Modern computers cannot be imagined without the presence of an operating system in them - a means of interaction between the user and the computer (programs and hardware components). Today there are dozens of them. Consider the question of what are the main objects of the operating system on the example of Windows.
Form of organization of 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 that can simplify the user’s work as much as possible or provide quick access to the necessary information or settings.
If previously used operating systems with batch data input, when it was necessary to set the system to execute a specific command by manually entering it, today, thanks to the presence of a graphical interface, this task has been greatly simplified. The user does not enter commands, but presses buttons to organize an event, activate a process, confirm program execution, change settings, etc. But what are the objects of the operating system, what role do they play, what are their properties, what actions with them can i produce? Consider the basic concepts.
The main objects of the operating system
At one time, Microsoft, when developing the first version of Windows, refused to use the organization of work used in DOS-systems. The very name of the Windows OS testified to the fact that it consisted of windows in a graphical representation, which made it possible to use the so-called multitasking mode with fast switching between programs, parameters and settings. However, the essence is not even in the windows.
Today you can find many different classifications, but in the broadest sense, objects of the operating system can be represented in the form of the following list:
- graphical interface (“Desktop”, windows, panels, menus, shortcuts and icons, switches, buttons, interactive shells);
- file system ( file and directory organization structure );
- applications and documents (executable elements, programs or their combination, files created in programs).
Interface
One of the main places is given to the interface. The first thing a user sees after starting the OS is the “Desktop” and the “Task Bar”, on which buttons, shortcuts and other auxiliary elements are placed. The properties of the objects of the operating system of this type are such that with their help you can access almost all the 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 by clicking on it. Here are the majority of links to programs and basic settings. Please note that physically the applications are in a different place, and the menu contains only shortcuts presented in the form of application names or settings with pictograms.
Pictograms or icons as objects of the operating system are small graphic images. The difference between shortcuts and pictograms 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 is also used, with which it can be opened.
Menus are a means of selecting user actions. Conventionally, they can be divided into main and contextual (those that are called by right-clicking). However, the organization of the main menus is part of objects called windows. And the menu can also be attributed to the controls, since it is in them that the user is offered the choice of a certain action.
Windows: varieties and available operations with them
Windows are the main objects of the operating system (Windows or any other computer OS). They have the main space where information is displayed, or, as it is also called, the workspace. Special panels with main menus containing sets of commands or actions, quick access buttons for certain functions, scroll bars, etc. are also presented.
Actions with objects of the operating system of this type consist in the fact that their sizes can be reduced or enlarged, minimized and maximized, quickly switch between programs, change the scaling of the workspace, etc. In addition, the windows themselves are main and dialog, which provides closer interaction between the program and the user.
Controls
And here it is worthwhile to dwell on 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, trigger 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 only a pointing element. For example, when you stretch windows, it changes its icon. Thus, even by changing the state of the cursor, you can always determine which action is being performed or is supposed to be performed at a given moment. Again, if an hourglass or a spinning circle appears on the screen , this indicates that some process is being executed at the moment and there will be no access to it.
Another control element is the on-screen keyboard, which is mainly used on tablets and smartphones when connecting an “iron” keyboard is not provided.
Files and folders
Finally, the largest class is directories (directories, folders) and files, which together form a single structure called a file system.
Files and folders from the point of view of a computer system do not differ from each other, since even directories themselves are files without an extension and also occupy a certain place on the disk (moreover, an empty folder may contain a zero size in the file manager, but in fact it is not So). Just for the convenience of grouping files that are similar in some ways, the technique of combining them into one directory is used.
In physical terms, despite the fact that some files seem to be present in some directory, they can be located in completely different places on the hard drive. The properties of objects of the operating system of this type are primarily determined by the size (occupied space on the hard disk), location in the file structure, type, etc.
And surely everyone knows exactly what actions can be performed with both types. Working with objects of the operating system, presented in the form of separate files or entire directories, comes down not only to simple operations like copying, deleting, renaming or moving. For files, for example, viewing, editing, opening in a certain 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 registry just for the simple reason that today you can also find operating systems in which it is absent as such (Linux), and the key structure 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 collection of files to be executed by the operating system.