A/L ICT Revision Notes

GATHERING, STORING, AND

PROCESSING DATA

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What is data?
Data are raw facts and figures.
Before data can be processed it has to be
gathered or collected.

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Data Management
Input : entering the data into the system.
Processing : input data is manipulated to produce meaningful information

Output : output meaningful information to the user and other programs

Storage : meaningful information stored for further processing and later uses
Feedback : responses from user/other programs given back to input
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Data gathering methods are many

Questionnaires

Closed questions
are the easiest to
answer and
easiest to
process.
Are You Married?
Open-ended
questions are
more descriptive.
How do you
describe Sri
Lanka?
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Data capture forms

Used for collecting specific data for
processing into a database

Data logging
Automatically collect and store
data. The collected data can
then be uploaded to a
computer.
Temperature sensors
Wind speed sensor
Rainfall detectors
Light detectors

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Feedback

An Air conditioner use heat sensors to automatically turn

on and off the cooling system.
The sensors feed temperature data to the control unit,
which turns the cooling system on/off.

Optical Mark Readers (OMR)

OMR readers sense marks made on specially

designed data capture forms.
OMR is a very cheap, easy and quick to handle
system of inputting data, but if a user makes a
mistake, the mistakes can be difficult to correct.

Optical Character Readers (OCR)

Optical character
recognition uses a
scanner to input text
into the database.
Requires software to
convert the scanned
image of each letter into
an ASCII code
often confuses similar
shaped letters and
numbers like S and 5, B
and 8.

Barcode

Barcodes useful in entering coded data

The lines on a barcode represent
numbers.
Scanned very quickly using a laser
scanner.

Magnetic strips

Magnetic strips are used to store

specific encrypted data.
This data can be read by a magnetic
strip reader.

Data Validation
When data has been collected.
It must be validated. This is the process of
detecting inaccurate, incomplete, or
unreasonable data.
Range checks ( Is the person above 18 years?)
Presence checks ( Has the age entered?)
Check digits (Does the phone number has 10 digits)
Data type checks (Is the age a number ?)
Parity checks (Data transmission check passed?)
Parity is the sum of the bits within of a byte. A parity error
occurs when one of the bits is changed during
transmission. Then re-transmission is requested.

Compare and Contrast

Computerised information systems

Computerised information systems have
several advantages over manual
information systems.
These include:
Greater flexibility
Speed

Computerized Vs Paper-Based

Holds vast amount of data

Very fast to find data/information
Complex searching
Analysis not easy (Most sold books)
Easy update/amend ability
Records are stored safely
Records can be backed up
Kept secure using passwords
Shared access / multi user access

Limited by storage space

Manual search
Difficult to search specific criteria
Analysis not easy
Difficult to update / amend
Records can be messy
Records can be lost, destroyed
Difficult make copies
Security is a risk
Single person access

Spell checker
Grammar checker
Custom dictionary
Length check
Lookup table
What do they do?
Where they might be used?

ATM Transaction Process

Explain Input, Processing, Output, Storage and Feedback

Mobile Computing Network

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Air Line Ticket Reservation

Study Data Storage , Relationships, Decisions

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Data Base Management

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