type a unique name for the field.
• Click the arrow in the Data Type column, and select the data type you want.
• In the Description column, type a description of the information the field will contain. The
description is optional.
5. Define a primary key field before saving your table.

Primary key - One or more fields that can be used to identify each record in a table. A primary
key is used to refer to related records in other tables (it is used to relate a table to foreign keys in
other tables).

Note. If you do not define a primary key, Ms-Access asks if you want Access to create one for you
when you save the table.

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6. To save your table, click Save on the File menu or on the toolbar, then specify a name for the
table.
7. Switch to Datasheet view, then start entering records.

Switch between views of a table.

1. On the View menu, click Design view or Datasheet view (or click the View button on the
Standard toolbar)

FIELD PROPERTIES.

The table’s Design view is divided into 2 parts. The lower part is used to display and assign field
properties to selected fields.

Field properties - a set of characteristics that provide additional control over how the data in a
field is stored, entered, or displayed.

Each data type has a different set of properties.

The different field properties include:

(i). Field Size.

The Field Size property defines/ controls the maximum no. of characters that can be entered/ stored
in a Text or Number field.

(ii). Format.

The Format property specifies how (the way) data is displayed in a field & printed.

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Number & Currency fields provide predefined display formats. They include Currency, Fixed,
General, Percent, Scientific, General data, Medium date, Medium time.

(iii).Decimal places.

It is used to define the no. of decimal places in values. This option is used on fields that already
have the fixed format such as in Number and Currency fields.

(iv). Default value.

It allows you to define a value that will automatically be inserted into the field as you add new
records. It is used in Text and Memo fields.
For example, to insert the current date in the Admission date field use “Date ( )”.
The default value affects only new records inserted.

(v). Validation Rule.

It allows you to create an expression or a formula that will test data when being entered into the
field.

It automatically rejects faulty/flawed entries, e.g., entering very large or very small figures in the
Age or Salary fields.

Validation Rule Description

Between 18 and 55 Limits an age field from 18 to 55.

<10000 Allows any value less than 10000
<=500 AND <=1000 Accepts any entry between 500 and 1000.
>Date ( ) Allows entries whose dates are the current date or later.
<Date ( ) Allows the current date and before.

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Note. To test whether the Validation rule is applicable, choose Test Validation Rules on the Edit
menu.

(vi). Validation Text.

Defines an error message that will be displayed when the validation rule is violated/broken.
It must be typed in earlier.
Enter a useful message that can be clearly understood by the input clerk.

(vii). Required.

It controls the entry of important fields.

When this option is set to YES, an entry must be made within that field, i.e., it ensures that the
field is not left blank.
A YES option is equivalent of typing IS NOT NULL as a field Validation rule.

(viii). Input Mask.

Let’s you define a pre-formatted pattern for the entry of data into a Date or a Text field. The data
in that field must conform to a pattern.

Examples of data include:

0#/0#/0# - this forces a 2-digits entry for the year, month and date in a date field.
A - Allows letters or digits into a field, but an entry is required.
9 - Allows letters or digits in a field, but no entry is required.
000000 - Allows a 6-digit number (not more or less than that).
999999 - Allows 6 or less digits.
AAAAA - only 5 characters are to be entered.
> - converts the field entry to Uppercase.
< - converts the field entry to Lowercase.

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(ix). Allow Zero Length.

Applies to Text and Memo field data types.

Setting the value in Allow Zero Length property to YES and the Required property YES, the field
must contain at least one character.

(x). Caption.

This is an alternative name used (other than the fieldname) in order to appear in the fieldname
header button in Table datasheet view and as a label in Forms.

They provide a neat and descriptive name since the fieldname should be kept small for practical
use.

(xi). Indexed.

[Yes (Duplicates OK)] – Gives sorted, indexed field and can allow data duplicates.
[Yes (No duplicates)] – Gives sorted, indexed field but cannot allow data duplicates.

Note. It is not available for Memo or OLE object data types.

(xii). New Values.

Applies only to AutoNumber fields.

Ms-Access can increment the AutoNumber field by 1 for each new record, or fill in the field with
a randomly generated no., depending on the New Values property setting that you choose.

Note. To check the Field properties set for the records in a table, click Properties on the Edit
menu.

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Rename a field in a table in Design view.

1. Double-click the field name you want to change.

2. Type the new field name.
3. Click Save on the toolbar or on the File menu to save your changes.

Set or change the Primary key in Design view.

Primary key is a field that uniquely identifies each record in a database table.
Examples of key fields include - Identification numbers, Registration numbers, User codes, etc.

Using a Primary key is a way of telling Ms-Access to:

 Make sure no two records have the same value within that field.
 Keep records sorted by the entries of the Primary key fields.

There are 3 kinds of primary keys that can be defined in Ms-Access:

1. AutoNumber primary keys.

An AutoNumber field can be set to automatically enter a sequential no. as each record is added to
the table.
Choosing an AutoNumber field as the primary key for a table is the simplest way to create a
primary key.

2. Single-field primary keys.

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If you have a field that contains unique values such as ID numbers, you can select that field as the
primary key. You can specify a primary key for a field that already contains data as long as that
field does not contain duplicate values or Null values.

Null - A value you can enter in a field or use in expressions and queries to indicate missing or
unknown data. Some fields, such as primary key fields, cannot contain Null values.

3. Multiple-field primary keys.

In situations where you cannot guarantee the uniqueness of any single field, you can choose two or
more fields as the primary key.
This commonly arises in situations where a table is used to relate two other tables in a many-to-
many relationship.

1. Open a table in Design view.

2. Select the field or fields you want to define as the Primary key.
To select one field, click the row selector for the desired field.
To select multiple fields, hold down the CTRL key, then click the row selector for each field.
3. On the Edit menu, click Primary key. (Or click the Primary Key button on the toolbar).

Note. A Primary key field cannot be left empty when editing and entering records.

Once you assign a primary key for a table, Access will prevent any duplicate or Null values from
being entered in the primary key fields.

Add a field (column) to a table in Design view.

1. Click in the row below where you want to add the field.
To add the field to the end of the table, click in the first blank row.
2. Click Insert Rows button on the toolbar (or on the Insert menu, choose Rows).
Double-click in the new column, then type a unique name for the field.

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Delete a field from a table in Design view.

This permanently removes a field plus all the data in it from the database.

1. Select the field(s) you want to delete.

To select one field, click the field's row selector. To select a group of fields, drag through the row
selectors of the fields.
2. On the Edit menu, click Delete Rows (or click Delete Row on the toolbar).

Change a field's data type in Design view.

1. Click the arrow in the Data Type column of the field you want to change, then select the new
data type.
2. Click Save on the toolbar. Ms-Access converts the data type.

Caution. If the data type conversion would result in lost values, Access displays a message telling
you that errors occurred during conversion before it actually saves the changes. Click Cancel to
cancel the changes. Click OK to continue and save the changes.

Change the field size of a Text or Number field.

Field size controls the maximum no. of characters that can be entered into a text field and the kind
of numeric values that can be entered into a numeric field.

1. In Design view, click the field whose Field Size property you want to set.
2. In the lower portion of the window on the General tab, click the Field Size property box.
For a Text field, type the maximum no. of characters to allow in the field (up to 255).
For a Number field, click the arrow and select the desired field size.

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Set the data display format for a field in a table.

1. In Design view, click the field you want to format.

2. In the lower portion of the window, click the arrow next to the Format property box, then click a
format from the list.

Set the no. of decimal places to display for a field in table Design view.

1. In Design view, click the field you want to define decimal places for.
2. In the lower portion of the window, click the arrow next to the Decimal Places property box,
then click the desired no. of decimal places.

CREATE A TABLE BY USING THE TABLE WIZARD.

1. Click New on the File menu or on the toolbar (or press CTRL+N).
2. Under New, click Blank Database.
3. In the File New Database dialog box, specify a name & location for the database, then click
Create to open the Database window.
4. Under Objects, click Tables, then click New on the Database window toolbar.
5. Double-click Table Wizard, then follow the directions in the Table Wizard dialog boxes.

