Texts and exercises on information science. Мартынов О.В. - 5 стр.

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TEXT 5
MS-DOS AND ITS MAIN TERMS
What is MS-DOS
The Microsoft MS-DOS operating system is like a translator
between you and your computer. The programmes in this operating
system allow you communicate with your computer, your disk drives and
your printer, letting you use these resources to your advantage.
MS-DOS also helps you to manage programmes and data. Once you
have loaded MS-DOS into your computer's memory, you can compose
letters and reports, run programmes and languages such as Microsoft
GW-BASIC, and use devices such as printers and disk drives.
Terms You Should Know
When you are introduced to a new or different idea, you must
often learn a new set of words to understand the idea. The MS-DOS
operating system is no exception. The following pages explain some
terms you will need to know so that you can read and use the manuals.
Programme
Programmes, often called application programmes, applications, or
software are series of instructions written in computer languages. These
instructions are stored in files and tell your computer to perform a task.
For example, a programme might tell your computer to alphabetically
sort a list of names. Spreadsheets and word processors are other examples
of programmes.
File
A file is a collection of related information, like the contents of a
file folder in a desk drawer. File folders, for instance, might contain
business letters, office memos, or monthly sales data. Files on your disks
could also contain letters, memos, or data. For example, your MS-DOS
master disk contains more than thirty files. Your other disks may
contain files that you've created, or that came with the disk.
Filename
Just as each folder in a file cabinet has a label, each file on a disk has
a name. This name has two parts: a filename and an extension. A
filename can be from one to eight characters in length, and can be typed
in uppercase or lowercase letters. MS-DOS automatically converts
filenames to uppercase letters.
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Filename extensions consist of a period followed by one, two, or
three characters. Extensions are optional, but it's good idea to use them,
since they are useful for describing the contents of a file to you and to
MS-DOS. For instance, if you want to be able to quickly identify your
report files, you can add the filename extension rpt to each one. Here's
an example of a filename with this extension.
progress .rpt
filename filename extension
Directory
A directory is a table of contents for a disk. It contains the names
of your files, their sizes, and the dates they were last modified.
Volume Label
When you use a new disk, you can put a label on the outside of it
to help you identify its contents. You can also give each of your disks
an internal name, called a volume label.
You can look at the volume label on a disk by displaying its
directory. Some programmes may look at the volume label to see if you
are using the correct disk. So make sure that you label your disks.
Disk Drive
To use the files or programmes that are on a floppy disk, you must
first insert the disk into a floppy disk drive. Floppy disk drives are
commonly referred to as the A drive and the В drive. A hard disk drive,
normally installed inside your computer, is usually referred to as the С
drive.
Drive Name
A complete drive name consists of a drive letter and a colon. When
using a command, you may need to type a drive name before your
filename to tell MS-DOS where to find the disk that contains your file.
For example, suppose you have a file named finances.doc on the disk in
drive B. To tell MS-DOS where to find this file you would type the drive
name before the filename:
b: finances.doc
drive name filename with extension

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