Integrated Software

As personal computers have come to be used to perform word processing, graphic design, spreadsheet analysis, data base management, accounting users have needed the capability of moving back and forth between these and other types of packages. For example, a person using a word processing package to write a report may need to include in the document a table from a spreadsheet package or a bar chart from a graphics package. One way to handle this task is to cut the table or chart physically from the hard copy of the spreadsheet or graphics document and paste it into the hard copy of the word processing document. However, this can be very inconvenient and can result in a document with an unprofessional appearance.

What the user would like to do is electronically shift the table or chart from the spreadsheet or graphics package into the word processing document. This too can be a problem if the form in which a table or chart is saved is incompatible with the form the word processing package can accept. To provide an easy-to-use method for working simultaneously with multiple operations— that is, graphics, spreadsheets, word processing, and so on—integrated packages have been developed. An integrated package contains some or all of the most commonly used operations, with a specific procedure for shifting between oper­ations. Popular integrated packages for personal computers include Lotus Works from Lotus, Framework from Ashton-Tate, and Microsoft Office.

The use of multiple operations and the capability to transfer information between operations are often tied together through windows. A window is a section of the monitor screen that displays the current status of an operation. For example, an integrated package may use a window to display the status of a spreadsheet while a word processing document is being edited. Windows may also be used to display the current status of multiple operations that are using the same data. For example, an integrated package may use one window to dis­play a spreadsheet and another window to display the graph associated with that spreadsheet. Windows are also used with some operating systems to show the output from different packages that are running concurrently on the computer and to show full-motion video on the screen.

Integrated software is software for personal computers that combines the most commonly used functions of many productivity software programs into one application.

The integrated software genre has been largely overshadowed by fully functional office suites, most notably Microsoft Office, but at one time was considered the "killer application" type responsible for the rise and dominance of the IBM PC in the desktop business computing world.^[1]

In the early days of the PC before GUIs became common, user interfaces were text-only and were operated mostly by function key and modifier key sequences. Every program used a different set of keystrokes, making it difficult for a user to master more than one or two programs. Programs were loaded from floppy disk, making it very slow and inconvenient to switch between programs and difficult or impossible to exchange data between them (to transfer the results from a spreadsheet to a word processor document for example). In response to these limitations, vendors created multifunction "integrated" packages, eliminating the need to switch between programs and presenting the user with a more consistent interface.

The potential for greater ease-of-use made integrated software attractive to home markets as well as business, and packages such as the original AppleWorks for the Apple II and Jane for the Commodore 128 were developed in the 1980s to run on most popular home computers of the day.

Context MBA was an early example of the genre, and featured spreadsheet, database, chart-making, word processing and terminal emulation functions. However, because it was written in Pascal for portability, it ran slowly on the relatively underpowered systems of the day. Lotus 1-2-3, which followed it, had fewer functions but was written in assembler providing it with a speed advantage that allowed it to become the predominant business application for personal computers.

The integrated software market of today is exemplified by entry-level programs such as Microsoft Works which are often bundled with personal computers as "starter" productivity suites.

KEY TERMS

accounting software бухгалтерське програмне забезпечення

cells комірки

command-driven package пакет, що ініціюється командою користувача

data base management програмне забезпечення для керування software базами даних

documentation files файли документації

financial analysis software програмне забезпечення для фінансового аналізу

freeware програмне забезпечення, що вільно (безкоштовно) розповсюджується

generic operating system операційна система загального користування

graphical user interface (GUI) графічний інтерфейс користувача

integrated package пакет прикладних програм

local area network (LAN) локальна комп’ютерна мережа

menu driven package пакет програм, що запускається за допомогою меню

personal budgeting software програмне забезпечення для планування бюджету

personal productivity software програмне забезпечення, що дозволяє збільшити продуктивність робітника

prompt запрошення для введення команд

proprietary operating system операційна система у якої є власник

pull-down menu меню що випадає

shareware умовно-безкоштовне програмне забезпечення

software package пакет програм

sorting сортування

spreadsheet електронна таблиця, що використовується для розрахунків

user friendly доброзичливий до користувачів інтерфейс, інтуїтивно зрозумілий

user's manual керівництво користувача

utility software допоміжне (додаткове) програмне забезпечення

wide area network (WAN) розподілена комп’ютерна мережа

word processing software програмне забезпечення для обробки тексту

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