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» » Basic Computer Skills


Unknown 4:25 PM 0

With the wire of time, I could observe technical gaps at many data processing specialists. One cannot obviously all know; data processing is a very broad field, which covers very varied things. However, there is a certain number of  basic computer skills which you must absolutely control if you  are a data processing specialist.
 Basic Computer Skills

Basic Computer Skills



Standard binary values 

Basic Computer Skills


Is a byte, it stored on how much bits? Moreover, a standard entirety?  

How much can one store different values in eight bits? Moreover, in 16,24, or 32? 


Answers: 


Answers: 
•        A byte has stored on 8 bits. A standard entirety has  stored on 32 bits. “Shorts” are                         classically stored on 16 bits, a “length” on 64 bits. 
•        In 8 bits (on a byte, therefore), one has 256 different values. In not-signed, that thus               goes from zero up to 255. In signed, that goes from -128 to +127. 
•        In 16 bits (out of 2 bytes), one has 65.536 values. From zero to 65.535 in not-signed;              from -32.768 to +32 767 in signed. 
•        In 24 bits (3 bytes), one has 16.777.216 possible values. 
•        In 32 bits (4 bytes), one has 4.294.967 296 possible values. 
•        In 64 bits (8 bytes), one has 18.446.744 073.709.551 616 values. 
         It is not quite complicated to memorize. Just keep with the spirit the orders of                           magnitude: 
•        1 byte => 256 
•        2 bytes => 65 thousand 
•        3 bytes => 16 million 
•        4 bytes => 4 billion 
•        eight bytes => much (I consider that 18 trillion that made too large to have  counted). 
However, why is this so important on the basic qualification level in data processing? After all, one can recompute all that easily. Yes, but for data processing specialist, to recompute that would be allocated to the same only one geometrician who wonders the every day how much there are centimeters in one meter… 

Concretely, these values do not serve the every day inevitably, but it is necessary to be able to use them advisedly. If you made embarked development, you would need surely to calculate with just the core use, and while coding out of C, you will have to choose the type of your variables with full knowledge of the facts. However, it is not the only case where it is useful. 

If you are a Web developer or a beginner, you will have to create tables in your database. For that, you must know the types of data which you can use. If one takes the example of MySQL, the integers can be stored in fields of the type TINYINT, SMALLINT, MEDIUMINT, INT and BIGINT. Each one being able to be signed (by defect) or not-signed (by adding UNSIGNED to the type). 


Then to store the size of a human being, in centimeters, a TINYINT UNSIGNED will be surely sufficient. Hum… except if you must manage the four largest men of the world who exceeded the 255 centimeters. Some choose the facility then and store all their entireties by using INT. However, why take four bytes, where half would be enough? 

Is same manner, which the type more adapted to the primary key? On 16 bits, it would be a little short; it is rather frequent to have tables which contain much more than 65 miles lines. 
A small trick to arrive there, it is to reflect in term of speed of filling with the table: If you have on average a new line a second, primary key stored on 3 bytes (an MEDIUMINT UNSIGNED) will fill in hardly more than 6 months. 

Language of script  

Basic Computer Skills



Whatever your field, whatever your platform, whatever the techniques which you use, you cannot do your work effectively if you do not know any language of the script, It is one of most important basic computer skills. Obviously, one can always draw some by developing “methods of skirting”. However, what a waste of time! That amounts passing the scientific baccalaureate with a computer “4 operations”; it is possible, but is to put oneself of the sticks in the wheels.

By “language of the script," I understand any computer programming language which makes it possible to make small tools, to code prototypes, to make the “glue” between other programs. One should not need to leave its compiler with each time one wants to make a little program which will simplify us the life in a specific way. 

•        If you work under Unix, you must have at least some basic concepts in the Shell. The minimum, it is about being able instance the execution of a program, to recover the result and to transmit it of it in a conditional way to another software. 

•        The majority of the languages of script are very changeable. Perl, Python, Ruby, PHP,. often one does not think of it that within the framework of a Web development. Moreover, yet, they make it possible to make so many things which it would be idiotic not to control at least one. 

