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The information Processing Cycle of a Computer

A coordination of computer’s parts makes it possible for a computer to convert data into information by performing series of actions on the data. For example, a computer might perform a mathematical operation on two numbers and display the result or perform a logical operation such as comparing two numbers and then display the result. These operations are part of a process called the information processing cycle, which is a set of instructions from a program, displaying the resulting information to the user and store the results.
The information processing cycle has four parts or units and each part involves one or more specific components of the computer. In order words, there are 4 main basic operational levels of a computer. These include input, processing, output and storage.

Input

 During this part of the cycle, the computer accepts data and programs from a user for processing.

Processing

This cycle involves the central processing unit of the computer to perform various actions like arithmetic and logical operations on the data. The CPU takes data and perform all the operations on the data based on instructions from a user or a program.

Output

The computer displays the results as output after its processing activities. For example the results may appear as text, numbers or a graphic on a computer’s screen or as sounds from its speakers. The computer can also send output to a printer or transfer the output to another computer through a network or the internet. Output is an optional step in the information processing cycle but may be ordered by the user or program.

Storage

The storage part of the information processing cycle stores data and information before and after processing. After processing, the computer permanently stores the results of its processing on a disk, tape, or some other kind of storage medium. Like the output, storage is optional and may not always be required by the user or program.