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Computer Software

Software is a set of programs and instructions that operate computers, categorized into System Software and Application Software. System Software includes operating systems that manage hardware and utility software that maintains system performance, while Application Software performs specific tasks for users. Programming languages, both low-level and high-level, are used to create software, with various tools like compilers and interpreters aiding in the development process.

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14 views14 pages

Computer Software

Software is a set of programs and instructions that operate computers, categorized into System Software and Application Software. System Software includes operating systems that manage hardware and utility software that maintains system performance, while Application Software performs specific tasks for users. Programming languages, both low-level and high-level, are used to create software, with various tools like compilers and interpreters aiding in the development process.

Uploaded by

unacademyadityarai
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Computer Software

Software
Software refers to a set of
programs, instructions, or data
used to operate computers and
execute specific tasks.

•It acts as an interface between


the user and the hardware,
enabling efficient usage of the
computer.
Types of Software
Software can be broadly categorized into
System Software and Application Software:
System software is the software which manages and controls the
hardware components and allows interaction between the hardware and the other
different types of software.

System software can be separated into two different categories:


Operating systems and Utility software.

OPERATING SYSTEM
A program that acts as an intermediary between a user of a computer and
the computer hardware is called an operating system. The operating
system is an essential component of the system software in a computer
system.

Operating systems can be found on almost any device that


contains a computer—from cellular phones and video game
consoles to supercomputers and web servers. For example:
UNIX, MS-DOS,WINDOWS, 98/2000/xp/7.
Functions of an operating system

I. Booting the computer

II. Performs basic computer tasks eg managing the various


peripheral devices eg mouse, keyboard

III. Provides a user interface, e.g. command line, graphical user


interface (GUI)

IV. Handles system resources such as computer’s memory and


sharing of the central processing unit (CPU) time by various
applications or peripheral devices

V. Provides file management which refers to the way that the


operating system manipulates, stores, retrieves
and saves data.
GUI (Graphical User Interface)
GUI is a program interface that takes advantage of the computer’s graphics
capabilities to make the program easier to use.

Basic Components of a GUI


Graphical user interfaces, such as Microsoft Windows and the one used by the
Apple Macintosh, feature the following basic components:
• Pointer : A symbol that appears on the display screen and that you move to
select objects and commands.
Usually, the pointer appears as a small angled arrow. Text -processing
applications, however, use an I-beam pointer that is shaped like a capital I.
• Pointing device : A device, such as a mouse or trackball, that enables you to
select objects on the display screen.
• Iicons : Small pictures that represent commands, files, or windows. By moving
the pointer to the icon and pressing a mouse button, you can execute a command
or convert the icon into a window. You can also move the icons around the display
screen as if they were real objects on your desk.
• Desktop : The area on the display screen where icons are grouped is often
referred to as the desktop because the icons are intended to represent real objects
on a real desktop.
• Windows : You can divide the screen into different areas. In each window, you
can run a different program or display a different file. You can move windows
around the display screen, and change their shape and size at will.
• Menus : Most graphical user interfaces let you execute commands by selecting a
choice from a menu.
Utility software is software that helps to maintain and protect the computer system. It does not
directly interface with the hardware. Examples include anti-virus software, firewalls, disk defragmenters
and so on .

Functions of System Utility

I. Disk Cleanup
Disk Cleanup is a function that comes with all versions of Windows Operating
Systems. Disk Cleanup allows for you to scan your entire hard drive to search
for extra room by deleting any unneccessary files such as temporary files from
the Internet and cookies that are downloaded when you visit webpages. You can
find Disk Cleanup in Windows XP by going to the Start menu → All Programs
→ Accessories → System Tools → Disk Cleanup.

II. Disk Defragmentation


Defragmentation is the process of locating the noncontiguous fragments of data
into which a computer file may be divided as it is stored on a hard disk, and
rearranging the fragments and restoring them into fewer fragments or into the
whole file.
III. System Restore
System Restore is a Windows utility that allows a user to
restore their computer data to a specific former state (known as
a restore point), undoing changes made since that time. System
Restore can be found by going to Start → All Programs →
Accessories → System Tools → System Restore

IV. Disk Compression


Disk compression is a type of function that allows for a
program to search your hard drive and compress files,
particularly old or unused files. It also serves to free up space,
which is the main function of disk compression software.

V. Antivirus
It is used to scan computer for viruses and prevent the
computer system files from being corrupt.
Application Software
(Also known as ‘apps’) are designed to achieve a complete task or a set of tasks.
Application software consists of the programs for performing varied tasks particular to the
machine’s utilization. There are various examples of application software that include MS
Word, MS Excel, a console game, database systems, desktop publishing systems, program
development software, a library management system etc.
Programming Languages
A programming language is a set of commands, instructions, and other syntax use to create a software
program. Languages that programmers use to write code are called “high-level languages.” This code can
be compiled into a “low-level language,” which is recognized directly by the computer hardware.

(a) Low-Level Languages

Low-level languages are machine-centric and operate close to the computer's hardware. They are essential
for tasks where high efficiency and hardware control are required.

1.Key Characteristics:
1. Consist of instructions in machine code (binary: 0s and 1s).
2. Highly hardware-dependent and primitive.
3. Directly understood by the CPU.
2.Types of Low-Level Languages:
1. Machine Language:
1. The most fundamental language, directly executed by the CPU.
2. Consists of numerical codes.
3. Hardware-dependent and primitive in nature.
4. Tedious and complex to write programs in this language.
2. Assembly Language:
1. A more user-friendly symbolic representation of machine code.
2. Uses mnemonics to represent instructions (e.g., ADD, SUB).
3. Designed for specific processor families.
4. Easier to understand and program compared to machine language.
(b) High-Level Language : Writing programs was made
easier with time. Earlier languages that were developed
,during the development of computers required knowledge
of the internal workings of the computer, hence attempts
were made to ease the programming where the knowledge
on the the internal workings of the computer was not
required . High-level programming languages allowed the
specification of writing a program closer to those used by
human beings.

With the advent of high level languages programming


became far easier, less error-prone and also removed the
programmer from having to know the details of the internal
structure of a particular computer. Fortran II was one of the
first high level language introduced in about 1958.
Assembler : It is used to convert the assembly language into machine
language (i.e. 0 or 1). This language consists of mnemonic codes which
are difficult to lean and is machine dependent.

Compiler : Compiler is a special program which reads a program in


source language and translates into an equivalent other language. Also
it reports the errors in the source program to its user, if there are any.

Types of Error. Errors are either syntactic or semantic:


Syntax errors are errors in the program text.
Semantic errors are mistakes concerning the meaning of a program
construct.

• Interpreter : A high-level programming language translator that


translates and runs the program at the same time. It converts one
program statement into machine language, executes it, and then
proceeds to the next statement. This differs from regular executable
programs that are presented to the computer as binary-coded
instructions. Interpreted programs remain in the source language the
programmer wrote in, which is human readable text.
Linker : Linking as the name suggests is the process of combining various pieces of
code and data together to form a single executable that can be loaded in memory.
Linking can be done at compile time, load time (by loaders) and at run time (by
application programs) too.

Debugging : In computers, debugging is the process of locating and fixing or


bypassing bugs (errors) in computer program code or the engineering of a hardware
device.

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