What is Open Source Software?

 

Open Source Software is software that has been developed by lots of individuals for free on a volunteer basis. The Source Code is made available for other people to use and alter, which often makes it very appealing for developers who don't want to build something from scratch.

 

What is Proprietary Software?

 

Proprietary Software is owned by the individual or company that commissioned or developed it. In this instance the source code is kept secret because this is the company's competitive edge over others in the industry. The software that runs your Bloomtools Website and Database Marketing is an example of proprietary software. It has been developed in-house by our own team of developers and it is our unique design which sets us apart from other website developers that use the open source Wordpress or Joomla CMS applications that other website developers may use.

1.5 Analyses the activities of Data Processing Life Cycle

Data processing life cycle?

it is a way to convert data into information.

Manual data gathering methods

•Registration

•Questionnaires

•Interviews

•Direct observations

•Reporting

 

Interviews 

• •Face -to -face interviews
• •Telephone interviews
• •Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing

 

Questionnaires

• Paper-pencil-questionnaires 
• Web based questionnaire

Automatic data gathering methods

ICT - Methods of data collection

OCR – Optical character recognition
OMR – Optical mark recognition
ICR – Intelligent character recognition
BCR – Barcode recognition
MICR – Magnetic ink character recognition

Data validation methods

Data validation is the process of ensuring that a program operates on clean, correct and useful data. It uses routines, often called "validation rules" or "check routines", that check for correctness, meaningfulness, and security of data that are input to the system.

•Allowed character checks
•Batch totals
•Cardinality check
•Check digits
•Consistency checks
•Control totals
•Cross-system consistency checks
•Data type checks
•File existence check
•Format or picture check
•Hash totals
•Limit check
•Logic check
•Presence check
•Range check
•Referential integrity
•Spelling and grammar check
•Uniqueness check
•Table Look Up Check

Mode of data input

 

What are direct data entry devices?

A direct data device is a device that can transfer data automatically from a document eg. a barcode reader reads a barcode

Remote data entry

A remote data entry (RDE) system is a computerized system designed for the collection of data in electronic format.

 

What is the difference between direct data entry and indirect data entry?

Direct data capture is the collection of data for a particular purpose (e.g. barcodes being read at a supermarket so that the product can be identified or account details being read directly from the chip embedded in the credit card.)

 

Indirect data capture is the collection of data as a by-product from data collected for another purpose (e.g. using data collected from reading barcodes at a supermarket till to work out the stock levels or using data collected from reading barcodes to see whether an item is selling well.)

Real time processing

In a real time processing, there is a continual input, process and output of data. Data has to be processed in a small stipulated time period (real time), otherwise it will create problems for the system. 

Examples:

• Traffic lights
• Heart rate monitoring
• Aircraft control
• Computer games
• Controlling robots
• Banking

Batch processing

In a batch processing group of transactions collected over a period of time is collected, entered, processed and then the batch results are produced. Batch processing requires separate programs for input, process and output. It is an efficient way of processing high volume of data.
For example: 

Payroll system, Examination system and billing system.