| In previous articles in the History of the | | | | in the level of separation from the 'works'. The |
| Computer series we looked at adding, counting, | | | | java programmer does not need to consider how |
| and memory etc. But what are we going to do | | | | the computer knows when it has finished |
| with these components? How do they all tie | | | | multiplying two numbers. He doesn't even know |
| together? What is the connection between | | | | that it is multiplying, or even what type of |
| Windows or a form you fill out for the | | | | computer his program is running on. The analyst is |
| Government, and the bits of a computer we | | | | aware of how the computer handles the 'bits' and |
| have looked at?We are looking at general purpose | | | | uses this knowledge to make the operation more |
| commercial computers here, which means that, | | | | efficient.We are concerned here with how the |
| within reason, anyone can buy a computer and | | | | computer carries out its task, rather than how |
| use it for their business. For example an oil | | | | someone might wish to use it, but it is interesting |
| company might use it to analyse survey results | | | | to know what may be relying on its smooth |
| carried out in the South Atlantic. An Airline could | | | | operation.A program consists of a series of |
| use it to schedule freight shipments between | | | | commands to the computer to perform various |
| Caracas and other South American Airports. The | | | | tasks. As we have seen, the computer works in |
| same computer could be used to run a bank's | | | | '1s and 0s', so its no good feeding a java script on |
| ATM network. All of these could simultaneously | | | | a card into the slot on the front of the machine, |
| run what we may consider the most important | | | | like you may have seen in early black and white |
| program, the Payroll!How do these users get 'their' | | | | movies! There are other programs, like compilers |
| system to run their business on the same | | | | and interpreters to reduce the 'code' the |
| computer as another user with an entirely | | | | programmer writes to 'machine code'.Different |
| different business? | | | | proprietary systems, like IBM or Univac, had |
| The answer of course is - software. But what is | | | | different architecture - hardware design (and |
| software?You could ask different people in IT this | | | | different operating systems to make them work). |
| question, and get different answers. A | | | | However the principle is the same. We will look at |
| programmer working in Java sees a different | | | | a small program to see how the computer would |
| aspect of software from an analyst working on | | | | handle it.In Part 2 we will look at how a machine |
| the operating system. A different view again is | | | | code program is made up to instruct the |
| seen by the design engineer making sure the | | | | logic.Tony is an experienced computer engineer. |
| computer follows its instructions.The difference is | | | | |