•        If you are under Windows, do not forget that you can automate the majority of your treatments with VB Script, even of the JavaScript. 


Directed programming object and assimilated 


Whatever the data-processing field in which you evolve/move, you must absolutely know the basic principles of the directed programming object. Even if you are not developer, either you will take part in technical choices, or you have to follow technical discussions. And even if you use a procedural language, or that you choose not to use all the capacities “object” of a given language that remains valid: It is to better know a minimum what one chooses not to use, if not one will make a bad choice inevitably one day. 

•        The concept-keys are not numerous on the level of basic computer skills


•        The principle of the object, which is a “black box” which gathers its data and the treatments which will apply to it. 


•        The heritage and the overload, which make it possible to create a type of object which derives from another by enriching it. 


•        The range of the attributes (data of an object) and methods (its functions), which makes it possible to make them available to all the remainders from the code, or to reserve them for an “internal” use. 


You must control these concepts. If not, with each time somebody asks you “Why you do not make an object like this or that?”, you will have the impression to pass for a moron. 

There are other concepts which accompany the directed programming object. Regard them as no-claims bonus, except one: exceptions. It is about a “disruptive” concept in the management of the errors. The developers generally need a little time to integrate all the aspects of them; better is worth to prepare there before needing to rub there with the job. 


Spin system Standard Hierarchies 

Basic Computer Skills

You can make a choice of career never not touch with a Unix system of near or by far (which includes Linux and Mac OS X, without forgetting Solaris or AIX), knowing that wants to say that you wish to work exclusively under Windows. These are a choice which are defended, but on a whole career scale, it is almost as debatable as the reverse. The reason is quite simple: on a considerable number of projects, the environment of production is under UNIX, even if the environment of development is different. It is important to take that in account. 

The minimum to feel at ease on a system UNIX, it is to include/understand the organization of the file system, to include/understand for what is used each repertory on the disk and capacity to find a file with the need. It is not difficult to integrate; it will take you small half an hour to read documentation, 
Minimum namely: 
•        /boot: Files necessary to the starting of the system. 
•        /bin: Basic program Object. 
•        /bin: Workable programs of the system. 
•        /etc: Files of configuration. 
•        /home: Repertory relative of the personal repertories. 
•        /USR: Additional files (containing itself of the repertories bin/, etc,…). 
•        /USR/local: Software compiled locally (again containing the repertories bin/, etc,…). 
•        /temp: Temporary files. 
•        /var: Contemporary variable data. 
•        /opt: Optional software. 


SQL 

Basic Computer Skills

What? Would the SQL belong to basic computer skills? It is new, that? 

Well yes, it is relatively new. There are ten or about fifteen years, and that would have been different. However, nowadays, it appears complicated to escape from it. Of course, I think first of all of the Web development. It became an industry difficult to neglect. It would be damage which at one time or another of your career, you are wedged the day when one asks you to modify the recording of a form on the Intranet of the company… 

However, even apart from the Web, the SQL takes an increasingly important place. I think in particular of all the software which integrates SQLite like internal memory support. Even for a program standalone, the possibility of recording relational data is practical in comparison with the alternatives used hitherto. 

By imagining that it is not your core activity and that you will be able always to learn how − at the proper time − to create bases or tables, it does not remain about it less than you must know how to write the 4 types of fundamental requests SQL: 
•        SELECT: recovery of data 
•        INSERT: addition of data 
•        UPDATE: setting-with-day of data 
•        DELETE: obliteration of data 

The remainder 


There is still full with things on the levels of  basic computer skills which seem to me necessary and obligatory, even if one can less fundamental: 



•        A minimum of knowledge of the HTML. 

•        To know the bases of the tools of office automation (word processing and spreadsheet).          To know to make a dynamic cross table under Excel or Open Office will save you                       sometimes long development to generate statistics. 
•       To know to use Google Alerts to make a passive subject day before which interests you,          that it is in a technical field or to supervise the advertisements of your competitors. 


And you, which is your opinion on basic computer skills

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