Several properties of my computer operating system objects. Basic operating system objects and working with them

Modern computers cannot be imagined without an operating system - a means of interaction between the user and the computer (programs and hardware components). Today there are dozens of them. Let's consider the question of what the main objects of the operating system are, using the Windows OS as an example.

Form of organizing interaction between the user and the operating system

At the present stage of development of the computer industry, most OS developers use object-oriented programming methods and graphical interfaces to simplify the user's work as much as possible or provide quick access to the necessary information or settings.

If previously OSs with batch data input were used, when it was necessary to tell the system to execute a certain command by manually entering it, today, thanks to the presence of a graphical interface, this task has been significantly simplified. The user does not enter commands, but presses buttons to organize some event, activate a process, confirm the execution of programs, change settings, etc. But what operating system objects exist, what role do they play, what are their properties, what actions can be taken with them can it be produced? Let's look at the basic concepts.

Basic operating system objects

At one time, Microsoft Corporation, when developing the first version of Windows, abandoned the use of the work organization used in DOS systems. The very name of Windows OS indicated that it consisted of windows in a graphical representation, which allowed the use of the so-called multitasking mode with quick switching between programs, options and settings. However, it’s not even the windows that are the point.

Today you can find many different classifications, but in the broadest sense, operating system objects can be represented as the following list:

• graphical interface (“Desktop”, windows, panels, menus, shortcuts and icons, switches, buttons, interactive shells);
• file organization of files and directories);
• applications and documents (executable elements, programs or a combination of them, files created in programs).

Interface

One of the main places is given to the interface. The first thing the user sees after starting the OS is the “Desktop” and “Taskbar”, on which buttons, shortcuts and other auxiliary elements are located. The properties of objects of this type are such that they can be used to gain access to almost all functions and capabilities of the OS.

Particular attention in this regard is given to the “Start” button and the menu of the same name that is called up when you click on it. Most of the links to programs and basic settings are located here. Please note that the applications are physically located in a different location, and the menu contains only shortcuts, presented in the form of application names or settings with icons.

Pictograms or icons as operating system objects are small graphic images. The difference between shortcuts and icons is that shortcuts, in addition to the program name or file name, also describe some properties of applications, settings or documents, and also indicate the location of the file itself to be opened. To describe the files, an indication of the program with which it can be opened is also used.

Menus are means for selecting user actions. Conventionally, they can be divided into basic and contextual (those that are called by right click). However, the organization of the main menus is part of objects called windows. And menus can also be classified as controls, since it is in them that the user is offered the choice of a specific action.

Windows: types and available operations with them

Windows are the basic objects (Windows or any other computer OS). They have a main space where information is displayed, or, as it is also called, a work area. There are also special panels with main menus containing sets of commands or actions, buttons for quick access to certain functions, scroll bars, etc.

Actions with operating system objects of this type are that their sizes can be reduced or increased, minimized and expanded, quickly switched between programs, changed the scaling of the work area, etc. In addition, the windows themselves can be main and dialog, which provides closer interaction between the program and the user.

Controls

And here it’s worth mentioning the controls. The main element, if you do not take into account tablet PCs or smartphones, as well as touch screens, is the cursor, with which you can move around the entire interface, call some actions, resize, etc.

The cursor is “tied” to the mouse in desktop PCs or to the touchpad in laptops. In general terms, a cursor is not just a pointing element. For example, when windows are stretched, it changes its icon. Thus, even by changing the state of the cursor, you can always determine what kind of action is being performed or expected to be performed at the moment. Again, if an hourglass appears on the screen or a rotating one indicates that some process is currently being executed and will not be accessible until completion.

Another control element is the on-screen keyboard, which is widely used on tablets and smartphones when connecting a hardware keyboard is not provided.

Files and folders

Finally, the largest class are directories (directories, folders) and files, which together form a single structure called the file system.

Files and folders do not differ from each other from the point of view of the computer system, since even directories themselves are files without an extension and also occupy a certain space on the disk (and an empty folder may have a zero size indicated in the file manager, but in reality this is not So). Simply for the convenience of grouping files that are similar in some way, a technique is used to combine them into one directory.

In physical terms, although some files seem to be present in a certain directory, they can be located in completely different places on the hard drive. The properties of operating system objects of this type are determined primarily by size (hard disk space taken up), location in the file structure, type, etc.

