1

Chapter 1 IntroductiontoComputers,
InternetandWorldWideWeb
Outline
1.1 Introduction
1.2 What is a Computer?
1.3 Computer Organization
1.4 Evolution of Operating Systems
1.5 Personal Computing, Distributed Computing
and Client/ Server Computing
1.6 Machine Languages, Assembly Languages
and High-Level Languages
1.7 Structured Programming
1.8 Object-Oriented Programming
1.9 Hardware Trends
1.10 History of the Internet and World Wide Web
1.11 World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
1.12 Extensible Markup Language (XML)

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 2
Chapter 1 IntroductiontoComputers,
InternetandWorldWideWeb
Outline
1.13 Open-Source Software Revolution
1.14 History of Python
1.15 Python Modules
1.16 General Notes about Python and This Book

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 3
1.1 Introduction

Introduction to Python programming

Introduction to various topics
Common Gateway Interface (CGI)
ObjectorientedProgramming(OOP)
Python database application programming interface (DB
API)
ExtensibleMarkupLanguage(XML)
Security
WebAccessibility
Current computer trends
Computer use increasing/cost decreasing

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 4
1.2 What is a Computer?
Computer
Device capable of
Performing computations
Making logical decisions
Works billions of times faster than human beings
Fastest supercomputers today
Perform hundreds of billions of additions per second

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 5
1.2 What is a Computer? (II)

Programs
Sets of instructions that process data
Guide computer through orderly sets of actions specified by
computer programmers
Computer system
Comprised of various hardware devices
Keyboard
Screen (monitor)
Disks
Memory
Processing Units

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 6
1.3 Computer Organization

Every computer divided into six units

1. Input unit
Receiving section of computer
Obtains data from input devices
Usually a keyboard, mouse, disk or scanner
Places data at disposal of other units
2. Output unit
Shipping section of computer
Puts processed info on various output devices
Screens, paper printouts, speakers
Makes info available outside the computer

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 7
1.3 Computer Organization (II)

3. Memory unit
Rapid access, low capacity warehouse
Retains information entered through input unit
Retains info that has already been processed until can be sent
to output unit
Often called memory, primary memory, or random access
memory (RAM)
4. Arithmetic and Logic Unit
Manufacturing section of computer
Performs calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division)
Contains decision mechanisms and can make comparisons

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 8
1.3 Computer Organization (III)

5. Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Administrative section of computer
Coordinates and supervises other sections
6. Secondary storage unit
Long-term, high-capacity warehouse
Stores programs or data not currently being used by other units
on secondary storage devices (like discs)
Takes longer to access than primary memory

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 9
1.4 Evolution of Operating Systems

Early Computers
Single-user batch processing
Jobs on decks of punched cards
One job ran at a time
Results took hours to process
Operating Systems
Managed transitions between jobs
Increased amount of work computer could accomplish
Multiprogramming
Simultaneous operation of several jobs
Computer resources split between jobs
Still took long hours for results

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 10
1.4 Evolution of Operating Systems (II)

Timesharing Operating Systems (1960s)

Computers accessed through terminals
Devices with keyboards and screens
Hundreds of people use system at once
Quickly performs small portions of each persons job
Gives appearance of running simultaneously

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 11
1.4 Evolution of Operating Systems (III)

UNIX
Originally an experimental timesharing OS
Developed by Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson
Developed at Bell Labs
Written in C
Open-Source software
Source code freely distributed among programmers
Created large community
Powerful and flexible
Handled any task a user required
Developed into many versions
Linux
BSD

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 12
1.5 Personal Computing, Distributed
Computing and Client/Server Computing
Personal Computing
Pioneered by Apple and IBM
Computer prices dropped
Computers reasonable for personal or business use
Stand-alone units
People work on personal machines
Transported disks to share information
Sneakernet
Machines linked together
Telephone lines
Local Area Networks (LANs)
Led to distributed computing

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 13
1.5 Personal Computing, Distributed
Computing and Client/Server Computing
(II)
Distributed Computing
Work distributed over networks
N-Tier applications
Split parts of applications over numerous computers
User interface
Database
Business-logic processing
Different parts interact when application runs

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 14
1.5 Personal Computing, Distributed
Computing and Client/Server Computing
(III)
Client/Server Computing
Workstations
High-powered desktop machines
Easily share information over computer networks
Servers
Store programs and data
Information accessed by clients
Capabilities provided by modern Operating Systems
Windows (and its variants), UNIX, Linux, MacOS

