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Week6 - Computer Software

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Week6 - Computer Software

Uploaded by

mrsaif1303
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Week6- Computer Software

Computer Software

Hardware: refers to physical devices


Software : set of computer programs & procedures
Computer Program : sequence of instructions
written in a language that is understood by computer
Software Package : group of programs that solve a
specific problem
Relationship between hardware & 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.
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
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
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
Logical System Architecture
Ways of Acquiring Software

 Buying a prewritten program


 Buying a customized software
 Developing a customized software
 Downloading a public domain software
Prewritten Software

 Costs less
 Planned activity can start immediately
 Operating efficiency & capability is not good
Customized Software

 Expensive
 Always depend on vendor to make changes
Developing a Software

 Easier to carry out changes


 Commitment of time & money
 Development team needed
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
Software Development 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)
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
Middleware

Set of tools that helps application to use network


resources and services
 Act as “glue” between client and server parts of an application
 Provide programming abstraction
 Mask heterogeneity of underlying network, hardware, and OS

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