The Information Processing Cycle

The information processing cycle has four parts, and each part involves one or more specific components of the computer:

Input-During this part of the cycle, the computer accepts data from some source, such as the user or a program, for processing.

Processing-During this part of the cycle, the computer’s processing components perform actions on the data, based on instructions from the user or a program.

Output-Here, the computer may be required to display the results of its processing. For example, the results may appear as text, numbers, or a graphic on the computer’s screen or as sounds from its speaker. The computer also can 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-In this step, the computer permanently stores the results of its processing on a disk, tape, or some other kind of storage medium. As with output, storage is optional and may not always be required by the user or program.