Computer Fundamentals and Programming Comprehensive Study Guide

Learning Outcomes and Course Introduction

• Practice Christian values while developing computer solutions.

• Follow and comply with ethical standards in computer and information use.

• Develop a foundation in basic information technology concepts.

• Explain the impact of computers on global, economic, environmental, and social contexts.

• Apply current developments in computers to the engineering field.

• Evaluate computer applications to simplify office tasks.

• Describe and apply engineering techniques and problem-solving skills using computers.

• Design and create algorithms, then translate them into workable computer programs following standards and conventions.

• Work independently to analyze problems and discuss solutions.

• Practice programming skills and work effectively as a team member.

• Technical content includes Windows, word processing (MS Word), spreadsheets (MS Excel), algorithm development, and Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) using Java.

• Java concepts include syntax, semantics, variables, data types, operators, expressions, input/output, control structures (conditional and iterative), methods, parameter passing, modularization, arrays, wrapper classes, and string processing.

Module 1: The Computer

• Definition: A computer is an electronic device performing activities involving mathematical, logical, and graphical manipulations. It is a collection of devices functioning together as a system under the control of instructions stored in its own memory.

• Input-Process-Output (IPO) Model:

  1. Receive data and instructions from the input device.

  2. Process data per instructions.

  3. Provide the result (output) in a desired form.

• Data vs. Information:

  • Data: Raw facts and details such as text, observations, figures, symbols, and descriptions. Example: Responses gathered from a survey.

  • Information: Processed, organized, and structured data that provides context. Example: Survey responses compiled into a tabular form for interpretation.

• Programs and Software:

  • Computer Program: A collection of instructions executed by a computer to perform a specific task.

  • Software: A set of instructions causing hardware to function. Using a metaphor: Hardware is the TV set, while software is the TV studio program. Without software, hardware is a "dead machine."

• Categories of Software:

  • Operating System (OS): Manages computer resources and schedules operations. Acts as an interface (bridge) between hardware and user programs.

    • Character User Interface (CUI): Keyboard-only operation (e.g., MS-DOS, UNIX).

    • Graphical User Interface (GUI): Operated via mouse and keyboard (e.g., Windows XP, Windows 7).

  • Translators: Software that translates instructions from various languages into machine language.

  • Utility Programs: Pre-written programs for day-to-day maintenance (e.g., COPY, SORT, virus scanners).

  • Application Programs: User-written programs for specific jobs, customizable to individual needs (written in BASIC, C, dBASE, or Oracle).

  • General Purpose Packages: Developed for research/scientists.

    • Data Analysis: SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science), MSTAT, SAS.

    • Word Processing: MS-Word, Google Docs.

    • Spreadsheet: MS-Excel, Lotus, Google Spreadsheets.

    • Graphics: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop.

    • Databases: Oracle, MS Access.

Windows Operating System and Desktop

• OS Functions:

  1. Processor Management: Assigns the processor to different tasks.

  2. Memory Management: Allocates main memory and storage to programs and data.

  3. Input/Output Management: Coordinates assignment of I/O devices.

  4. File Management: Facilitates changing and modifying files via editors.

  5. Priority System: Determines the execution order of jobs.

  6. Command Interpretation: Interprets instructions.

  7. Communication: Facilitates interaction between the system and the operator.

• Desktop Components:

  • My Computer: Allows viewing attached drives (local hard disks, CD/DVD, USB, network shared drives) and files.

  • My Documents: A "catch-all" for personal files, music, and pictures (sometimes identified by user name).

  • Recycle Bin: Temporary storage for deleted files until emptied.

  • Internet Explorer: Integrated web browser.

• Icons: Graphic images representing files, programs, web pages, or commands.

  • Folder Icons: Store files and other folders.

  • File Icons: Collections of data identified by a filename, a period, and a file extension (e.g., .docx). Size ranges from bytes to gigabytes.

  • Shortcut Icons: Links to programs, identified by a small arrow in the bottom corner of the icon.