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 15
1.6 Machine Languages, Assembly
Languages and High-Level Languages
Programming Languages
Hundreds exist today
Fall into three categories
Machine languages
Assembly languages
High-level languages

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 16
1.6 Machine Languages, Assembly
Languages and High-Level Languages (II)
Machine Languages
Only language understood directly by computer
Defined by computers hardware design
Machine-dependent
Languages specific to particular computers
Incomprehensible to human readers
Streams and numbers
Ultimately reduced to 0s and 1s
Instruct most elementary of operations
Slow, tedious and error-prone
Led to Assembly languages

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 17
1.6 Machine Languages, Assembly
Languages and High-Level Languages (III)
Assembly Languages
English-like abbreviations
Represent elementary operations of computer
Translated to machine language
Assemblers convert to machine language
High-speed conversion
More clear to human readers
Still tedious to use
Many instructions for simple tasks
Led to high-level languages

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 18
1.6 Machine Languages, Assembly
Languages and High-Level Languages (IV)
High-Level Languages
Single statements accomplish substantial tasks
Translated to machine language
Compilers convert to machine language
Conversion takes considerable time
Interpreters run programs without compiling
Used in development environment
Instructions comprehensible to humans
Look like everyday English
Contain common mathematical notation

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 19
1.7 Structured Programming

Early Software Development

Complex and costly for businesses (1960s)
Costs exceeded budgets
Final products unreliable
Research led to structured programming
Disciplined approach to programming
Programs clear and easy to modify
Several languages resulted from research
C, Pascal, Ada

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 20
1.7 Structured Programming (II)

Structured Languages
Pascal
Designed for teaching structured programming
Lacked features for commercial use
C
Had features Pascal didnt
Quickly adopted by programmers
Ada
Developed by U.S. Department of Defense (late 1970s)
Based on Pascal
DOD wanted one language for all its needs
Supported multitasking
Many activities occur in parallel

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 21
1.8 Object-Oriented Programming

What is Object Technology?

Packaging scheme for creating software units
Units are objects
Any noun can be represented as an object
Date object, time object, car object
Have properties
Size, color, weight
Perform actions
Moving, sleeping, drawing
Defined in classes
Specify general format
Provide specific attributes and behaviors

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 22
1.8 Object-Oriented Programming (II)

Object-Oriented programming
Based on nouns
Reflects way world is perceived
Advantages over structured programming
More natural process
Results in better productivity
Classes provide reusability
Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC)
Easier to maintain
Programs more understandable
Focus on behaviors and interactions
Less attention to details

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 23
1.9 Hardware Trends

Improving technologies
Internet community thrives on improvements of
Hardware
Software
Communications
Cost of products and services
Consistently dropping over the decades
Computer capacity and speed
Doubles every two years (on average)
Microprocessor chip
Laid groundwork in late 1970s and 1980s for productivity
improvements of the 1990s

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 24
1.10 History of the Internet and World Wide
Web
ARPAnet
Implemented in late 1960s by ARPA (Advanced Research
Projects Agency of DOD)
Networked computer systems of a dozen universities and
institutions with 56KB communications lines
Grandparent of todays Internet
Intended to allow computers to be shared
Became clear that key benefit was allowing fast
communication between researchers electronic-mail
(email)

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 25
1.10 History of the Internet and World Wide
Web (II)
ARPAs goals
Allow multiple users to send and receive info at same time
Network operated packet switching technique
Digital data sent in small packages called packets
Packets contained data, address info, error-control info and
sequencing info
Greatly reduced transmission costs of dedicated
communications lines
Network designed to be operated without centralized control
If portion of network fails, remaining portions still able to
route packets

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 26
1.10 History of the Internet and World Wide
Web (III)
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
Name of protocols for communicating over ARPAnet
Ensured that messages were properly routed and that they
arrived intact
Organizations implemented own networks
Used both for intra-organization and communication

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 27
1.10 History of the Internet and World Wide
Web (IV)
Huge variety of networking hardware and
software appeared
ARPA achieved inter-communication between all platforms
with development of the IP
Internetworking Protocol
Current architecture of Internet
Combined set of protocols called TCP/IP
The Internet
Limited to universities and research institutions
Military became big user
Next, government decided to access Internet for commercial
purposes

