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System Software: Nursing Informatics: Chapter 4 Computer Software

1. Computer software is needed to translate instructions into machine language and make computers useful work tools. It comes in the form of programs organized into packages. 2. There are three basic types of software: system software that controls the computer hardware and operations; utility software that supports the computer system; and applications software for tasks like data processing and communication. 3. Programming languages are used to communicate with computers and come in many forms from machine language to visual languages. The most common for programmers are compilers, debuggers, and other utility programs.

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Jamaica Angot
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29 views

System Software: Nursing Informatics: Chapter 4 Computer Software

1. Computer software is needed to translate instructions into machine language and make computers useful work tools. It comes in the form of programs organized into packages. 2. There are three basic types of software: system software that controls the computer hardware and operations; utility software that supports the computer system; and applications software for tasks like data processing and communication. 3. Programming languages are used to communicate with computers and come in many forms from machine language to visual languages. The most common for programmers are compilers, debuggers, and other utility programs.

Uploaded by

Jamaica Angot
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Nursing Informatics: Chapter 4

Computer Software
• General term applied to the instructions that direct the computer's hardware to perform work

• Needed for 2 Purposes:

1. To translate instructions into machine language


2. To make the computer an economical work tool so people can buy and use it to do common tasks

• Is supplied as organized instruction set called "PROGRAMS", or more typically related programs called a "PACKAGE

Programs: translate operations that the user needs into language and instructions that the computer can understand.

CATEGORIES OF SOFTWARE
• 3 BASIC TYPES

1. SYSTEM SOFTWARE
- Boots up the computer
- Controls input and output
- Controls the operations of the application software
- Consists of a variety of programs that control the individual computer and make application programs work well with
the hardware

• BASIC INPUT/OUTPUT SYSTEM


- 1st part of the computer to function when the system is turned on
-Firmware: programs on chips (both a hardware and a software)

• OPERATING SYSTEM
- Overall controller of the work of the computer
- Can be upgraded (unlike the firmware) through a software
- Can be purchased separately or can be installed on the hard drive the user's
- Interface: connection between the CPU and a peripheral or a user
- The OS manages the interfaces
- Management of storage: one of the most critical tasks performed by the OS

2. UTILITY SOFTWARE
- Consists of programs designed to support and optimize the functioning of the computer system itself

6 Types:
i. Security Software- Protects the computer and its data from attacks that can destroy programs and data

• Antivirus Utilities: guard against malicious programs


• Firewall: makes it much harder for unauthorized persons or systems to enter computer and hijack or
damage programs or data on the computer
• Encryption Software: encodes the data so that it cannot be read until it is decoded; the HTTPS letter on a
web page address indicate that the site encrypts data sent through that site; makes buying and selling via
the Internet safer
ii. Disk Management Utilities
- Designed to help the user keep hard disk space clean and efficient by analyzing use of disk space, defragmenting the
drive and deleting duplicate files if the user commands
- Defragmenting files: moves data around on the disk so that small empty spaces are eliminated and data and programs
are relocated to better use the available space
- Can also compress data, partition the disk, clean up disks
- Includes diagnostic programs

iii. Backup Utilities


- Help the users back up their data
- Important for users to back up any data they have saved that they do not want to permanently lose
- When a hard drive fails (or crashes), the user who has not backed up that drive is at risk of permanently losing photos,
information, songs, videos, and anything else stored on the computer
- Backing up data on the same hard drive is not necessarily much protection

iv. Screen Savers


- Are computer programs that either blank the monitor screen or fill it with constantly moving images when the user is
away from the computer but does not turn it completely off
- Originally developed for old technology screens that would be damaged by having the same image on the screen for a
long period time-
- For modern computer it mostly serves as entertainment, and providing privacy Sometimes require user to log back into
their computer to turn off screen saver, and this provides security function

v. Archival Software
- Performs atleast 2 functions: Compresses information in files to be archived, and then stores the in a compressed
form in some long-term storage device (Winzip, Winrar): when files are retrieved, software must be used to unpack
(decompress) the data.

vi. Programming Environment Support Programs


- Used by program developers to support their programming work or to run their programs
- Compiler: program that converts human language to machine language
- Decompiler program: if programmer wants to translate a machine language into a higher level language the humans
can understand
- Syntax: refers to a set of very specific rules about words, word usage, and word order in order of a computer language;
it must be exactly correct for a computer to correctly interpret the code and run the program
- Bugs: cause failure of the computer due to incorrect syntax
- Debugging: used to correct bugs
- compilers and debuggers are the most commonly used software as utility programs by programmers

3. Applications Software
- Includes various programs that users require to perform day-to-day tasks
- They support the actual work of the user
- Utility programs can be an example
- Used for several purposes: to process data, play games, communicate with others, watch videos, multimedia programs
- Does not work without a compatible system software
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
- Is a means of communicating with the computer
- Binary or Machine Language: the only language a CPU understands

Types:
1. Machine Language:
2. Assembler Language
3. Third-Generation Language
4. Visual Programming Language
5. Concurrent and Distributed Languages
6. Fourth Generation Languages
7. Fifth Generation Languages
8. Text Formatting Language

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