• Icon Operations:

  • Arrange: Right-click desktop > Sort by > Select option.

  • View/Hide: Right-click > View > Toggle Auto Arrange.

  • Resize: Right-click > View > Select size.

Windows Interface and Operations

• Start Menu Activities: Starting programs, opening folders, searching for items, adjusting settings, getting help, and power options.

• Power Options:

  • Shut Down: Turns off the computer.

  • Switch User: Allows another person to log on without closing current programs.

  • Log Off: Closes programs but keeps the computer on.

  • Lock: Secures the PC, requiring a password to return.

  • Restart (Warm/Soft Boot): Saves info, turns off briefly, and reboots.

  • Sleep: Low-power state for quick resumption.

• Parts of a Window:

  1. Title Bar: Displays document/program name.

  2. Minimize, Maximize, Close Buttons: Hides, enlarges, or exits the window.

  3. Menu Bar: Provides choice items.

  4. Scroll Bar: Moves contents into view.

  5. Borders and Corners: Used to drag and resize windows.

• Switcher Shortcuts: Use Alt+Tab to switch between open windows.

• Folder/Library Window Parts:

  • Navigation Pane: Accesses libraries, folders, and Favorites.

  • Back/Forward Buttons: Navigates previously opened folders.

  • Address Bar: Shows current path or allows navigation.

  • Toolbar: Context-relevant buttons for common tasks.

  • Column Headings: Available in Details view; used for sorting and filtering.

  • File List: Displays contents.

  • Search Box: Filters files as the user types.

  • Details Pane: Displays file properties (author, date, tags).

• Dialog Boxes: Special windows for questions/options; cannot be maximized or minimized but can be moved.

Working with Files and Folders

• Selection:

  • Single: Click once.

  • Consecutive Group: Click first item, hold Shift, click last item.

  • Non-consecutive: Hold Ctrl and click individual items.

  • Adjoining (Mouse): Drag pointer around items.

  • All: Organize > Select all (Shortcut: Ctrl+A).

• Rename: Right-click > Rename OR press F2.

• Copying: Right-click > Copy (Ctrl+C), then Right-click > Paste (Ctrl+V). Original remains.

• Moving (Cutting): Right-click > Cut (Ctrl+X), then Right-click > Paste (Ctrl+V). Original is removed from the old location.

• Deleting: Right-click > Delete OR press Del. Items from the hard disk go to the Recycle Bin. Items from USB/network might be permanently deleted immediately.

• Permanent Deletion: Shift+Delete bypasses the Recycle Bin. Emptying the Recycle Bin removes files permanently.

Module 2: The Word Processing Program (MS Word)

• Interface:

  • Title Bar: Shows the document name.

  • File Tab: Replaces the old Office Button; used for file-level commands.

  • Quick Access Toolbar: Customizable commands (Save, Undo, Redo).

  • Ribbon: Eight tabs (File, Home, Insert, Page Layout, References, Mailings, Review, View) divided into logical groups.

  • Status Bar: Shows page count, section, zoom slider, etc.

• Advanced Features:

  • Table of Contents (TOC): Requires Heading Styles (Heading 1, 2, 3). Insert via References tab > Table of Contents.

  • Bibliography: Uses built-in styles (APA, MLA). Add sources via References > Insert Citation > Add new source. Insert via Bibliography button.

APA Formatting in MS Word

• General Rules:

  • Margins: 1 inch all around.

  • Font: Times New Roman, 12-point size.

  • Alignment: Left-aligned (not justified).

  • Spacing: Double-spaced ($2.0$).

• Title Page: Includes Title, Name, Institution, Page Header, and Running Head.

• Running Head: Abbreviated version of the title (max 50 characters, ALL CAPS) on the first line.

• Page Number: Upper right corner.

• Page Breaks: Used to start new sections (Title, Abstract, Body, References, Appendix).