Note. If you want to modify or extend the resulting table, you can do so in Design view when you
have finished using the Table Wizard.

Open a database table.

1. In the Database window, under Objects, click Tables.

2. Click the table you want to open.
To open the table in Datasheet view, click Open.
To open the table in Design view, click Design.

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Exercise (a).

1. (a). Define the following terms as used in Database Management systems:

(i). Table.
(ii). Field.
(iii). Field Name.
(iv). Field Type.
(v). Record.
(vi). Database File.
(b). Give five different field data types found in Microsoft Access and explain each.
2. What are the procedures you have to follow when designing a database?

Exercise (b).

1. Differentiate between:
(a). Table and Record.
(b). Field and Field name.
2. Create a simple record of a company, having the following fields; Company’s Name, Address,
City, State, and Phone number.
3. Create a Personal records database giving the following details; Father’s Name, Baptismal
Name, Last Name, Origin, Sex, Date of Birth, Age, Primary and Secondary schools attended,
College, Career and Hobbies.
Include the relevant field data types and formats.
4. Create a database giving the following details; Name of company, Address, Phone number,
Years of existence, Location, Number of employees, and what it does (operations).
5. Create a database of an employer who decides to keep a record of all his employees, under the
following lines; Name of employee, Sex, Age, Origin, Date he/she was employed, Salary,
Department of work, Working hours for each employee, Marital status, Education level, and ID
card number.

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6. A farmer decides to keep a record of his farm produce of a certain season. Create a database
showing the following; Name of grain, Produce in tonnes.
COPY OR MOVE AN ITEM.

1. Select the items you want to copy or move.

To copy the item, click Copy on the Edit menu or on the toolbar.
To move the item, click Cut on the Edit menu or on the toolbar.
2. Click the location where you want to place the item.
3. Click Paste on the Edit menu or on the toolbar.

Copying a table.

Copying can be used to reproduce tables and/or data within tables.

1. Select the table in Datasheet view.

2. Click Copy on the Edit menu or on the toolbar.
3. Click the location where you want to place the item.
4. Click Paste on the Edit menu or on the toolbar.

Access will then ask you to enter a name for the new table. It will then ask whether you want to
paste the structure and data or just to append the database records.
Appending refers to adding records at the bottom of an existing table or file.

To append the records, choose Paste Append on the Edit menu.

SORTING OF RECORDS.

This allows you to arrange your records in a logical order in the database. It can either be in
Ascending or Descending order – in Alphabetical, Chronological, or Numeric.

1. In Datasheet view, click in the field to be sorted.

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Method 1.

Click Sort on the Record menu, and then click on the order to apply; Ascending or Descending.

Method 2.

On the Standard toolbar, click A-Z button (to sort in Ascending order), or click Z-A button (to sort
in Descending order).

HIDING AND UNHIDING OF COLUMNS WHEN EDITING.

Purpose.

You may want to hide a column for 3reasons;

 Prevent anybody from accessing the information.
 Prevent the data in those columns from being printed.
 In case you want to suppress display of some columns in a database view, i.e. reduce the size of a
database table in order to view more columns at once.

To hide columns in Datasheet view.

1. Move to the column you want to hide.

2. On the Format menu, click Hide column. The selected column disappears from the screen.

To unhide columns.

1. On the Format menu, click Unhide column.

A list of hidden columns appears.
2. Click to select the checkboxes of all columns that you want displayed.

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FREEZING AND UNFREEZING OF COLUMNS.

Freezing makes the selected column to remain fixed on the screen while scrolling. This enables
the user to see the data in a column especially in a database table with very many columns.

When a column is freezed, it stays at the left-most position while the rest of the columns continue
to move or scroll in and out of view.

Unfreeze is removing the Freeze command.

To Freeze column(s) in Datasheet view.

1. Click on the column you want to freeze.

2. On the Format menu, click Freeze column.

To unfreeze columns.

1. Select the column to unfreeze.

2. On the Format menu, click Unfreeze All columns.

FILTERING OF RECORDS.

Filtering refers to sieving/ examining out particular records from the database. The records you
sieve/ select out can be printed, deleted, or edited.

There are 3 types of filters in Access.

(i). Filter by Selection.

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This filter allows you to choose criteria for sieving out records by selecting them directly from the
table in Datasheet view.

1. Open the table in Datasheet view.

2. Select the cell that contains the criteria that you need,
E.g. under First Name, select Philip.
3. On the Records menu, click Filter, then choose Filter By Selection (or click Filter By
Selection on the Standard toolbar).
Access displays all the records that meet the criteria, e.g., all people in the database whose first
names is Philip.

Note. If you want to sieve in all records except the ones selected, click Filter Excluding Selection.

(ii). Filter by Form.

This filter opens up a Form where you can give a more elaborate criterion.

1. Open the table in Datasheet view.

2. On the Records menu, click Filter, then choose Filter By Form, (or click Filter By Form
on the toolbar).
A Form will appear where you can type in or choose the criteria you want, e.g., To list all people
called Philip, click under First Name, then type ‘Philip’ or chose it from the drop down list.

The following can be used;

First Name Last Name

Peterson Kamau It looks for a person called Peterson Kamau.

Age
>18 Displays all people above 18.

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Between 25 and 30 Displays records of all people aged between 25 & 30

Country
In (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania) Displays people from Uganda, Tanzania or Kenya.

Date
>2004/01/31 Displays all records created on the specified date and after.

Between 93/10/31 and 95/7/1 Displays all records created between the indicated dates.

Date of Birth
Date ( ) -30 Displays all records of people born 30 days ago.

Between Date ( ) and Date ( ) -30 Displays records of people born within the last 30 days.

Sports
Like *ball Displays all records with all sorts of ball games.

Not Football Displays all records of people who do not play football.

Awards
Is Null Displays all records given the award ‘Null’.

Is Not Null Displays all records that do not have the award ‘Null’.

3. On the Records menu, click Apply Filter/Sort, (or click the Apply Filter button on the
toolbar).

(iii).Advanced Filter/Sort.

This filter allows one to sort and filter at the same time.

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Note. You can sort and filter at the same time or you can perform each independently.

1. Open the table in Datasheet view.

2. On the Records menu, click Filter, then choose Advanced Filter/Sort.
Access will take you to QBE grid. From this grid, you have a field list in the top half and the grid
table.
The grid table allows you to choose fields for filtering or sorting. To insert a field(s), double-click
it from the field list (or click once in the grid, then select the field from the drop down list).

3. When you have specified your criteria, click Apply Filter/Sort on the Records menu, (or
click the Apply Filter button on the toolbar).

That filter stays in effect until you delete it from the QBE grid.

Note. To remove a filter and get back the original table, click Remove Filter/Sort on the

Records menu.

Advanced Filter/Sort window - A window in which you can create a filter from scratch. You
enter criteria expressions in the filter design grid to restrict the records in the open form or
datasheet to a subset of records that meet the criteria.

PRINTING.

Setting up the paper.

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You can change the Page Setup for your table to affect the way it will print.

1. On the File menu, choose Page Setup.

2. From the Page Setup dialog box,
 Click the Margins tab, to change the margins of the printing page. To include the headings in
the printed document, select the Print Headings checkbox.
 Click the Page tab, and then change the Orientation of the paper, and the Paper size.

Actual Printing.

Before you sent the job for printing, make sure you have set the print options you want to apply to
your print job.

1. On the File menu, choose Print (or press CRTL+’P’).

2. From the Print dialog box,
 Under Printer, click the arrow next to the Name box, then select the printer you are using.
 Under Print range, select the specific pages to print.

To print only certain records in the datasheet, select the records, then click Selected Record(s).
 In the Number of Copies box, select the desired copies to be printed per page.
 To change the Print Quality, Paper Type, Paper Size and Orientation, click Properties.
3. After setting the options, choose OK to send the print job to the printer.
4. RELATIONSHIPS IN A MS-ACCESS DATABASE FILE.

To store your data, create one table for each type of information that you track.
After setting up the different tables for each subject, you can define relationships between the
tables.

Relationship - An association established between common fields (columns) in two tables.