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 28
1.10 History of the Internet and World Wide
Web (V)
Internet traffic grew
Businesses spent heavily to improve Internet
Better service their clients
Fierce competition among communications carriers and
hardware and software suppliers
Result
Bandwidth (info carrying capacity) of Internet increased
tremendously
Costs plummeted

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 29
1.10 History of the Internet and World Wide
Web (VI)
WWW
Allows computer users to locate and view multimedia-based
documents
Introduced in 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee
Developed information system based on hyperlinked text
documents
HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
Developed communication protocols as backbone
WWW today
Makes information instantly accessible
Merges computing and communication technologies

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 30
1.11 World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

W3C
Founded in 1994 by Tim Berners-Lee
Devoted to developing non-proprietary and interoperable
technologies for the World Wide Web and making the Web
universally accessible
Standardization
W3C Recommendations: technologies standardized by W3C
includeExtensibleHyperTextMarkupLanguage
(XHTML),CascadingStyleSheets(CSS)andthe
ExtensibleMarkupLanguage(XML)
DocumentmustpassthroughWorkingDraft,Candidate
RecommendationandProposedRecommendationphases
beforeconsideredforW3CRecommendation

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 31
1.11 World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) (II)

W3C Structure
3 Hosts
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
INRIA (Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et
Automatique)
Keio University of Japan
400 Members (including Deitel & Associates)
W3C homepage at www.w3.org
W3C Goals
User Interface Domain
Technology and Society Domain
Architecture Domain and Web Accessibility Initiatives

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 32
1.12 Extensible Markup Language (XML)

HTML limitations
Lack of extensibility
Inability to add or change features
Developers become frustrated
Code becomes erroneous
Led to more development on HTML
W3C created Cascading Style Sheets as temporary solution
New technology for formatting documents
Led to research for a standardized extensible language
W3C developed Extensible Markup Language (XML)
Combined power of SGML with simplicity of HTML
Developed XML-based standards for style-sheets and
advanced hyperlinking

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 33
1.12 Extensible Markup Language (XML) (II)

XML features
Data independence
Separation of content from its presentation
Allows any application to conceivably process XML
documents
Improves Web functionality and interoperability
Reduces server load and network traffic
Integration with applications other than Web services
Communication between applications employing XML
Structure allows easy integration with database
applications

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 34
1.12 Extensible Markup Language (XML) (III)

Communication using XML

Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)
Framework for expressing application semantics, encoding
that data and packing it in modules
Structured into three parts
Envelope
Describes content and recipient of SOAP message
Encoding rules
XML-based
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) representation
Commands other computers to perform a task

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 35
1.13 Open-Source Software Revolution

Open-source software
Unlike closed-source software, source code is freely
available
Available for modification, redistribution and as a basis for
other software
Usually available for download over the Internet
Free in the context of freedom
Most open-source software is copyrighted
Open-source licenses may impose restrictions
Community of developers
Problems detected and solved quickly
Continuous evolution of product

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 36
1.13 Open-Source Software Revolution (II)

Python is part of the open-source community

License available at
www.python.org/2.2/license.html
Python developers newsgroup: comp.lang.python
Commercial support for open-source projects
IBM, Red Hat and Sun all support open-source projects
Some take open-source applications and sell them
commercially
Provide additional support, software, training, etc.
Open Source Initiatives Web site at www.o
pensource.org

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 37
1.14 History of Python

Created in 1989 by Guido van Rossum

Created as a scripting language for administrative tasks
Based on All Basic Code (ABC) and Modula-3
Added extensibility
Named after comic troupe Monty Python
Released publicly in 1991
Growing community of Python developers
Evolved into well-supported programming language

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 38
1.15 Python Modules

Modules
Reusable pieces of software
Can be written by any Python developer
Extend Pythons capabilities
Python Web site at www.python.org
PrimarydistributioncenterforPythonsourcecode,modules
anddocumentation

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.

 39
1.16 General Notes about Python and This
Book
Python
Designedtobeportableandextensible
OriginallyimplementedonUNIX
Programs often can be ported from one operating system to
anotherwithoutanychange
Syntaxanddesignpromotegoodprogrammingpracticesand
surprisinglyrapiddevelopmenttimes
Simpleenoughtobeusedbybeginningprogrammers
Powerfulenoughtoattractprofessionals

2002 Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.