• Abstract: Self-contained summary, max 120 words. No indentation for the first line.

• Headings:

  • First Level: Centered, uppercase and lowercase.

  • Second Level: Flush left, italicized, uppercase and lowercase.

• Citations:

  • Formal structure: Smith and Jones ($2004$) found…

  • Parenthetical: …research supports results (Brown & Greene, $2006$; Hamilton, $2008$).

  • No author: Use first few words of title: ("Einstein Online," n.d.).

  • Direct Quotations: Always include author, year, and page number (e.g., p. $121$ or para. $4$).

  • Short Quotes (<40 words): Use double quotes within the sentence.

  • Long Quotes (>40 words): Block of text, double-spaced, indented $0.5$ inches from the left, no quotation marks.

• References Page: Entries organized by first author's last names. Use hanging indents. If $7+$ authors, list first $6$ then use "et al."

Mail Merge Features

• Components:

  1. Form Document: Contains the main message and placeholders/merge fields (denoted by << >>).

  2. Data File (List): Stores individual data (names, addresses) in Word, Excel, or Access.

• Steps for Mail Merge:

  1. Write form document.

  2. Mailings > Start Mail Merge > Letters.

  3. Select Recipients > Type a New List.

  4. Customize columns (Add/Delete fields).

  5. Enter record data.

  6. Insert Merge Field where placeholders belong.

  7. Preview Results > Finish & Merge.

Module 3: The Spreadsheet Program (MS Excel)

• Interface Structure:

  • Application Window: Contains the Ribbon, Formula Bar, and Name Box.

  • Workbook Window: Contains the actual worksheets.

• Worksheet Constraints: Max of $1,048,576$ rows and $16,384$ columns.

• Basic Elements:

  • Cell: Intersection of a row (numbers) and column (letters). Address example: $C5$.

  • Cell Range: A group of cells referred to by the first and last cell separated by a colon (e.g., $A1:B8$).

  • Fill Handle: A small square in the bottom-right of a cell used to copy content or continue a series (Monday, Tuesday; $1, 2, 3$).

• Formulas and Math:

  • Must start with an equal sign ($=$).

  • Operators: Addition ($+$), Subtraction ($-$), Multiplication ($*$), Division ($/$), Exponents (^).

  • Order of Operations: Parentheses > Exponents > Multiplication/Division > Addition/Subtraction.

• Cell References:

  • Relative: Changes based on position when copied (e.g., $=A1+B1$ becomes $=A2+B2$).

  • Absolute: Does not change. Uses dollar signs (e.g., $\$A\$2$ stays constant; $\$A2$ keeps column constant; $A\$2$ keeps row constant).

  • Shortcut: Use F4 to toggle reference types.

Common Excel Functions

• Syntax: $= \text{FUNCTION}(\text{argument1}, \text{argument2}, ...)$

• Basic Functions:

  • SUM: Adds everything in the range.

  • AVERAGE: Returns the arithmetic mean.

  • MIN / MAX: Returns smallest/largest number in a set.

  • COUNT: Counts cells containing numbers.

  • ROUND(number, num_digits): Rounds to specified decimal places.

• Conditional Functions:

  • COUNTIF(range, criteria): Counts cells meeting a condition (e.g., $>32$, "apples").

  • SUMIF(range, criteria, [sum_range]): Sums cells meeting a condition.

  • IF(logical_test, value_if_true, value_if_false): Logical branching.

• Text Functions:

  • LEFT / RIGHT: Extracts characters from either side.

  • PROPER: Capitalizes each word.

  • TRIM: Removes extra spaces.

  • UPPER: Converts to all caps.

  • CONCATENATE: Joins text from multiple cells.

Data Management and Charts

• Sorting: Reorganizing data alphabetically or numerically. "Sort Sheet" affects all data; "Sort Range" affects a specific selection.

• Filtering: Narrowing down data via drop-down arrows in header cells.

• Chart Types:

  • Column: Vertical bars for comparisons.

