Software & Hardware?

Introduction to
Computer Software
 Computer Instructions or data, anything that can be
stored electronically is Software.

 Hardware is one that is tangible. The storage devices

(Hard disk, CD’s etc.), mouse, keyboard CPU and
display devices (Monitor) are Hardware.

Dr. Anoop Kumar Gupta

MAIT
1

Types of Software System Software:

System Software includes the Operating System and all
 System Software the utilities that enable the computer to function.
 Application Software
System software is a term referring to any computer
software which manages and controls the hardware so
that application software can perform a task.

Example:
Operating Systems, Compiler, Loader, Linker, Interpreter.
Application Software: System Software:
Operating System:
Application Software includes programs that do real work  Operating System is a software, which makes a
for user. computer to actually work.

Example:  It is the software the enables all the programs we use.

Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Database Management  The OS organizes and controls the hardware.
System, Payroll systems, Inventory Control, and Student
database management, etc.,  OS acts as an interface between the application
programs and the machine hardware.

 Examples: Windows, Linux, Unix and Mac OS, etc.,

System Software (contd): System Software (contd):

Compiler: A compiler is a program that reads a
program in one language – the source language and Loader: A loader is the part of an operating system that
translates into an equivalent program in another
is responsible for loading programs into memory,
language – the target language.
preparing them for execution and then executing them.
Source Target Languages
Languages The loader is usually a part of the operating system's
‘C’ language Machine language (is a kernel and usually is loaded at system boot time and
Visual Basic low-level language stays in memory until the system is rebooted, shut down,
made up of binary or powered off.
FORTRAN language
numbers or bits that a
C++ language computer can
Python understand. It is read by
the computer's CPU)
System Software (contd): System Software (contd):
Interpreter: An interpreter is a computer
Linker: A linker or link editor is a program that takes
program that translates and executes
one or more objects generated by compilers and
assembles them into a single executable program. instructions written in a computer programming
language line-by-line, unit by unit etc.,
Linkers can take objects from a collection called a
library. The objects are program modules containing An interpreter needs to be able to analyze, or
machine code and information for the linker. parse, instructions written in the source
language.
The linker takes care of arranging the objects in a
program's address space.
Example: Lisp systems, etc.,

Application Software: Application Software

Word Processors: (contd…):
Word processing is a tool that helps user in creating,
editing, and printing documents. Word processors will Spreadsheets: The spreadsheet packages are
normally have the following capabilities built into them: designed to use numbers and formulas to do
 Spell checking calculations with ease. Examples of spreadsheets
 Standard layouts for normal documents include:
 Have some characters appear in bold print,  Budgets
italics, or underlined
 Payrolls
 Center lines, make text line up on the left side
of the paper, or the right side of the paper  Grade Calculations
 Save the document so it can be used again  Address Lists
 print the document.
The most commonly used spreadsheet programs are
Microsoft Excel and Lotus 123.
Examples: WordPerfect and Microsoft Word
Application Software Application Software
(contd…): (contd…):
Graphic Presentations: The presentation
Database Management System (DBMS):
 A DBMS is a software tool that allows multiple users to
programs can make giving presentations and using store, access, and process data into useful information.
overheads easier. Other uses include:  Database programs are designed for these types of
 Slide Shows applications:
 Membership lists
 Repeating Computer Presentations on a
 Student lists
computer monitor
 Grade reports
 Using Sound and animation in slide shows
 Instructor schedules
All of these have to be maintained so you can find what
The most recognized graphic presentation programs are you need quickly and accurately.
Microsoft PowerPoint and Harvard Graphics.
 Example:Microsoft Access, dBASE, Oracle.