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Defining relationships is a way of telling Ms-Access how to bring information/ data from multiple
tables back together again in a query, form, or report.

After defining the relationship, you can create queries, forms, and reports to display information
from several tables at once.

Relating two tables.

In order to relate two tables, each table should include a field or set of fields that uniquely
identifies each record stored in the table. Such a field is called the Primary key of the table.

The Primary key field relates two tables so that Ms-Access can bring together the data from the
two tables for viewing, editing, or printing.

In one table, the field is a Primary key that you set in table Design view. That same field also
exists in the related table as a foreign key.

Suppliers: Table Products: Table

Suppliers ID Company Name Product Name Suppliers ID Units in Stock
1 Exotic Liquid Chai 1 39
2 New Orleans Chang 1 17
3 Grandma Kell Aniseed Syrup 1 13
4 Tokyo Trade Camarvon Tiger 2 53

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A Product Key - A unique ID, such as a Customer ID, that distinguishes one record from another
within a table.

In the Suppliers table, enter a Supplier ID, Company name, and so on, for each supplier. The
Suppliers ID is the primary key.

In the Products table, you include the Suppliers ID field, so that when you enter a new product,
you can identify its supplier by entering that supplier's unique ID number. The Suppliers ID is the
foreign key in the Products table.

Define relationships between tables.

When you create a relationship between tables, the related fields may not have the same names, but
must have the same data type.

A relationship can be One-to-one, One-to-many, or Many-to-many.

Define a one-to-many or a one-to-one relationship.

1. Close any tables you have opened.

You cannot create or modify relationships between open tables.
2. Press F11 to switch to the Database window.

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3. Click Relationships on the Tools menu or on the Standard toolbar.
4. If you have not yet defined any relationships in your database, the Show Table dialog box is
automatically displayed.
5. Drag the field that you want to relate from one table to the related field in the other table.
In most cases, you drag the primary key field (which is displayed in bold text) from one table to a
similar field (often with the same name) called the foreign key in the other table.
To drag multiple fields, press the CTRL key, click each field, and then drag them.

6. The Edit Relationships dialog box is displayed. Check the field names displayed in the two
columns to ensure they are correct. You can change them if necessary.
7. Set the relationship options if necessary, then click the Create button to create the relationship.
8. Close the Relationships Window.
When you close the Relationships window, Access asks if you want to save the layout. Whether
you save the layout or not, the relationships you create are saved in the database.

Relationships window - A window in which you view, create, and modify relationships between
tables and queries.

Many-to-many relationship.

This is an association between two tables in which one record in either table can relate to many
records in the other table.

To establish a many-to-many relationship, create a third table and add the primary key fields from
the other two tables to this table.

For example, an Order Details table can relate the Orders and Products tables. Its primary key
consists of 2 fields: Order ID and Product ID. The Order Details table can list many products and
many orders, but each product can only be listed once per order, e.g., 51 as shown below. So
combining the Order ID and Product ID fields produces an appropriate primary key.

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 Orders Details: Table
Order Product ID
ID
10249 14
10249 51
10250 41
10250 51
10250 65

View existing relationships.

1. Press F11 to switch to the Database window.

2. Click Relationships on the toolbar (or on the Tools menu).
3. Do one of the following:

To view all the relationships defined in the database,

 Click Show All Relationships on the toolbar.

To view the relationships defined for a particular table,

 Click the table, and then click Show Direct Relationships on the toolbar.

4. Click Clear Layout on the toolbar to remove all tables from the Relationships window.
5. To add the table back, click Show Table on the toolbar, double-click the table, and then click
Close.
6. Click Show Direct Relationships on the toolbar.

Remove a table from the Relationships window.

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 Click the table you want to remove, then press the DELETE key.
This action affects only the display of the Relationships window. The table and relationships
remain in the database.

Delete a relationship.

1. Close any open tables.

2. Press F11 to switch to the Database window.
3. Click Relationships on the Tools menu or on the toolbar.
4. If the tables whose relationship you want to delete are not displayed, click Show Table on the
toolbar and double-click each table you want to add. Then click Close.
5. Click the relationship line for the relationship you want to delete (the line will turn bold when it
is selected), then press the DELETE key.
Exercise (a).

1. (a). What are Database management software?

(b). what are the advantages of storing data on the computer using a database tool such as
Microsoft Access as opposed to storing in paper files.
2. Distinguish between the following terms in relation to a database:
(i). DBMS and database.
(ii). Records and Fields. (4 marks).
3. Define the term Sorting. (2 marks).
4. (a). Differentiate between Primary key and Relationship.
(b).What is the importance of the Primary key.

Exercise (b).

1. (a). What are Database management software?

QUERIES.

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A Query is a question about the data stored in your tables, or a request to perform an action on the
data.

You use queries to view, change, and analyze data in different ways.

A query can find & bring together data that meets conditions that you specify from multiple tables.
It can also serve as the source of data for a Form, or a Report.

A query can also update or delete multiple records at the same time, and perform predefined or
custom calculations on your data.

There are 4 major types of queries in Microsoft Access.

(1).SELECT QUERIES.

A Select query is a query that asks a question about the data stored in your tables and returns a
result set in the form of a datasheet—without changing the data.

You use a select query to:

(i). Bring together data from one or more than one tables by using the criteria you specify and
then display the data in the order you want.
(ii). Update records in the datasheet of a select query (with some restrictions).
(iii). Group records and calculate Sums, Counts, Averages, and other types of totals.

A select query is the most common type of query.

Creating a Select query.

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You can create a query with a wizard or from scratch in Query Design view.

In Design view, you specify the data you want to work with by adding the tables or queries that
contain the data, and then by filling in the Design grid.
• You add fields to the design grid by dragging them to the field lists.
• What you will see in the query's results will be determined by the fields, sort order, and
criteria you add to the design grid.

(a). Create a Select query.

1. In the Database window, click Queries under Objects, then click New on the Database
window toolbar.
2. In the New Query dialog box, click Design View, then click OK.
3. In the Show Table dialog box, click the tab that lists the tables or queries whose data
you want to work with.
4. Double-click the name of each object you want to add to the query, and then click
Close.
5. Add fields to the Field row in the Design grid, and if you want, specify criteria and a
sort order.
6. To view the query's results, click View on the toolbar.

Design grid: The grid that you use to design a query or filter in query Design view or in the
Advanced Filter/Sort window.

(2).PARAMETER QUERIES

A Parameter query is a query that when run displays its own dialog box prompting you for
information, such as criteria for retrieving records or a value you want to insert in a field.
You can design the query to prompt you for more than one piece of information;
For example,

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 You can design it to prompt you for two dates. Ms-Access can then retrieve all records that
fall between those two dates.
 You can create a monthly earnings report based on a parameter query. When you print the
report, Ms-Access displays a dialog box asking for the month that you want the report to cover.
When you enter a month, Ms-Access prints the appropriate report.

(3).CROSSTAB QUERIES.

A Crosstab query is a query that calculates a Sum, Average, Count, or other type of total on
records, and then groups the result by two types of information — one down the left side of the
datasheet and the other across the top.
Use Crosstab queries to calculate and restructure your data for easy analysis.

Note. A Crosstab query displays the same information, but groups it both horizontally and
Vertically making the datasheet more compact and easier to analyze.

Creating a Crosstab query

You create a crosstab query from scratch in query Design view.

Create a Crosstab query.

1. In the Database window, click Queries, then click New.

2. In the New Query dialog box, click Design View, and then click OK.
3. In the Show Table dialog box, click the tab that lists the tables or queries whose data you
want to work with.
4. Double-click the name of each object you want to add to the query, and then click Close.
5. Add fields to the Field row in the Design grid and specify criteria.
6. On the toolbar, click Query Type, and then click Crosstab.
7. In the Design grid, you specify the field's values that will become column headings, the
field's values that will become row headings, and the field's values to sum, average, count, or
calculate.

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• For the field(s) whose values you want to appear as row headings, click the Crosstab
row, then click Row Heading.
• For the field whose values you want to appear as column headings, click the Crosstab
row, and then click Column Heading. You can choose Column Heading for one field only.
You must leave the default Group By in the Total row for these fields.

