www.LearnEngineering.

in
Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Learning Objectives

In this chapter you will learn about:

§ Term “Software” and its relationship with “Hardware”

§ Various types of software and their examples
§ Relationship among hardware, system software,
application software, and users of a computer system
§ Different ways of acquiring software
§ Various steps involved in software development
§ Firmware
§ Middleware

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Software

§ Hardware refers to the physical devices of a

computer system.
§ Software refers to a collection of programs
§ Program is a sequence of instructions written in a
language that can be understood by a computer
§ Software package is a group of programs that solve
a specific problem or perform a specific type of job

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Relationship Between Hardware and

Software

§ Both hardware and software are necessary for a

computer to do useful job. They are complementary
to each other
§ Same hardware can be loaded with different software
to make a computer system perform different types
of jobs
§ Except for upgrades, hardware is normally a one-
time expense, whereas software is a continuing
expense
§ Upgrades refer to renewing or changing components
like increasing the main memory, or hard disk
capacities, or adding speakers, modems, etc.

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Types of Software

Most software can be divided into two major categories:

§ System software are designed to control the
operation and extend the processing capability of a
computer system
§ Application software are designed to solve a
specific problem or to do a specific task

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

System Software

§ Make the operation of a computer system more effective

and efficient

§ Help hardware components work together and provide

support for the development and execution of application
software

§ Programs included in a system software package are

called system programs and programmers who
prepare them are called system programmers

§ Examples of system software are operating systems,

programming language translators, utility programs, and
communications software

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Application Software

§ Solve a specific problem or do a specific task

§ Programs included in an application software
package are called application programs and the
programmers who prepare them are called
application programmers
§ Examples of application software are word
processing, inventory management, preparation of
tax returns, banking, etc.

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Logical System Architecture

HARDWARE
(Physical devices/components
of the computer system)

SYSTEM SOFTWARE
(Software that constitute the operating and
programming environment of the computer system)

APPLICATION SOFTWARE
(Software that do a specific task or solve a specific problem)

USERS
(Normally interact with the system via the user
interface provided by the application software)

Relationship among hardware, system software, application software, and users of a

computer system.

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Ways of Acquiring Software

§ Buying pre-written software

§ Ordering customized software
§ Developing customized software
§ Downloading public-domain software

Each of these ways of acquiring software has its own

advantages and limitations

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha
Advantages and Limitations of
Buying Pre-written Software

§ Usually costs less

§ Planned activity can be stared almost immediately
§ Often, operating efficiency and the capability to meet
specific needs of user more effectively in not as good
for pre-written software packages as for in-house
developed software packages

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Advantages & Limitations of Ordering

Customized Software

§ User need not maintain its own software development team,

which is an expensive affair
§ User needs to always depend on the vendor for carrying out
the changes and the vendor may separately charge for
every request for change

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Advantages & Limitations of Developing

Customized Software

§ Easier to carry out changes in the software, if it is

developed in-house
§ Developing software in-house means a major
commitment of time, money, and resources
§ In-house software development team needs to be
maintained and managed

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Advantage & Limitations of Downloading

Public-domain Software

§ Available for free or as shareware, and are usually accompanied

with source code
§ Usually community-supported as author does not support users
directly
§ Can be downloaded and used immediately
§ They may not be properly tested before release
§ Open Source Software (OSS) are becoming popular due to:
§ Allows any user to download, view, modify, and redistribute
§ User can fix bugs or change software to suit needs
§ Copyright is protected for both original and subsequent
authors
§ Not all open source software are free and vise-verse

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Software Development Steps

Developing a software and putting it to use is a complex

process and involves following steps:
§ Analyzing the problem at hand and planning the
program(s) to solve the problem
§ Coding the program(s)
§ Testing, debugging, and documenting the program(s)
§ Implementing the program(s)
§ Evaluating and maintaining the program(s)

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Firmware

§ Firmware is software substituted for hardware and stored

in read-only memory
§ Firmware technology has enabled production of various
types of smart machines having microprocessor chips
with embedded software

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Middleware

§ Basic idea is to have a separate software layer to:

§ Act as “glue” between client and server parts of
application
§ Provide programming abstraction
§ Mask heterogeneity of underlying network, hardware,
and OS
§ Encourages three-tier software architecture against two-
tier popularized by Server-Client architecture

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Computer
Computer Fundamentals:
Fundamentals: Pradeep
Pradeep K.
K. Sinha
Sinha &
& Priti
Priti Sinha
Sinha

Key Words/Phrases

§ Application programmers § Pre-written software

§ Application programs § Public-domain software
§ Application software § Shareware
§ Computer program § Software
§ Customized software § Software package
§ Database § Spreadsheet
§ Education software § System programmers
§ End-to-end solution § System programs
§ Entertainment software § System software
§ Firmware § Turnkey solution
§ Graphics software § User-supported
§ Hardware software
§ Middleware § Utilities
§ Open Source Software § Word-processing
§ Personal assistance software

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