Abstract: This project titled as “GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE”, is package, which user interact with icons rather than typing commands.

A user interacts with the Operating System(OS) through a shell. This interface to the OS can be either textual or graphical. In textual approach the user is required to type commands, which are then interpreted by the shell and an appropriate action is taken. In a graphical OS interface much of the functionally of the OS is displayed on the screen. This is accomplished by using small symbols called ‘icons’, which represent certain OS functions. In other words, ‘icons’ are symbolic representations of the function they are tied up to. Whether a graphical OS interface is better or a textual OS interface is often debatable. And more often than not it is a matter of taste and choice. As a seasoned programmer, it might not appear very sensible to have attractive icons on the screen-some depicting the activity of renaming files, some deleting files, and so on. But look at it from the user’s point of view. A normal user is more interested in the convenience of the finesse of the program he is using, than the hard work that has gone into the development of the program. He prefers visual pictures to textual commands-pictures which he can easily relate to and understand, rather than memorizing commands. This is where the Graphical User Interfaces(GUIs) score. Thus, the underlying principle of any GUI is very simple-not only do pictures communicate, but sometimes they say it better than words. GUIs were first introduced by Apple on its Microcomputers, and lately by Microsoft Corp. on IBM compatibles under the name Windows.

About operating system:

Operating System software is a class of programs which manages the resources of the computer, process commands, and controls program execution. As the foundation of the all computer operation, it is the most complex program executed on the computer, yet must also be the most reliable.

Functions of operating System.

Any Operating System must perform three basic roles:

(a). As a “manager”, the Operating System determines who will use the printer, disk, VDU, key board and other peripheral units and when they will use them. When an error is discovered, the operating system reports the error to the user. The OS also manages the use of memory, controls timing of events, and controls the priorities of various requests.

(b). As a “command processor”, the OS reads the commands from the user, verifies their accuracy, loads what is needed from the disk and initiates the execution of the user command.

(c). As a “controller”, the OS, at least to some extent, must always be in control of the system resources. If a program crashes from any type of error, control should return to the OS, which then determines the type of error.

A Single User OS caters to a single user and all resources are available to this user at all times. Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS-DOS) is one such OS.

A Multi User OS is one that supports several users at a time. Most OS’s for minicomputers and mainframe computers are multi-user OS. UNIX and XENIX are the popular Multi User OSs.

A multitasking OS is the one that supports the several task at a time, but only a single user. Windows and OS/2 are examples for Multitasking Oss.

SCOPE OF ENHANCEMENT:

Using this “Graphical User Interfacing” we can easily perform the delete, rename, comparing files, etc. For this we have no need to remember the commands, we click the mouse on the specified icons that will do operations. We can draw the icons with different combinations of colors. We can also interact icons with multiple menus. We can select the right button click of the mouse. We can also display different sizes of the mouse cursor movements. We can also draw icons for save file, changing directory, list files, system information.etc. we can also interact the icons with keyboard also.

CONCLUSION:

This project is very useful for users who were interested in visual images rather than typing the commands. Nowadays all pc makers, palm makers, are designing the GUIs images for their desktop. These are future of tomorrows technologies. In my project I targeted how images can be drawn and interfaced through mouse. All icons are drawn carefully such that user can understand easily.

The project is tested and compiled with different inputs, and it is successfully executed with error free. All the modules are tested separately and put together to form a main system.