  • Line: Shows trends over time.

  • Pie: Proportions of a whole.

  • Bar: Horizontal bars.

  • Area: Filled-in line charts.

  • Surface: 3D landscape for large data sets.

• Chart Elements: Titles, legends, and data labels can be added via the Design tab.

Module 4: Java Fundamentals

• Programming Language: A standardized communication technique to specify instructions, data storage, and actions for a computer. Examples: Java, Python, C++, COBOL, FORTRAN.

• History of Java: Developed in the early $1990\text{s}$ by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems (originally named "Oak"). Launched in $1995$.

• Design Goals: Simple, Secure, Distributed, Object-oriented, Robust, Portable ("Write once, run anywhere"), Interpreted (Bytecodes), Multithreaded, High-performance.

• Java Platform Components:

  • Java Virtual Machine (JVM): Interprets bytecodes into machine language of the underlying hardware.

  • Compiler (javac): Transforms source code (.java) into bytecodes (.class).

  • Interpreter (java): Executes the bytecode.

• Classes and Main Method: All Java programs are made of classes. To be executable, a class must be public and contain a public static void main(String[] args) method.

• Comments:

  • Single line: // comment

  • Multi-line: /* comment */

• Identifiers: Tokens representing names (variables, classes, etc.).

  • Rules: Cannot be keyword; must start with letter, _, or $; no whitespace; max $65,535$ characters.

  • Standards: Variable/methods start with lowercase (camelCase); Classes start with uppercase (PascalCase); Constants use all caps with underscores.

Java Data Types and Variables

• Primitive Data Types:

  • Integer types: byte ($1$ byte, $-128$ to $127$), short ($2$ bytes), int ($4$ bytes, $\text{~} ±2 \text{ billion}$), long ($8$ bytes).

  • Floating point: float ($4$ bytes), double ($8$ bytes).

  • Boolean: boolean (values: true, false).

  • Character: char ($2$ bytes, uses Unicode character set).

• Strings: String is an object/class, not a primitive. Literal values use double quotes: "text".

• Separators: Parentheses ( ), braces { }, brackets [ ], semicolon ;, comma ,, period ..

• Constants: Declared using the final keyword. Value cannot change after initialization.

• Output Methods:

  • System.out.println(): Prints and moves to next line.

  • System.out.print(): Prints on the same line.

• Escape Sequences:

  • \t: Tab

  • \n: Newline

  • \": Double quote

  • \\: Backslash

  • \u00b0: Unicode degree symbol ($°$).

Module 5: Java Operators & Program Development

• Arithmetic Operators: Addition (+), Subtraction (-), Multiplication (*), Division (/), Modulus (% - Remainder).

  • Negative modulus: Result takes the sign of the dividend (e.g., -34 \text{ % } 5 = -4).

• Unary Operators: Increment (++) adds $1$; Decrement (--) subtracts $1$.

• Relational Operators: >, >=, <, <=, == (equal to), != (not equal to). Returns boolean.

• Logical Operators:

  • && (AND): True if all are true.

  • || (OR): True if at least one is true.

  • ! (NOT): Reverses the value.

• Operator Precedence Hierarchy:

  1. () [] (Parentheses/Array)

  2. ++ -- + - ! (Unary)

  3. * / % (Multiplicative)

  4. + - (Additive)

  5. << >> (Bitwise Shift)

  6. < <= > >= instanceof (Relational)

  7. == != (Equality)

  8. & ^ | (Bitwise AND/XOR/OR)

  9. && || (Logical AND/OR)

  10. ?: (Ternary)

  11. = += -= *= /= %= (Assignment)

• Program Development Life Cycle:

  1. Problem Definition: Defining I/O requirements.

  2. Problem Analysis: Formulation and sub-problem breakdown.

  3. Algorithm Design: Step-by-step specification (Human language or Flowchart).

  4. Coding and Debugging: Writing source code and fixing errors (bugs).

• Errors:

  • Compile-Time: Syntax errors, missing semicolons. Prevents execution.

