SOFTWARE
“ Software is an automatic programming technique and produce for utilizing capabilities of the capabilities of the computer.”
Software, in its most general sense, is a set of instructions or programs instructing a computer to perform specific tasks. Software is a generic term used to describe computer programs. Scripts, applications, programs and a set of instructions are all terms often used to describe software. The theory of software was first proposed by Alan Turing in 1935 in his essay "Computable numbers with an application to the Entscheidungproblem". However, the word software was coined by mathematician and statistician John Tukey in a 1958 issue of American Mathematical Monthly in which he discussed electronic calculators' programs. Software is a collection of computer programs and related data which provides the instructions for telling the computer what to do and how todo it. A software is an interface between user and computer.
It is a set of instructions and programs that are used to give command to hardware. Software is responsible for controlling, integrating and managing the hardware components of a computer system and for accomplishing specific tasks.
I. System Software: System software consists of several programs which are directly responsible for controlling, integrating and managing the individual hardware components of a computer system. The purpose of system software is to insulate the applications programmer as much as possible from the detail of the particular complex computer being used. Generally, the user does not interact with the System Software directly. The user interacts with the GUI created by System Software. Through this, GUI user interacts with applications installed in the system. System software performs the basic functions necessary to start and operate a computer. It refers to all programs that make computer work. It controls and monitors the various resources of a computer such as processor, input-output devices and communication links. It makes the computer faster, efficient and convenient for users.
Depending on functionality, the system software can be further divided into two major categories:
1. System Managements Programs
2. 2. System Development Programs.
1. System Management Programs: System management program includes an integrated system of programs, which manages the operations of the processor, controls input/output, manages storage resources and provides various supporting services.
Some common examples of system management programs are:
(i) Operating System: Operating system consists of programs which controls, co-ordinates and supervises the activities of the various components of a computer system. It's function is to provide link between the computer hardware and the user. Operating system performs all internal management functions (disk access, memory management, task scheduling and user interfacing) and ensures systematic functioning of a computer system. It provides an environment to run the programs, e.g., MS-DOS, Windows, Unix, Linux etc.
(ii) Device Drivers: A software which is written with the objective of making a device functional when it is connected to the computer is called device driver. It is a system software that acts like an interface between the device and the user. Every device, whether it is a printer, monitor, mouse or keyboard has a driver program associated for its proper functioning.
(iii) System Utilities: System utility programs perform tasks related to the maintenance of the computer system. These are the packages which are loaded into computer during the time of installation of operating system. System utilities are used to support, enhance, expand and secure existing programs and data in the computer system.
System Development Programs: System development software provides services required for the development and execution of application or software. Programs that help user to develop information system programs and procedures development programs are language translators, programming tools and case packages. Examples of system development programs include:
(1) Programming Language: A programming language is a primary interface of a programmer with a computer. A programming language is an artificial language to express the computation that can be performed by a computer. There are number of programming languages where each language has its own syntax i.e. the set of specific rules which expresses the logical steps of an algorithm.
(ii) Language Translator: A language translator helps in converting programming languages into machine language. The translated program is called the object code. There are three different kinds of language translator i.e. compiler, interpreter and assembler.
(a) Compiler: A program which translates a high level language problem into a machine level language program is called compiler. Compiler translates source code (HLL program) into object code (MLL program) as a whole. If a compiler runs on a computer for which it produces the object code, then is known as self compiler or resident compiler. If a compiler runs on a computer other than that for which if produces object code, then it is called cross-compiler.
(b) Interpreter: An interpreter is a program which translates statements of a high level language programs into machine codes step-by-step. It translates are statement of the program of high level language program into machine codes at a time. It reads one statement of high level language program, translates it into machine code and executes it, then it reads the next statement of the program, translates it and executes it. In this way, it proceeds further till all the statements of the program, translates it and executes it. in this way, it proceeds further till all the statements of the program are translated and executed.
(c) Assembler: When a program is written in a language other than the machine language of computer, the computer will not understand it. Hence, the program written in other language must be translated into machine language before they are executed. Such translation is performed with the aid of software. A program which translates an assembly language program into a machine language program is called an assembler. An assembler which runs on a computer for which it produces object code is called self assembler or resident assembler.
(iii) Linker: In high level languages, some built-in header files or libraries are stored. These libraries are predefined and contain basic functions which are essential for executing the program. These functions are linked to the libraries by a program called linker.
(iv) Loader: Loader is a kind of system software, which is responsible for loading and relocating the executable program in the main memory. Loading a program involves reading the contents of executable file into memory. Once loading is completed, the operating system starts the program by passing control to the loaded program code.
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