Monday, September 10, 2001		IT Bookshelf

Modern’s Computer Applications: A special hand book XI (Pb)
By Parminder Kaur and Poonam Singh, Modern Publishers, Jalandhar. Pages 186. Rs 100.

NOW that every school child is required to study computers, it would be only logical to have a text book that covers prescribed syllabus. The book under review has been specifically written for the Punjab School Education Board Class XI syllabus.

Written by Parminder Kaur who heads the Department of Computer Science and Applications at BD Arya Girls College, Jalandhar Cantonment, and Poonam Singh, Director, Lalvani Institute of Technology, Kapurthala, the recently published book gives an overview of the Internet and explains its concept, working. Various organisations connected with the Internet have been discussed and the book even has a feature on how the Internet can enhance your business, though one wonders why school children need this information.

The next chapter has a specific focus on various operating systems, including basic PC OS, MS-DOS, which is the basis of Windows computers that most of the readers use.

The question-and-answer format adopted in explaining operating systems is interesting and the use of Subheads in making various points stand out relieving the tedium associated with the grey text. Various diagrammatic representations help in clarifying concepts. However, certain typographical errors, and inconsistencies are irritating.

The book also provides an introduction to computer viruses, which have plagued networks in recent times and introduces the programming language C++ and Turbo C++.

These powerful object-oriented languages form the staple of computing software training and operations and the explanations as well as examples would be of help in understanding and using these languages. There is a chapter on operators and expressions in C++ and control statements that cause jumps from one part of a program to another, depending on calculations performed in the program. Control statements would either be loops or decisions.

The chapter on structured data type-arrays and the one on functions combine the task of explaining the concept and providing examples to give the students enough practice. Also useful is the standard library functions and header files section.

This is a book that fulfils the need of students of the region and the authors have covered a wide canvas in a fairly simple manner. The publishers claim that it is the first book of its kind specifically aimed at the students of Punjab School Education Board, which makes is an important addition to children’s schoolbags. The diagrams and the solved examples make the task of students easier, though the paper of the book is rather thin and the print on the reverse is visible while reading a page.