• For the field whose values you want to use in the cross-tabulation, click the Crosstab
row, and then click Value. Only one field can be set to Value.
8. In the Total row for this field, click the type of aggregate function you want for the cross-
tabulation (such as Sum, Avg, or Count).

Changing the Sort order of the Column headings in a Crosstab query.

Usually, the column headings are sorted in alphabetic or numeric order. You can set them to appear
in a different order, or if you can limit which column headings to display.

For example, in column headings containing the months of the year, you can display the months
chronologically rather than alphabetically. Or, you can limit the columns to just January through
June.

1. Open the crosstab query in Design view.

2. Click the background of query Design view, outside the design grid and the field lists.
3. On the toolbar, click Properties to display the query's property sheet.
4. In the Column Headings property box, enter the column headings you want to display, in the
order in which you want to display them. Between the column headings, type a comma.
5. To view the query's results, click View on the toolbar.

Run a Select or Crosstab query.

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When you open a select or crosstab query, Access runs (executes) the query for you and shows
the results in Datasheet view.
1. In the Database window, click Queries under Objects.
2. Click the query you want to open, then click Open.

Open a query (select or crosstab) that shows records.

1. In the Database window, click Queries under Objects.

2. Click the query you want to open.
To open the query in Datasheet view, click Open.
To open the query in Design view, click Design.

Note. When you open a select or crosstab query in Datasheet view, you are actually executing
the query.

(4).ACTION QUERIES

An action query is a query that copies or makes changes to or moves many records in just one
operation.

There are 4 types of Action queries:

(a). Delete Queries.

A Delete query deletes a group of records from one or more tables. For example, you could use a
delete query to remove products for which there are no orders.

Notes.

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• With delete queries, you always delete entire records, not just selected fields within
records.
• Once you delete records using a delete query, you cannot undo the operation.
Therefore, you should preview the data that the query selected for deletion before you run the
query. To do this, click View on the toolbar, and view the query in Datasheet view.

(b). Update Queries.

An Update query makes global changes to a group of records in one or more tables.

For example, you can raise prices by 10% for all dairy products, or you can raise salaries by 5% for
the people within a certain job category. With an update query, you can change data in existing
tables.

(c). Append Queries.

An Append query adds a group of records from one or more tables to the end of one or more tables.
For example, suppose that you acquire some new customers and a database containing a table of
information on those customers. To avoid typing all this information into your own database, you
can append it to your Customers table.

Append queries also helps in:

 Appending fields based on criteria. For example, you might want to append only the
names and addresses of customers with outstanding orders.
 Appending records when some of the fields in one table do not exist in the other table.
For example, the Customers table has 11 fields. Suppose that you want to append records from
another table that has fields that match 9 of the 11 fields in the Customers table. An append query
will append the data in the matching fields and ignore the others.

(d). Make-Table Queries.

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A Make-table query creates a new table from all or part of the data in one or more tables. Make-
table queries also help in creating a table to export to other Microsoft Access databases or a history
table that contains old records.

Run an action query.

Unlike select and crosstab queries, you can't view the results of an action query by opening it in
Datasheet view. However, in Datasheet view you can preview the data that will be affected when
you run the action query.
Caution It is a good idea to make a copy of the data you are changing or moving in an action
query, in case you need to restore the data to its original state after running the action query.

1. Open the action query in Design view.

2. To preview the records that will be affected in Datasheet view, click View on the toolbar and
check the records. For each action query, you will see the following:

For this query The datasheet displays

Update The fields to be updated.
Delete The records to be deleted.
Make-table The fields to be included in the new table.
Append The records to be added to another table.
3. To return to query Design view, click View on the toolbar again. Make any changes you want in
Design view.
4. Click Run on the toolbar to run the query.

Add or remove tables, queries, and fields.

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You can add a table or query if the data you need is not in the query, or remove a table or query if
you decide you do not need them. Once you add the tables or queries you need, you can then add
the fields that you want to work with to the design grid, or remove them if you decide you do not
need them.

Notes.
 A join line between field lists tells Microsoft Access how the data in one table is related to
the data in the other.
 You drag a field from the field list to a column in the design grid to show the field in the
query results.

Calculate amounts

You can add the values in a field or do other computations with the data by specifying the type of
calculation to perform.
•Use an aggregate function, such as Sum or Avg, to calculate one amount for all the records in
each field in the design grid.
Aggregate function - A function, such as Sum, Count, Avg, or Var, that you use to calculate
totals.
•Use Group By to calculate separate amounts for groups of records in a field.

Limit results by using criteria

You can limit the records that you see in the query's results or the records that are included in a
calculation by specifying criteria.

For example;

(i). To limit the records in the query's results, enter criteria in one or more fields.
Between #6/1/01# And #6/15/01#
(ii).Use the Or row for alternative criteria in the same field.

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Between #6/1/01# And #6/15/01#
Or Between #7/1/01# And #6/30/01#
(iii). Enter criteria for different fields. For example, for orders between 6/1/01 and 6/15/01 ...
Between #6/1/01# And #6/15/01#
(iv). Calculate total order amounts, but display only those that are more than $100,000.
>100000
Sort records.

You can sort the query's results by specifying a sort order in the design grid.
You can Sort by Ascending or Descending order, or remove a sort.

Show only the high or low values in a query.

You can show in a query datasheet those records with the highest or lowest values in a field or the
highest or lowest percentage of values in the field.
For example, you may want to show the top 10 Salespeople with the highest total sales for a month,
or the bottom 20 percent of students in a class by grade average.
1. Create a query in Design view.
2. In the Design grid add the fields you want to display in the query's results, including the field
you want to display top values for.
3. In the Sort cell of the field you want to display top values for, click Descending to display the
highest values or Ascending to display the lowest values.
4. Click in the Top Values box on the toolbar.
5. Enter the percentage or the number of highest or lowest values you want the query results to
display.
Note To display a percentage, enter a number followed by a percent sign (%).
6. To view the query's results, click View on the toolbar.
When can I update data from a query?

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In some cases, you can edit data in query Datasheet view to change the data in the underlying
table. In other cases, you cannot.

You can update a query or query field in the following cases:

•A query based on one table
•A query based on tables with a one-to-one relationship.
• The query's results contain a Memo, or OLE Object.

Set the data display format for a field in a query.

1. Open a query in Design view.

2. In the query Design grid, place the insertion point in the column for the field you want to format
(or place the insertion point in any row for that field).
3. Click Properties on the Query Design toolbar to open the property sheet for that field.
4. On the General tab, click the arrow next to the Format property box, then click one of the
predefined formats.

Set the no. of decimal places to display for a field in query Design view.

1. Open a query in Design view.

2. In the query design grid, place the insertion point in the column for the field you want to change.
3. Click Properties on the Query Design toolbar to
4. On the General tab, click the arrow next to the DecimalPlaces property box, then click the
desired no. of decimal places.

FORMS.

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A Form is an Access database object on which you place controls for taking actions or for
entering, displaying, and editing data in fields.

A form is a type of a database object that is primarily used to enter or display data in a database.
To easily view, enter, and change data directly in a table, create a form. When you open a form,
Microsoft Access retrieves the data from one or more tables, and displays it on the screen with the
layout you choose in the Form Wizard, or with the layout that you created on your own in Design
view.

Notes.

 A form focuses on one record at a time, and it can display fields from more than one table. It can
also display pictures and other objects.
 A form can contain a button that prints, opens other objects, or otherwise automates tasks.

Most forms are bound to one or more tables and queries in the database. A form's record source
refers to the fields in the underlying tables and queries. A form need not contain all the fields from
each of the tables or queries that it is based on.
You create a link between a form and its record source by using graphical objects called controls.
The most common type of control used to display and enter data is a text box.
You can also open a form in PivotTable view or PivotChart view to analyze data. In these views,
you can dynamically change the layout of a form to present data in different ways. You can
rearrange row headings, column headings, and filter fields until you achieve the desired layout.
Each time you change the layout, the form immediately recalculates the data based on the new
arrangement.
 In PivotTable view, you can view detail or summarized data by arranging fields in the filter, row,
column, and detail areas.
 In PivotChart view, you can display data visually by selecting a chart type and viewing data by
arranging fields in the filter, series, category, and data areas.

