FLUNECY IN IT - GROUP PROJECT

Chapter 2: Software Functions and Operations

Within personal computers, majority of software applications that are installed onto the machine should be able to perform standard operations. For instance, MS office has software applications that can create word documentation, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and databases. Now because the user is able to create information within the application, certain operations should be available to the user to perform. In other words, these operations that are available to the user are known as the Standard Functionality. Majority of the software application should be able to save information, open a saved document or even to print information that is within the document.

File Operations

File operations that are found on most application software are usually grouped into two menus such as File and Edit to help the users. Typically, the 'File' menu would have file operations that would usually apply to 'instances' of the information that is processed by the application. Instances are like 'objects' or information that is processed by the application. For example, a document is an instance for word processors, a picture is an instance for photo editors and video clips are instances for video camcorder. The file operations that you should be able to find under the 'File' menu with their meanings are:

New: to create a new instance of the information
Open: to first locate and then load the information that contains the instances on the disk
Close: to close the current instance that was opened but to leave the application running for other instances to be created
Save: to store the current instance to the disk drive so that it will be available to the user again if the user decides to close the application software.
Save as: to save the current instance with a new name and/or a new location
Page setup: to allow the user to specify how the printed document should be displayed on the paper.
Print: to print a copy of the document
Print Preview: to show the user how the information will be displayed once printed.
Exit: to exit the program completely.

Edit Operations

The user is able to make changes to the instances that have been created due to the availability of the edit operations. There is a typical standard sequence that the edit operations perform. This involves: select, cut/copy, indicate, paste and revise. Once the object has been selected by the user can either move or cut and paste the object to a new location. Another operation that the user can use is the 'undo' operation. The undo operation reverses the last change that was done within the object or instance and changes it to the previous state it was before. Here is a list of the remaining edit operations that can be found within the 'Edit' menu and their meanings:

Undo: to reverse the recent editing change, returning the object to its previous form.
Repeat: to apply the most recent editing change again.
Cut: to delete the object and store it in a temporary area ready to be pasted.
Copy: to store a copy of the selected object in a temporary area ready for pasting
Paste: inserts the selected information that was stored in a temporary area onto the document by the use of the cut/paste or copy operation.
Clear: erases the information that has been selected
Select all: selects the whole information and is made ready for editing

Users must remember that specific editing operations cannot be performed. For instance, the undo function may not always be available simply because there are some operations that cannot be undone. In addition, the redo function may also be unavailable to the user simply because there are some operations that cannot be repeated.

Standard Shortcuts

Within the majority of the software applications, there are standard shortcuts that are available to the user. This is to make life easier for the user; without having to navigate to areas to get certain tasks done. For instance, to open a saved document, users would normally click on 'File' and then 'Open' just to get the dialog open. Instead of having to do all that, users can easily press on the keypad 'CTRL+O'. This then opens the dialog straight away and then the user can easily locate the saved the document. Here is a list of the typical standard shortcuts that are available in the majority of the software applications:

File Functions

New: CTRL+N
Open: CTRL+O
Save: CTRL + S
Print: CTRL+P
Quit: CTRL+Q

Edit Functions

Cut: CTRL + X
Copy: CTRL + C
Paste: CTRL + V
Select All: CTRL + A
Undo: CTRL + Z
Redo: CTRL + Y
Find: CTRL + F

Clicking Around

Usually when users install new software, they would expect to see basic metaphors and to be able to locate the standard operations. Once the software has been installed, they would begin to explore the software and to see how it operates. The term that people would like to use is 'Clicking around'. Take iTunes for example. There are buttons and other functions that are available for the user. For instance, the volume slider is used to alter the volume level of the audio/video file. Therefore, when user clicks on the volume slider and drags the slider, the user would instantly expect the volume to change accordingly.

Another typical feature that users can expect to find when they install new software is the balloon help function. The pop up balloon function is helpful to the user simply because it tells the user what specific buttons to do. There comes a time where user will have no idea what specific buttons will do on a software application. Therefore, for them to know what each button does, they will use the cursor and hover over the button that they don't understand how it works. Below is an example explaining this fully:

ScreenShot

As you can see from above is an iTunes software application. Within the interface are a set of buttons that have been placed around the visual window. On the bottom right corner, the cursor has been hovered over a particular button (Visual Effect button).beneath the button is the pop up balloon window which alerts the user what the particular that has been hovered over does.

Blazing away

Once the user has managed to get to grips what each button does on the software application, they will begin to start clicking on each of the buttons just to see exactly what it does visually. The term for this is also known as 'Blazing away'. At times, users will feel a little bit intimidated simply because they are afraid of doing some 'damage' towards the software. They're afraid that if they do make a mistake or something goes wrong once the 'wrong' button is pressed, the result would be that the system could easily crash. However, this is not the case. Nowadays, software would usually 'catch' the mistake and would then display an error message. This is helpful towards the users because they can then learn what is right and what is wrong, provided that they pay attention towards the error messages that are displayed due to 'mistakes'. Therefore, to 'Blaze away' is an adequate way to learn about the software even if the user does tend to make mistakes.

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