And probably everyone knows exactly what actions can be performed with both types. Working with objects presented in the form of individual files or entire directories does not only come down to simple operations such as copying, deleting, renaming or moving. For files, for example, viewing, editing, opening in a specific program (often with the ability to independently select an application) and many other actions are provided.

Instead of a total

But in general, this is just a brief overview of the main objects of any OS. Please note that here we did not consider the organization of the same system registry only for the simple reason that today you can find OSes in which it is absent as such (Linux), and the structure of the keys is very similar to the organization of files and folders. Actually, the keys themselves are files. By the way, applications and programs are also files or a set of files that must be executed by the operating system.

Task 1. Desktop design

1. Open the desktop context menu. To do this, right-click on an empty area of ​​the Desktop.
2. Select the item in the context menu Personalization (Properties).
3. Change the desktop background image at your discretion: the image on the desktop, the background on which open windows are located.
4. Customize your screen saver - an image or animation that appears on the screen when the user does not interact with the mouse or keyboard for a certain period of time.

1. Customize your desktop theme, including your desktop background, screensaver, window border color, and sound theme.
2. Install several desktop gadgets at your discretion - customizable mini-programs that allow you to display data without having to open a new window ( Weather, Clock, Calendar and etc.).

Task 2. Taskbar and its properties

1. Using the pop-up tips, find out the purpose of all the icons and buttons on the taskbar.
2. Open the taskbar context menu. To do this, right-click on an empty area of ​​the taskbar.
3. Change the position of the taskbar.
4. Hide the taskbar.
5. Return the changed parameters to their original position.

Task 3. Desktop objects

1. Review the properties of the objects represented by desktop icons. To do this, use the command Properties context menu of the corresponding object.
2. Open the windows Documentation And Basket.
3. Open the windows of several applications - text and graphic editors you know.
4. Arrange the windows in a cascade. To do this, select the command Windows cascading in the taskbar context menu.
5. Experiment with other options for placing windows on the screen.
6. Find out how you can quickly remove all open windows from your desktop.
7. Close all open windows.
8. Organize your desktop icons by type. Experiment with other options for arranging icons on your desktop.

Task 4 (for Windows). Computer properties

1. Get to know the properties of your computer. For this:
   1. call the object's context menu Computer;
   2. Properties;
   3. find out the type of processor and the amount of RAM;
   4. close the window System.
2. Get to know the properties of your computer's hard drive. For this:
   1. Open the window Computer;
   2. open the disk context menu WITH: ;
   3. in the context menu select the item Properties;
   4. find information about the size of the hard drive, the amount of used and free disk memory;
   5. close the windows Properties: Local disk (C:) And Computer.

Task 4 (for Linux). Computer properties

1. Using a button System On the desktop panel, open the storage device window.
2. Open the context menu of your hard drive (disk partitions).
3. In the context menu, select Properties.
4. Find information about hard drive size, used and free disk space.
5. Find similar information about other storage devices on your computer.
6. Close the window Properties.

Now you know how

• change desktop properties - theme, background image, screensaver;
• change taskbar properties;
• recognize the properties of objects whose icons are located on the desktop;
• organize objects on your desktop.

It is impossible to imagine modern personal computers without an operating system. An OS is a special means for interaction between a computer and a user. Today there are dozens of such programs. We will look at the question of what the main operating system objects are, using Windows as an example.

Interaction between the user and the OS

Most operating system developers at the present stage of information technology development use methods that make it possible to simplify the user's work as much as possible and provide quick access to the necessary settings and information. If previously operating systems with batch input of information were used, when it was necessary to set certain commands to the system by manually entering them, today, thanks to the graphical interface, this task has been significantly simplified. The user no longer needs to enter commands. To organize an event, activate a process, confirm the execution of commands, you just need to press the buttons. What operating system objects exist? What is their role and properties? What actions can be performed with them? Let's look at the basic concepts.

Microsoft Corporation at one time, when developing the full version of the Windows operating system, refused to use the principle of work organization that was used in DOS systems. The very name of the Windows operating system indicated that it consisted of windows with graphical representation. This made it possible to use multitasking mode with quick switching between options, programs and settings. However, the point is not even the windows. Today you can find many classifications. In a broad sense, all existing operating system objects can be represented as the following list:

— graphical interface (windows, “Desktop”, panels, shortcuts, menus, icons, interactive shells, buttons);

— file system (structure for organizing directories and files);

— documents and applications (a set of programs, executable elements, files created in programs).