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Creating a form
You can create a form quickly by using the AutoForm command or a wizard. AutoForm creates a
form that displays all fields and records in the underlying table or query. A wizard asks you
questions and creates a form based on your answers. You can then customize the form the way you
want it in Design view.
Customizing a form
In Design view
You can customize a form in Design view in the following ways:
Record source. Change the tables and queries that a form is based on.
Controlling and assisting the user. You can set form properties to allow or prevent users from
adding, deleting, or editing records displayed in a form. You can also add custom Help to a form
to assist your users with using the form.
Form window. You can add or remove Maximize and Minimize buttons, short cut menus, and
other Form window elements.
Sections. You can add, remove, hide, or resize the header, footer, and details sections of a form.
You can also set section properties to control the appearance and printing of a form.
Controls. You can move, resize, or set the font properties of a control. You can also add controls
to display calculated values, totals, current date and time, and other useful information on a form.
In PivotTable or PivotChart view.
You can customize a form in PivotTable or PivotChart view in the following ways:
Add, move, or remove fields You can add fields to the filter, row, column, and detail areas in
PivotTable view, and to the filter, category, series, and data areas in PivotChart view. You can also
move fields from one area to another and remove fields from the view.
Filter records You can filter data displayed in the view by adding or moving a field to the filter
area. You can also filter a field in the row and column area.
Sort records You can sort items in row or column fields in ascending or descending order. You
can also sort items in custom order in PivotTable view.
Group records You can group items in row or column fields on intervals, or create custom
groups.
Format elements and change captions. In PivotTable view, you can change the font settings,
alignment, background color, and number format of a field. You can also change the captions of

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fields and custom groups. In PivotChart view, you can change the chart type, format data markers,
and more.

Open a form or sub form.

1. In the Database window, click Forms under Objects.

2. Click the form or sub form you want to open.
To open the form in Form view, click Open.
To open the form in Design view, click Design.

Form view: A window that displays a form to either show or accept data. Form view is the primary
means of adding & modifying data in tables. You cannot change the design of a form in this view.

Switch between views of a sub form.

When a main form is open in Form view, you can switch between the views of its subforms.

1. Open the main form in Form view.

2. Click the sub form whose view you want to change.
3. On the View menu, point to Sub form, and click the view you want.

REPORTS.

A Report is an Access database object that prints information formatted and organized according
to your specifications. Examples of reports are sales summaries, phone lists, and mailing labels.).
To analyze your data or present it a certain way in print, create a report. For example, you might
print one report that groups data and calculates totals, and another report with different data
formatted for printing mailing labels.
 Use a report to create mailing labels.
 Use a report to show totals in a chart.

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 Use a report to calculate totals.
A report is an effective way to present your data in a printed format. Because you have control over
the size and appearance of everything on a report, you can display the information the way you
want to see it.
Most reports are bound to one or more table and query in the database. A report's record source
refers to the fields in the underlying tables and queries. A report need not contain all the fields from
each of the tables or queries that it is based on.
A bound report gets its data from its underlying record source. Other information on the form,
such as the title, date, and page number, is stored in the report's design.
You create the link between a report and its record source by using graphical objects called
controls. Controls can be text boxes that display names and numbers, labels that display titles, or
decorative lines that graphically organize the data and make the report more attractive.
Creating a report
You can create different types of reports quickly by using wizards. Use the Label Wizard to create
mailing labels, the Chart Wizard to create charts, or the Report Wizard to create a standard
report. The wizard asks you questions and creates a report based on your answers. You can then
customize the report the way you want it in Design view.

Customizing a report
You can customize a report in the following ways:
Record source Change the tables and queries that a report is based on.
Sorting and grouping data- you can sort data in ascending or descending order. You can also
group records on one or more fields, and display subtotals and grand totals on a report.
Report window-You can add or remove Maximize and Minimize buttons, change the title bar
text, and other Report window elements.
Sections - You can add, remove, hide, or resize the header, footer, and details sections of a report.
You can also set section properties to control the appearance and printing of a report.
Controls - You can move, resize, or set the font properties of a control. You can also add controls
to display calculated values, totals, current date and time, and other useful information on a report.

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Open a report or sub report.

1. In the Database window, click Reports under Objects.

2. Click the report or sub report you want to open.
To open the report in Design view, click Design.
To open the report in Print Preview, click Preview.

Print preview -A view of a document as it will appear when you print it.

End of access package.

3 Databases
A Jua Kali Association in Nairobi created a database file for their members. In addition to entering
a members’ numbers and names, each record contained a date of registration of each member,
membership fees paid and title of the activity.
(a) Create a database file structure called JUADAT1 using the information given in Table 1. The
field names should match those of the data provided. Choose an appropriate primary key. Save
the table as JKALI. (15
Marks)
(b) Append the data in Table 1 on the structure created in (a) above (10
Marks)

(c) Sort the records in JKALI on the fields you have defined for activity and name in
ascending order. Save the table as JKALI2. (4 Marks)

(d) Create a report of the records in JKALI. The report should contain the following fields:
Names, date of registration, and title of the activity. The report should sum up all the fees paid. The
page title of the report is “JUA KALI REGISTRATION”. Save the report as JUAREPORT.
(15marks)

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(e) Use the data from JKALI to create a query file to extract all the records whose activity is
“Blacksmith”. Call the query JUAQUERY. (6 Marks)
Write the query on the paper provided
(f) (i) Print the structure of the table JKALI
(ii) Print the records in JKALI, JKALI2 and JUAQUERY

MEMBERSHIP NAMES REGISTRATION REGISTRATION ACTIVITY

NUMBER DATE FEES
97PO3 16 FondoMaianda 12/20/97 100.00 BLACKSMITH
93PO464 KoriBlanda 08/21/93 50.70 SEWING
95PO218 IssaMunir 03/11/95 120.30 POTTERY
94PO177 Alvin Kanga 05/24/94 200.00 BLACKSMITH
97PO010 Adam Ayaila 09/08/97 150.00 PAINTING
95PO849 Valji Patel 10/28/95 240.00 WIRING
96PO748 KamauNderi 02/14/96 300.00 WIRING
92PO100 OtienoOmuka 04/18/92 124.50 BLACKSMITH

[Link] POWERPOINT

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Ms PowerPoint is a graphic presentation software package used for designing presentations to
convey information more effectively.
GUIDELINES IN CREATING A GOOD PRESENTATION
With carefully planning, adequate time & the right tool anyone can create a stunning presentation
(good).
To create a good presentation, try as much as possible to use the following guidelines.
Consider the audience
Knowing the audience will help you tailor the contents (detailed financially analysis will be more
relevant to maintain staff offices than maintenance technicians).
Consider the tone of presentation.
The tone of presentations is much the personality of your work.
Consider tools for presentations.
While preparing your presentations, consider the tools you will use to present as they determine
how effective your presentation will be e.g. using overhead, multi-media projector,video,email
printout etc.
Continuity of the presentation.
Continuity ensures that the presentation comes together as a unit & enables the presentation of
messages clearly. This helps the audience get the big picture of your presentation (that is keep the
enthusiasm high in your presentation start with bad news then wash with good news). Use visual
continuity to hold your presentation together (repeated design element, such as logos, project
names from page to page or from section to section.

STARTING POWER POINT

At start point to programe, point to the office then click at PowerPoint.

Power point dialog box appears giving you the following option.
a)Auto-content wizard-the wizard will lead you through a series of question to help you construct
the basic content of your presentation.
b)Templates-this options provides a list of presentation designs and other templates, which have to
determine color and text styles.

