Components And Function of a Computer 

A computer is as electronic device basically perform five major operation, and there components and function of computer are as follow

• Accepting data or instruction.
• Storing data
• Processing data.
• Displaying results.
• Controlling and coordinating all operation inside a computer.

In this section we will discus all these function and see how one components of computer interacts with another unit to perform these operations using the block diagram in the above.

Input - The data and instructions can be entered into the computer system by using different input devices such as keyboard,mouse,scanner,etc.

Storage Storage is the process of saving data and instructions permanently in the computer so that it can be used for processing. The computer storage space stores not only the data and programs but also the intermediate results and the final results of processing. A computer has two types of storage areas:

Primary Storage Primary storage also known as the main memory is that storage area which is directly accessible by the CPU at a very fast speed. It is used to store the data and program, the intermediate results of processing, and the recently generated results. The primary storage is very expensive and therefore limited in capacity. Another drawback of main memory is that it is volatile in nature, that is, as soon as the computer is switched off, the information stored in it gets erased. Hence, it cannot be used as a permanent storage of useful data and programs for future use. For example, RAM (Random Access Memory).

Secondary Storage Also known as the secondary memory or auxiliary memory is just the opposite of primary memory. It basically overcomes all the drawbacks of the primary storage. It is cheaper, non-volatile, and used to permanently store data and programs of those jobs which are not being currently executed by the CPU. Secondary memory supplements the limited storage capacity of the primary memory. For example, using a magnetic disk you can store your data in C drive, D drive, etc. for future use.

Processing The process of performing operations on the data as per the instructions specified by the user (program) is called processing. Data processing is an activity that involves handling or manipulating data in some way to assign meaning to it. The main aim of processing is to transform data into information. Data and instructions are taken from the primary memory and are transferred to the Arithmetic and Logical Unit (ALU), a part of CPU, which performs all sorts of calculations. When the processing completes, the final result is transferred to the main memory.

Output Output is the reverse of input. It is the process of giving the result of data processing to the outside world (external to the computer system). The results are given through output devices like monitor, printer,etc. Now that the computer accepts data only in binary form and the result of processing is also in the binary form, the result cannot be directly given to the user. The output devices therefore convert the results available in binary codes into a human-readable language before displaying it to the user.

Controlling The function of managing, coordinating, and controlling all the components of the computer system is handled by the control unit, a part of CPU. The control unit decides the manner in which the instructions will be executed and the operations will be performed.