Chap1.2 Computer Software

8/12/2019 Chap1.2 Computer Software

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COMPUTER SOFTWARE

A software package is a group of programs that solves a specific prolem or perform aspecific t!pe of "o# For e$ample% a wor& processi'g package ma! co'tai' program for

te$t e&iti'g% te$t formatti'g % &rawi'g graphics% spelli'g checki'g etc# Thus amultipurpose computer has several software packages% o'e each for ever! "o it ca'perform#

RE(AT)O*S+)P ,ETWEE* +AR-WARE A*- SOFTWARE

The followi'g importa't poi'ts regar&i'g the relatio'ship etwee' har&ware a'& software

.# ,oth har&ware a'& software are 'ecessar! for a computer to &o useful "o# ,oth

are compleme'tar! to each other#

/# The same har&ware ca' e loa&e& with &iffere't software to make a computer

s!stem perform &iffere't t!pes of "os "ust as &iffere't so'gs ca' e pla!e& usi'gthe same cassette pla!er#

0# E$cept for the upgra&es har&ware is 'ormall! a o'e time affair whereas software

is a co'ti'ui'g e$pe'se#

T1PES OF SOFTWARE

Most software are &ivi&e& i'to two ma"or categories

.# S!stem software

/# Applicatio' software

S1STEM SOFTWARE 2 is a set of o'e or more programs &esig'e& to co'trol the

operatio's a'& e$te'& the processi'g capailit! of a computer s!stem# Computers!stem software performs o'e or more of the followi'g fu'ctio's2

.# supports the &evelopme't of other applicatio' software/# support the e$ecutio' of other applicatio' software

0# mo'itors the effective use of various har&ware resources such as CPU%

memor! % peripherals etc#

3# commu'icates with a'& co'trols the operatio's of peripheral &evices such aspri'ter% &isk% tapes etc#

Thus % s!stem software

makes the operatio' of a computer s!stem more effective a'& efficie't

helps the har&ware compo'e'ts work together a'& provi&es support

for the &evelopme't a'& e$ecutio' of applicatio' software#


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The programs i'clu&e& i' the s!stem software package are calle&

S1STEM PRO4RAMS

Programmers who prepare s!stem software are calle& S1STEM

PRO4RAMMERS#

4oo& s!stem software allows applicatio' packages to e ru' o' the

computer s!stem with less time a'& effort# Thus s!stem software is a' i'&ispe'sale part of the total computer

Some of the most commo' t!pe of s!stem softwares are2

.# OPERAT)*4 S1STEM

DEFINATION 1 :An operati'g s!stem 5OS6 is a s!stem software that co'trols the

i'ter'al activities of the computer har&ware a'& provi&es user i'terface# All applicatio'programs 'ee& to e programme& i' such a wa! that the! talk with the operati'g s!stem

for i'teracti'g a'& use har&ware resources#

DEFINATION 2:A' operati'g s!stem is a' i'tegrate& set of programs that co'trol theresources of a computer s!stem a'& provi&es its users with a' i'terface or virtual

machi'e that is more co've'ie't to use tha' the are machi'e

/#PRO4AMME (A*4UA4E TRA*S(ATOR are s!stem software that tra'sform the

i'structio' prepare& ! programmers usi'g co've'ie't programmi'g la'guage i'to a

form that ca' e i'terprete& a'& e$ecute& ! a computer s!stem#5compiler% assemler%i'terpreter etc6

0#UT)()T1 PRO4AMS 5also k'ow' as utilites6 are a set of programs that help users i'

s!stem mai'te'a'ce tasks a'& i' performi'g tasks of routi'e 'ature# Some of thecommo'l! performe& ! utilit! programs i'clu&e& are

Formatti'g har& &isks or flopp! &isk

Reorga'i7i'g files o' a har& &isk to co'serve storage space

Taki'g ackup of files store& o' har& &isk o' to a tape or flopp! &isk

Searchi'g a particular file from a &irector! of hu'&re& of files

Sca''i'g the s!stem for compute virus

3# PERFORMA*CE MO*)TOR)*4 SOFTWARE 8 also calle& a profiler% helps the useri' a'al!7i'g the performa'ce of the various har&ware compo'e'ts# )t provi&es such

i'formatio' as the perce'tage of CPU utili7atio' % perce'tage of memor! utili7atio'% a'&'umer of &isk accesses &uri'g a'! give' perio& of time#