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 C)Blank presentation-This option brings up a dialog box different slide layout. (Choose the
appropriate layout)
d)Open an existing presentation-This option enables you to open existing powerpoint presentation.
POWERPOINT VIEWS
[Link] VIEW
Displays the…………………………
In slide view, you work with one slide at a time while adding various elements to your
presentation.
When you create a presentation this is usually the default view.
To select slide view
Click on the view command then click on normal
a) Adding text in slide view
i. Click the text box tool
ii. The cursor & data entry area appears
iii. Type your text
iv. After you finished entering the text, click outside the textbox.
PowerPoint will does not recognize misspelled words.
SLIDE SORTER VIEW
This view displays multiple slides in reduced size on the screen to allow you preview the entire
presentation, add transitional effects, set timing, organizeor rearrange your presentation and check
the presentation continuity.
To select slide sorter view
Click on view command then click slide sorter.
ADDING IN THE SLIDE SORTER VIEW
[Link] VIEW DESIGN
[Link] on the apply design command in the format menu (the applying dialog box appears)
[Link] the design you want to use then click apply.
[Link] FORMAT WITH LAYOUT
This is where you change the layout of the current slide while keeping text. To do this.
Click on the slide layout from the format menu.
Click o picture of the layout you want and then click apply.

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SLIDE SHOW
……..view presents the slides on the entire screen.
…….in this form that the audience will view the final presentation.
……used to check the timing transition and multimedia effects of a show before presenting or see
what you have done.
SELECT THE SLIDE SHOW BUTTON
Click on slide show on the view button.
…..A DIFFERENT DESIGN TO PRESENTATION
1. Open the presentation you want to apply to a different design to
2. On the format menu, select apply design.
3. Select the design you want to apply then click apply. You can also select presentation whose
design you want to use and click apply.
SAVING A PRESENTATION
Since the work done is currently stored in the computer temporary memory, it must be saved for
future use.
1. On the standard toolbar, click on the save as button. The save as dialog box appears.
2. Ensure that the correct folder and drive are selected.
3. In the file name box, type in the presentation name.
4. Click on the save button.
USING CHARTS TABLES AND CLIP ARTS
The text of your presentation in Important but it does not provide much of visual instruction. A
chart/graphic/table can bring attention and help in summarizing information. You can also make
your presentation lively.
GRAPHS
Use graphs when doing comparison (graph can help you illustration between data, showing trends
to compare progress of two data sets etc.

Inserting a graph
1. Click on new slide button.
2. From the new slide dialog box choose a slide with chart layout and click ok.
Excluding data from a chart.

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1. Click on the view datasheet button.
2. Select the row/column to be excluded.
3. Click on exclude row/column.
USING CLIP ART
Inserting clip art
Clip art images are contained in the Microsoft clipart gallery. To insert clip select the slide layout
with clip art. Then double click on the clip art’s icon.
SCALING THE OBJECT
Scaling means using an object by a certain percentage. Even though you can resize on object by
dragging to resize, scale command can also be used to resize an object numerically.
1. Select the object you want to resize.
2. On the format menu click auto shapes, and then click the size tab.
3. Under scale enter the percentage you want (height and width)
4. Click the preview button if you wish to see the new size before leaving the dialog box and
click on ok.
CROPPING THE PICTURE
This option is used when you need only a portion of a picture on your presentation. You can trim a
picture to attain the desired portion.
1. Click on picture you want to crop.
2. From the picture toolbar select the crop button.
3. The pointer changes to a cropping tool.
4. Resize handles by dragging to achieve the required size
5. Clock on a blank area to deselect the picture.
INSERTING MS WORD TABLE

1. Choose slide with table icon.

2. Double click table icon
3. Type in the number of rows ad column required.
4. Type in your information in the grid that appears.
5. After you finish typing in information click outside the grid to return to your presentation.
Or

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1. Open the slide on which you want to add to the table.
2. From the insert menu choose picture, then Microsoft word table.
3. Type in the number of rows and columns required.
4. Type in your information in the grid that appears.
5. After you finish typing in information click outside the grid to return to your presentation.
Inserting drawing objects
You may add drawing objects likes squares, rectanglesellipses, text boxes etc. to enhance your
slide.
1. Select a drawing object from the drawing toolbar.
2. Drag the plus pointer to draw the objects on the slide.
Rotating the drawing objects
On the drawing toolbar select rotate then drag along to rotate object
ORGANIZATION CHART
An Organization charts constructed to show lines of authority i.e all the workers and their titles.
Creating an organization chart
1. Open the presentation for which you want to add an organization chart.
2. On the insert menu point to picture and then click organization chart.
Or
Insert slide with organization chart icon.
Double click organization chart icon.
EDITIG ON ORGANIZATION CHART
Editing may involve moving some cart boxes to different locations deleting some chart boxes or
editing the text in the chart title chart boxes and text labels.
FINISHING THE SLIDE SHOW
ANIMATING TEXT AND ART OBJECT
Animation is customizing your objects, texts or slides to move automatically either by clicking or
by timers.
ANIMATING SLIDE TEXT / OBJECT
1. Switch to the slide view
2. Click on the slide you want to apply the animation effects.
3. From the slide show menu choose custom animation.

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4. From the custom animation dialog box apply the timing effect and play setting.
APPLYING SLIDE TIMINGS.
There are two ways you can set slide timing on the screen.
 By setting the timing manually for each slide
 By using the rehearse feature where you can record the timing automatically as you rehearse
SETTING THE SLIDE SHOW TIMINGS MANUALLY
1. On the slide or slide sorter view select the slide (s) you want to set the timing for.
2. On the slide show menu click slide transition.
3. Under advance click automatically after and there type in the number of second you want to
set.
4. Click apply/apply these timing to the selected slides.
5. To view the timing click slide show.
SETTING REHEARSED TIMINGS.
1. On the slide show toolbar click on rehearse timings.
2. Click on advanced buttons, as you are ready.
3. When you reach the end of the show a dialog box appears showing you the total timings for
the show.
4. Click yes to accept or otherwise.
USING SLIDE MASTER
A slide master is special slide on which you define formatting for all slides.
1. Select the slide master from the view menu (the slide appears showing different areas of the
slide master)
2. Format or insert objects appropriately.
INSERTING HEADERS & FOOTERS.
1. On the view menu click on header & footer.
2. Select the options you want in the header & footer dialog box.
3. Click apply to all button to add the information on all slides.

[Link]
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Creating a publication
1. On the file menu, click New.
2. In the New Publication, under new from a design, do one of the following:
 To create a publication that you want to print,click publications for print. Then under
publications for print, click the type of publication you want to create.
 To create a web site or publication you plan to send as an e-mail message, click web sites and
email. Then click web sites or email, and click the type of publication you want.
3. In the preview gallery, click the design you want.
4. Do any of the following:
 To change the publication’s overall design, click publication designs in the task pane.
 To change the publication’s color scheme, click font schemes in the task pane
 To change the publication’s font scheme,click font schemes in the task pane.
 If you are creating a web page ,newsletters or catalog,to change page content options,click
page content.
 Change or select any additional options in the task pane for the type of publication you have
created.
5. In your publication, replace the place holder text and pictures with your own or with other
objects.
6. On the file menu, click save As.
7. In the Save inbox, select the folder where you want to save the new publication.
8. In the file name box, type a name for your publication.
9. In the save as type box, select publisher files.
10. Click save.
1. On the File menu, click New.
2. In the New Publication, under New from a design, click Design sets
3. In the task pane, select the design set you want.
4. In the preview gallery, click the type of publication you want.
5. Do any of the following:
o To change the publication’s overall design, click publication designs in the task pane.
o To change the publication’s color scheme, click color schemes in the task pane.
o To change the publication’s font scheme, click font scheme in the task pane

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 o If you are creating a web page, newsletter, or catalog to change page content options, click
page content.
o Change or select any additional options in the task pane for the type of publication you have
created.
6. In your publication, replace the placeholder text and pictures with your own or with other
objects.
7. On the file menu, click save As.
8. In the save in box, select the folder where you want to save the new publication.
9. In the file name box, type a name for your publication.
10. In the save as type box, select publisher files.
11. Click save.
Create a publication from a blank page.
1. On the file menu, click new
2. In the new publication, under new, do one of the following:
o To create a publication you want to print,click blank print publication.
o To create a web page, click blank web page.
3. In your publication, add text pictures, and any other objects you want.
4. On the file menu, click save as.
5. In the save in box, select the folder where you want to save the new publication.
6. In the file name box, type a name for your publication.
7. In the save as type box, select publisher files.
8. Click save.
Create a publication from a template.
This procedure works only if you have created a template yourself with publisher (by choosing
publisher template in the save as type list when you saved the publication previously), or want to use
a third party template created for publisher.
1. On the file menu, click new.
2. In the new publication, under new from a design, click templates.
3. In the preview gallery, click the template you want.
4. Make the changes you want to create a new publication.
5. On the file menu, click save As.