GUI

In operating systems, the interface is one of the main things. After starting the operating system, the first thing the user sees is the “Desktop”, “Taskbar”. Buttons, shortcuts and other auxiliary elements are placed here. Operating system objects have such properties that they can be used to gain access to almost all the features and functions of the operating system. Here, special attention is paid to the “Start” button and the menu of the same name, which is called up when you press it. There are a large number of links to programs and basic settings. It is worth paying attention to the fact that all applications are physically located in a different location. The menu contains only shortcuts, which are presented in the form of application names or settings with icons. Icons and pictograms, as operating system objects, are small graphic images. The difference between shortcuts and icons is that shortcuts, in addition to the name of the file or program, also describe some properties of settings, applications and documents. They also indicate the location of the file itself that is to be opened. To describe files, an indication of the program with which you can open it is also used. Menus provide a means for selecting user actions. They can be divided into contextual and basic. Context menus are called up by right-clicking the mouse. The organization of the main menus is part of objects called windows. You can also classify menus as controls, since it is in them that the user can select one or another action.

Windows: types and available operations with them

The main objects of the operating system are windows. They have a space in which information is displayed. It is also called the workspace. There are also special panels with a main menu, which contains a set of actions and commands, quick access buttons to certain functions, scroll bars, and so on. Actions with operating system objects of this type are that you can change their size, collapse or expand, switch between programs, change the scale of the work area, and so on. The windows themselves are main and dialog. This provides closer interaction between the user and the program.

Controls

Here it is worth focusing separately on the controls. Apart from smartphones and tablet computers, as well as touch screens, the main control element is the cursor. With it, you can navigate throughout the interface, trigger certain actions, resize windows, and so on. On desktop computers, the cursor is “tied” to the mouse. In laptops, the touchpad plays the role of a mouse. The cursor is not only a pointing element. It changes its icon when windows are stretched. Thus, even when the cursor state changes, you can always determine what action is currently being performed. If an hourglass or a spinning circle appears on the screen, this may indicate that some process is currently running and will not be accessible until it is completed.

The on-screen keyboard is another control element. It has become widespread in smartphones and tablets, where there is no provision for connecting a hardware keyboard.

Files and folders

The largest classes of objects are directories and files. Together they form a single structure called a file system. Folders and files are no different from a computer system point of view. The directories themselves are essentially files without an extension. They also take up a certain amount of disk space. In the file manager, the folder size may be specified as zero, however, in reality this is not the case. For the convenience of grouping similar files, a technique is used to combine them into one directory. In physical terms, even files present in the same directory can be located in different places on the hard drive. First of all, the properties of OS objects of this type are determined by their size, type, and location in the file structure. Everyone probably knows what actions can be performed with objects of both types. Working with operating system objects such as files and directories comes down to simple operations such as copying, deleting, moving and renaming. For example, files can be edited and viewed, as well as opened in a specific program.

Conclusion

This material provided only a brief overview of the main components of any operating system. It is worth noting that in this case the organization of the system registry was not considered. This was done for the simple reason that today you can also find operating systems in which it is absent as such, for example, Linux.

>> Work 1. We work with the main objects of the operating system

Chapter 4 Computer workshop

Work 1. We work with the main characteristics of operating system objects
After the user logs in, the Desktop appears on the screen, the design of which depends on the selected theme. The theme defines the background image, set of sounds, icons and other elements of the Desktop. The Properties: Screen dialog box allows you to select a background image, a set of sounds and desktop icons.

2) in the context menu, select Properties;

3) on the General tab, read the type of processor, amount of RAM, type of operating system used;

4) close the Properties: System window.

2) Get to know the properties of your computer's hard drive. For this:

1) open the My Computer window;
2) open the context menu of drive C:;
3) in the context menu, select Properties;
4) find information about the size of the hard drive, the amount of occupied and free disk memory;
5) close the Properties: (C:) and My Computer windows.

Now we can

> change the properties of the Desktop - theme, background image, screen saver;
> change taskbar properties;
> find out the properties of objects whose icons are located on the Desktop;
> organize your desktop icons.

Bosova L. L., Computer Science and ICT: textbook for grade 7 by L. L. Bosova. M.: BINOM. Knowledge Laboratory, 2010. 229 p. : ill.

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