  • Runtime: Logic errors, infinite loops. Occurs while the program is running.

Flowcharting Symbols

• Terminal (Oval): Represents Start/End.

• Process (Rectangle): Represents a change in value or location of info.

• Input/Output (Parallelogram): Making data available or displaying results.

• Decision (Diamond): Represents alternative paths to follow.

• Flowline (Arrow): Indicates the sequence of operations.

• Connector (Circle): Entry/exit to another part of the chart.

Module 6 & 7: Input and Selection Structures

• User Input: The Scanner class from java.util.Scanner package is preferred.

  • Setup: Scanner kbd = new Scanner(System.in);

  • Methods: nextInt(), nextDouble(), next(), nextLine().

• Math Class Functions:

  • Math.PI: Returns value of $\frac{22}{7}$.

  • Math.pow(a, b): Returns $a^b$.

  • Math.sqrt(a): Returns $\sqrt{a}$.

• Selection Statements:     1. If Statement:java if (condition) { statements; } else { statements; }          2. Nested Ifs: An if statement within another if/else.     3. If-Else-If Ladder: Sequence of nested ifs executed top-down until a condition is true.     4. Switch Statement: Dispatch execution to different parts based on the value of a byte, short, int, or char expression.

  • Key term: break terminates the case sequence. Without break, execution "falls through" to the next case.

  • default: sequence executes if no case matches.

Module 8: Iteration Control Structures (Loops)

• For Loop: Used when the number of iterations is fixed.

  • Structure: for(initialization; condition; iteration) { body }

• While Loop: Used when the number of iterations is not fixed; checks condition before executing body.

  • Structure: while(condition) { body }

• Do-While Loop: Executes body at least once, then checks condition at the bottom.

  • Structure: do { body } while (condition);

• Infinite Loops:

  • For: for(;;){}

  • While: while(true){}

  • Do-While: do{}while(true);

Module 9: Arrays

• Definition: A collection of objects of the same data type with a fixed number of values.

• One-Dimensional Array:

  • Declaration: int month_days[];

  • Allocation: month_days = new int[12]; (Initialized to zero).

  • Indexing: Starts at $0$. Access element $4$ via month_days[3].

  • Manual Initialization: int days[] = {31, 28, 31, 30};

• Multidimensional Array: An "array of arrays."

  • Declaration: int twoD[][] = new int[4][5]; (Conceptualizes as rows and columns).

Module 10: Java Methods

• Structure: modifier returnType name(Parameter List) { body }

• Components:

  • Modifier: (Optional) Defines access type (e.g., public static).

  • Return Type: The type of value returned; void if there is no return value.

  • Method Signature: The combination of name and parameter list.

• Return Statement: Transfers control back to the caller.

• Passing Parameters: Java passes parameters by value (the value is copied; original argument remains unchanged).

• Method Overloading: Having multiple methods with the same name but different parameter lists (type, order, or number).

Module 11: Wrapper Classes and Strings

• Wrapper Classes: Objects that correspond to primitive types (e.g., Integer for int, Double for double, Character for char, Boolean for boolean). Necessary for Collection objects like ArrayList.

• Autoboxing: Automatic conversion from primitive to wrapper object.

• Unboxing: Automatic conversion from wrapper object to primitive.

• Wrapper Methods: intValue(), doubleValue(), toString().

• String Class Methods:

  • toUpperCase() / toLowerCase(): Converts casing.

  • trim(): Removes leading/trailing spaces.

  • length(): Returns number of characters.

  • concat(): Joins two strings.

  • equals(): Compares content (returns boolean).

  • equalsIgnoreCase(): Compares content ignoring case.

  • compareTo(): Compares lexicographically based on Unicode values ($0$ if equal, positive if first is greater, negative if second is greater).

  • indexOf(substring): Returns index of first occurrence or $-1$ if not found.