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 6. In the save in box, select the folder where you want to save the new publication.
7. In the file name box, type a name for your publication.
8. In the save as type box, select publisher files.
9. Click save.
Creating a text box.
1. On the objects toolbar, click text box.
2. In your publication, point to where you want one corner of the text to appear, and then drag
diagonally until you have the box size you want.
Use the publisher word Document Wizard to enhance my word document.
The Microsoft publisher word document wizard formats an important Microsoft document as a
publication.
1. On the file menu, click new.
2. In the new publication, under new from a design, click publications for print
3. Under publications for print, click import word documents.
4. In the preview gallery, select the design you want.
5. In the import word document dialog box, click the word document you want, and then click
ok.
If you do not see the name of the document you want you may need to change the folder or
drive.
6. Use the options in the word import options task pane to format your publication.
Insert Word Art
1. On the objects, click insert word art.
2. In the word art gallery, click the effect you want, and then click ok.
3. In the edit word art text dialog box, type the text you wat, and then select any options you
want.
Create columns within a text box.
1. Right click the text box that you want to change, and then click format text box.
2. In the format text box dialog box, click the text box tab, and then click columns.
3. In the columns dialog box, type or select the number of columns you want in the numbers
box, and then type or select the spacing value (amount) you want in the spacing box.
4. Click ok twice.

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Create a table
Create a table and type text into it.
1. On the objects toolbar, click the insert table
2. Click inside your publication.
The create table dialog box will appear.
3. Select he options you want, and then click ok.
4. Size your table.
How?
Select the table, position the mouse pointer over a selection handle until you se the resizer icon, and
then drag to resize the table.
5. In the table, click the cell where you want to add text, and then start typing.
To add text to another cell, click inside that cell.
Each cell expands to fit your text, unless you lock the table size by clearing the check mark next to
Grow to Fit Text on the Table menu.
Resize a table
1. Select the table
2. Position the mouse pointer over one of the selection until you see resize icon.
3. Do one of the following:
o Select a corner handle, hold down SHIFT, and then drag the handle to change the table size.
o Select a top bottom or side handle, and then drag the handle to change the table.
Business card design

8 ADOBE READER
Adobe page maker is a powerful page layout package in DTP, which has the following features:
 It incorporates text and graphics to create a presentable publication.

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  It has a rich array of facilities/tools, which allows text and artworks to be imported from
other computer application packages.
 It allows precision, aligning, sizing and orientation of elements e.g using the mouse, on
screen control palettes, color window etc.
 Provide high-level typographical control and host of features which helps with the
organization, and management of long documents.
 New features allow designing web pages for publications on the internet.
 Page maker makes your work more efficient and your time more effective.
GRAPHICS –DESIGN PACKAGES (DTP)include:
 Quark A-press
 Adobe illustrator
 Aldus freehand
 Corel draw adobe PageMaker
 Adobe Photoshop
PUBLICATIONS THAT CAN BE MADE FROM DTP ARE:
 Books
 Magazines
 Letterheads
 Invitation cards etc
Desktop publisher terminologies
Publishing as an area of specialization has several terms worth knowing
Printing page-this is the working area. This is the area where printing is done.
PageMaker window-the entire content of the screen. It is also called an application window.
Document window-it contains the document’s title bar and the document control boxes on the
selected window and view menu options and other working palettes.
Paste board/clipboard-temporary working area for text and graphics.
Tool box palette-contains tools represented gradually inform of icons that are needed when
working with graphics and text.
Horizontal and vertical rulers-enables the addition of ruler guides which are non-printing so as to
allow precise insertion of text and graphics on a page. Rulers help in making measurements on the
screen.

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Zero point- this is the intersection of the vertical and horizontal rulers ,when you start a new single
sided publication, PageMaker puts a zero point at the intersection of the page.
Margin guides/grid lines-this are imaginary/non printing lines that marks the extremes of the
working area. Have the following characteristics: (a) are horizontal and vertical (b) are pink and
blue in color.
Title bar – displays the name of your document and appropriate path within the system, the drive
and directory/subdirectory in which the publication is found.
Page icons – displayed in the bottom left corner.
Master page icon – accessed from the window menu. It is a page document setup, which contains
all the repeated elements for the page. Master pages are labeled “L” and “R” for the left and right
pages respectively.
Point-a measure of physical size (dimension) of a character.
Landscape/wide-document orientation whereby page setup is horizontally aligned.
Kerning – is the amount of space between characters initially determined by the design of the font.
Loading – amount of space between lines of types. Measured from base line. Loading is
appropriately larger than the type size.
Dialog box-is the common way a window display command choices and options for you to choose.

Colors Palette
Shows you the colors that you can apply on objects on the page. The default color palette only has
eight colors but you can add custom colors or modify existing colors.
Control Palette
The control palette changes based on the tool that is selected at the time. With the pointer tool
selected, the control palette shows the X and Coordinates of the pointer. When the text tool is
selected, the control palette changes to allow you to see and modify various text attributes.
Page Icons
The L and R page icon represent the left and right master pages (master pages contain things like
page numbers, watermarks, or headers and footers that are seen at the same on every page).The
numbered page icon represents the pages in your document. The pages(s) edited. Click on a page
icon to view or edit the corresponding page.

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Entering, Editing, and Formatting Text
It is important to remember that Page Maker is a desktop publishing application, not a word
processor.
Page Maker story editor allows you to create and edit text, but for large amount of text, it is best to
create the text in a word processor and import it into PageMaker.
For short passages of text
I. Click on edit menu, and choose Edit story.
II. The story editor is a blank screen where you can begin typing. Notice that the control palette
contains several font settings.
III. The tool bar at the top of the screen also contains some new buttons such as bulleted list,
numbered list, indent, out dent, check spelling, etc.
IV. Type the text for the title of your publication
V. Select the text and use the control palette to change the font size.
VI. Notice that your changes won’t appear in the story editor-you will only see your formatting
when you close the story editor and return to the main document
VII. To return the main document, click on story menu and choose close story. And click place. I

Inserting graphics
I. Click on the file menu and choose place
II. Browse for the images file you want to insert. Select the file and click open
III. You may be warned about the size of the image file and asked whether to include a copy in
the file anyway. If you select yes, the image will be embedded in the PageMaker document.
IV. If the picture does not exactly fit in the frame, you may need to adjust the position of the
picture or resize either the picture or the frame. Make sure that the frame is selected and click on
the element menu and select framer, Frame options.
V. By default, the content (in this case the image) will be placed in the top left corner of the
frame
VI. Change the vertical alignment, Horizontal alignment, or both by selecting values from the
drop down menus
VII. Click ok
Saving Files

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 To save your page maker document, click on the File menu and choose save.
Give the file a name and select save.
Printing Files
To print a Page Maker publication, click on the file menu and choose print.
The printer and options you selected in the Document settings will determine what options are
available to you.
Exporting files
To export a PageMaker file to PDF format for electronic distribution, click on the file menu and
select Export, Adobe PDF

9. KEYBOARDING
STARDARD WINDOWS KEYBOARD LAYOUT- WINDOWS NATURAL KEYBOARD
The keyboard is an input device that is used to carry out different functions. The keyboard keys are
categorized as follows.
ESCAPE KEYS-used to exit an application or dialog box upon being pressed. It is also used to
exit from an active menu.
FUNCTION KEYS- are used to issue commands specific to the program that you are currently
using. They range from F1-F12.
NUMERIC KEYS- they range from 0-9, they contain the numeric keys and on top of them are
symbolic keys. For one to type the symbols they must be pressed together with the shift key e.g.
shift+2@ will display the @ symbol.
ALPHABETIC KEYS- they range from A-Z. Are used to type in the alphabetic letters.
TAB KEY-this key can be used to move forward through options in a dialog box.
Control + shift + tab can be used to move backward through the options.
Alt + tab- display a list of open windows keeping alt depressed and selecting tab cycles through the
list.
CAPS LOCK KEY- this key turns on and off the uppercase letters.
SPECIAL KEYS

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The special keys here include the shift, alt and ctrl keys. These keys are used in conjunction with
some other keys to achieve a certain task.
ALTERNATE KEY
Located on either side of the spacebar. Holding the alt key down and pressing another key will
initiate various actions, some of the more common ones are listed below:
Alt + F4- close the current active window. If there is no active window it opens the shutdown
dialog box.
Alt + spacebar- displays current window system menu. This is the same as left clicking on the
application icon on the top left of the window.
Alt + F- This works when a window is active and displays any menu starting with the pressed key
e.g. Alt + F can display neither the file menu nor the format menu.

