INFORMATICS PRACTICES

Course Contents

Computer Networking:

• Networking: a brief overview;
• Communication Media: Wired Technologies - Co-Axial, Ethernet Cable, Optical Fiber; Wireless Technologies - Blue Tooth, Infrared, Microwave, Radio Link, Satellite Link;
• Network Devices: Hub, Switch, Repeater, Gateway - and their functions;
• Types of network: LAN, MAN, WAN, PAN;
• Network Topologies: Star, Bus, Tree;
• Network Protocols: HTTP, TCP/IP, PPP;
• Identifying computers and users over a network: Basic concept of domain name, MAC (Media Access Control), and IP Address, domain name resolution;
• Network security: denial of service, intrusion problems, snooping;
• Internet Applications: SMS, Voice Mail, Electronic Mail, Chat, Video Conferencing;
• Wireless/Mobile Communication: GSM, CDMA, WLL, 3G, 4G;
• Network Security Concepts: Cyber Law, Firewall, Cookies, Hackers and Crackers.
Open Source Concepts:

• Open Source Software (OSS), common FOSS/FLOSS examples (e.g., GNU/Linux, Firefox, OpenOffice, Java, Netbeans, MySQL), common open standards (WWW, HTML, XML, ODF, TCP, IP).
• Indian Language Computing: character encoding, UNICODE, different types of fonts (open type vs true type, static vs dynamic), Entering Indian Language Text - phonetic and key map based.

Programming

• Review of Class XI;
• Programming Fundamentals
(Refer to Appendix A for Swing Control Methods & Properties, and Appendix B for sample guidelines of GUI Programming)
• Basic concept of Access specifier for class members (data members and methods).
• Basic concept of Inheritance.
• Commonly used libraries:
• String class and methods: toString(), concat(), length(), toLowerCase(), toUpperCase(), trim(), substring()
• Math class methods: pow(), round()
• Accessing MySQL database using ODBC/JDBC to connect with database.
• Web application development: URL, Web Server, Communicating with the web server, concept of Client and Server Side.
• HTML based web pages covering basic tags - HTML, TITLE, BODY, H1..H6, Paragraph (P), Line Break (BR), Section Separator (HR), FONT, TABLE, LIST (UL, OL), FORM.
• Creating and accessing static pages using HTML and introduction to XML.
Relational Database Management System
Review of RDBMS from Class XI
Database Fundamentals
• Concept of Database Transaction, Committing and revoking a Transaction using COMMIT and ROLLBACK.
• Grouping Records: GROUP BY, Group functions - MAX(), MIN(), AVG(), SUM(), COUNT(); using COUNT(*), DISTINCT clause with COUNT; Group Functions and Null Values.
• ALTER TABLE for
  * deleting column(s), modifying data type(s) of column(s)
  * adding a constraint, enabling constraints, dropping constraints.
• DROP Table for deleting a table
IT Applications

• Front-end Interface: Introduction; content and features; identifying and using appropriate component (Text Box, Radio Button, CheckBox, List, etc., as learnt in Unit 2 (Programming)) for data entry, validation and display.
• Back-end Database: Introduction and its purpose, exploring the requirement of tables and its essential attributes.
• Front-End and Database Connectivity: Introduction, requirement and benefits.
• Demonstration and development of appropriate Front-end interface and Back-end Database for e-Governance, e-Business and e-Learning applications.
• Impact of ICT on society: Social and Economic benefits.