9# COMMU*)CAT)O* SOFTWARE 2 )' a 'etwork e'viro'me't % where multiple

computers are i'tegrate& together ! commu'icatio' 'etwork % the software e'ales totra'sfer of &ata a'& programs from o'e computer s!stem to a'other# This software

i'clu&es2

E'co&i'g the &ata to e tra'sferre& at the source computer i' the right format


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Tra'sferri'g of the &ata from the source to &esti'atio' computer

-eco&i'g of &ata receive& at the &esti'atio' computer

COMP)(ER 2 A high level la'guage program must e co'verte& 5tra'slate&6 i'to itse:uivale't machi'e la'guage program efore it ca' e e$ecute& o' the computer# This

tra'slatio' is &o'e with the help of a tra'slator program calle& a COMP)(ER# )t compilesa set of machi'e la'guage i'structio's for ever! program i'structio's of a high levella'guage#

i'put output

high level la'guage program 888; COMP)(ER 888888888888; machi'e la'guage program

The i'put to a compiler is high la'guage program ofte' calle& a SOURCE PRO4RAM

a'& its output is the machi'e la'guage program ofte' calle& as a' O,


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.# WOR- PROCESS)*4 SOFTWARE2 is the term &escrii'g the use of computer

to create% e&it % view % format % store a'& retrieve a'& pri't &ocume'ts#

/# SPREA-S+EET SOFTWARE2 is a 'umeric &ata a'al!sis tool that allow !ou to

create a ki'& of computeri7e& le&ger#

0# -ATA,ASE SOFTWARE = A -ATA,ASE is a collectio' of relate& &ata store&

a'& treate& as a u'it for i'formatio' retrieval purposes# -ata is the raw material

for &ata processi'g a'& i'formatio' is the processe& &ata#A &ataase software is a set of o'e or more programs that e'ales the user to

create &ataase% mai'tai' it 5a&&>&elete>up&ate6#

3# 4RAP+)CS SOFTWARE = e'ales us to use a computer s!stem for creati'g%e&iti'g% viewi'g % stori'g% retrievi'g a'& pri'ti'g &esig's % &rawi'g pictures % graphs% etc#

9# PERSO*A( ASS)STA*CE SOFTWARE8 allows us to use perso'al computer for

stori'g a'& retrievi'g our perso'al i'formatio' % a'& pla''i'g a'& ma'agi'g oursche&ules#

?# E*TERTA)*ME*T SOFTWARE like vi&eo game% movies etc#

FREE -OMA)* SOFTWARE

The! are program that are offere& at 'o cost# +owever% the! are cop!right of the ow'er%

which mea's !ou ca''ot use these programs for selli'g or !our ow' software

&evelopme't purposes# For e$ample 2 ()*U@ software

Free software% software libreor libre softwareis softwarethat ca' e use&% stu&ie&%a'& mo&ifie& without restrictio'% a'& which ca' e copie& a'& re&istriute& i' mo&ifie&

or u'mo&ifie& form either without restrictio'% or with mi'imal restrictio's o'l! to e'sure

that further recipie'ts ca' also &o these thi'gs a'& that ma'ufacturers of co'sumer8faci'g

har&ware allow user mo&ificatio's to their har&ware# Free software is ge'erall! availalewithout charge% ut ca' have a fee#

)' practice% for software to e &istriute& as free software% the huma'8rea&ale form of

the program 5the source co&e6 must e ma&e availale to the recipie't alo'g with a 'oticegra'ti'g the aove permissio's# Such a 'otice either is a free software lice'se% or a'otice that the source co&e is release& i'to thepulic &omai'#

The free software moveme'twas co'ceive& i' .B0 ! Richar& Stallma'to satisf! the

'ee& for a'& to give the e'efit of software free&om to computer users# D.Stallma'fou'&e& the Free Software Fou'&atio'i' .B9 to provi&e the orga'i7atio'al structure to

a&va'ce his Free Software i&eas#
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softwarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_codehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software_licensehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software_movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software_movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Stallmanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software#cite_note-0%23cite_note-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Software_Foundationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Software_Foundationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softwarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_codehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software_licensehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software_movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Stallmanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software#cite_note-0%23cite_note-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Software_Foundation


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Chap1.2 Computer Software