CONTROL KEY
Depressing the ctrl key while clicking allows multiple selections. Holding the ctrl key down and
pressing other key combinations will initiate quite a number of actions. Some of the common ones
are listed below.
Ctrl +A -Selects all.
Ctrl +B -add or remove bold formatting.
Ctrl +C -copy, places the copied item on the clipboard.
Ctrl +C +C -opens the clipboard.
Ctrl +V -pastes the cut/copied item to the desired location.
Ctrl +I -add or remove italic formatting.
Ctrl +N -opens up a new window.
Ctrl +O -opens up a new window.
Ctrl +P -brings up the print dialog box.
Ctrl +S -for saving
Ctrl +U -add or remove underline formatting.
Ctrl +F -opens the find what dialog box.
Ctrl +} -increases the font size of selected text.
Ctrl + { -decreases the font size of selected text.

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Ctrl +F2 -takes you to the print preview window.
Ctrl +W -will close the currently open document.
Ctrl +Z -undo last action/command.
Ctrl +Y -redo last action/command.
Ctrl +Esc -open up the start menu.

SHIFT KEYS
Shift key is equally used in conjunction with some other keys to achieve a certain task, it is also
used in most cases to allow selection of capital letters.
Some of the common shift key functions include:
Shift + delete- for permanently deleting an item.
Shift + F3- For changing the cases.
SPACE BAR KEY
Used for spacing characters and words while typing.
WINDOWS KEY
Pressing this key displays the start menu. It is found on either side of the spacebar. Holding down
the windows key down and pressing another key will initiate quite a few actions. Some common
ones include:
Win + R- display the run command.
Win + D- Minimizes all windows and shows the desktop.
Win + F- display the search dialog box.
ENTER KEY
Creates a next paragraph when pressed or pushes the cursor to the next adjacent line when pressed.
It also causes command execution when pressed.

BACKSPACE
While working with text, use this key to delete characters to the left of the insertion point.
INSERT KEY
Used to toggle between insert mode and overtype mode (typing models).
HOME KEY-takes the cursor directly to the beginning of the sentence.
END KEY-takes the cursor directly to the end of the sentence.

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DELETE KEY-deletes typed characters from the right. It is also used to delete unwanted items.
PAGE UP KEY-takes you one screen up.
PAGE DOWN- takes you one screen down.
ARROW NAVIGATION/CURSOR MOVEMENT KEYS- used to move the cursor up, down,
left, right in a document, also used in selection of items.
NUMS LOCK KEY
NUMERIC KEYPAD- consists of the numeric keys plus the arithmetic symbols e.g. +,-,/,and *.
PAUSE/BREAK KEY- used to suspend an ongoing task.
PRINT SCREEN KEY- used to capture in form of a picture what’s currently displayed on the
screen.
Mouse
This is a small handled device. It is used for pointing & clicking items in the computer.
It is used to issue commands to the computer by activating certain spots on the screen. It has two
buttons and another one for scrolling.
The button represent the enter key (typing) the left key and the ESCAPE key.

10. INTERNET AND EMAIL

The internet sometimes simply called “the net” is a worldwide system of computer networks.
It is a network of networks in which users at any one compute can, if they have permission, get
information from any other computer (and sometimes talk directly to users at other computers).

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It was conceived by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the U.S Government in
1969 and was first known as the ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network).
Connecting a computer to the internet
Before you can connect to the internet and access the wide world web, you need to have certain
equipment. In brief, you must have a computer (preferably running an up-to-date operating
system); a modem and access to a telephone line or local area network (LAN) that is in turn
connected to the internet, and the connection software that will allow you to establish an account
with a service provider and access the internet.
A modem is not needed when accessing the internet through a LAN.
INTERNET TERMS
1. Internet service provider
An internet service provider (ISP, also called internet access provider or IAP) is a company which
offers their customers access to the internet. The ISP connects to its customers using a data
transmission technology appropriate for delivering internet protocol datagrams such as dial-up,
DSL, cable modem or dedicated high-speed interconnects.

IMPORTANCE OF THE INTERNET

Communication.
The foremost target of internet has always been the communication, and internet has excelled
beyond the expectations. Still, the innovations are going on to make it faster, more reliable. By the
advent of computers internet, our earth has attained the form of a global village.
Now we can communicate in a fraction of a second with a person who is sitting in the other part of
the world. Today for better communication, we can avail the facilities of e-mail; we can chat for
hours with our loved ones. There are plenty messenger services in offering with help of such
services, it has become very easy to establish a kind of global friendship where you can share your
thoughts, can explore other cultures of different ethnicity.
Information
Information is probably the biggest advantage internet is offering. The internet is a virtual treasure
trove of information. Any kind of information on any topic under the sun is available on the
internet. The search engines like Google, Yahoo is at your service on the internet. You can almost
find any type of data on almost any kind of subject that you are looking for. There is a huge

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 amount of information available on the internet for just about every subject known to man, ranging
from government law and services, trade fairs and conferences, market information, new ideas and
technical support, the list is endless.
Students and children are among the top users who surf the internet for research. Today,it is almost
required that students should use the internet for research for the purpose of gathering resources.
Teachers have started giving assignments that require research on the internet. Almost every
coming day, researches on medical issues become much easier to locate. Numerous websites
available on the net are offering loads of information for people to research diseases and talk to
doctors online at sites such as, America’s doctors. During 1998 over 20 million people reported
going online to retrieve health information.
Entertainment.
Entertainment is another popular raisond’etre why many people prefer to surf the internet. In fact,
media of internet has become quite successful in trapping multifaceted entertainment factor.
Downloading games, visiting chat rooms or just surfing the web are some of the uses people have
discovered. There are numerous games that may be downloaded from the internet for free. The
industry of online gaming has tasted dramatic and phenomenal attention by game lovers. Chat
rooms are popular because users can meet new and interesting people. In fact, the internet has been
successfully used by people to find lifelong partners. When people surf the web, there are
numerous things that can be found. Music, hobbies, news and more can be found and shared on the
internet.
Services.
Many services are now provided on the internet such as online banking, purchasing tickets for your
favorite movies, guidance services on array of topics engulfing the every aspect of life and hotel
reservations. Often these services are not available off-line and can cost you more.

E-commerce
E-commerce is the concept used for any type of commercial maneuvering or business deals that
involves the transfer of

ADVANTAGES OF INTERNET
1) It provides information to almost every places in the world

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 2) Help in selling and making money i.e. if you want to sell products or run business internet is
the best
3) Help to view bank balances (internet offers benefit to access bank balance)
4) Help on donations and funding i.e. projects and ideas it provides quickly
5) It also provides endless entertainment
6) It helps in the connectivity and sharing of information for long period
7) It provides knowledge and learning skills
8) It also provides direction and address information

DISADVANTAGES OF INTERNET
1) Addiction, time waster and causes distractions
2) pornographic and violent images
3)Identity theft, hacking viruses and cheating
4)affects focus and patience
5)depression, loneliness and social isolations
6) Buying of things you don’t want
7)Bullying, trolls, stalkers and crime
8) Never being able to disconnect from work

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