|
Computer software, consisting of programs, enables a computer to perform specific tasks, as opposed to its physical components (hardware) which can only do the tasks they are mechanically designed for. The term includes application software such as word processors which perform productive tasks for users, system software such as operating systems, which interface with hardware to run the necessary services for user-interfaces and applications, and middleware which controls and co-ordinates distributed systems.
Computer software is so called in contrast to computer hardware,
which encompasses the physical interconnections and devices required to
store and execute (or run) the software. In computers, software is
loaded into RAM and executed in the central processing unit. At the lowest level, software consists of a machine language specific to an individual processor. A machine language consists of groups of binary values signifying processor instructions (object code),
which change the state of the computer from its preceding state.
Software is an ordered sequence of instructions for changing the state
of the computer hardware in a particular sequence. It is usually
written in high-level programming languages that are easier and more efficient for humans to use (closer to natural language) than machine language. High-level languages are compiled or interpreted into machine language object code. Software may also be written in an assembly language,
essentially, a mnemonic representation of a machine language using a
natural language alphabet. Assembly language must be assembled into
object code via an assembler.
Practical computer systems divide software systems into three major classes: system software, programming software and application software, although the distinction is arbitrary, and often blurred.
System software helps run the computer hardware and computer system. It includes operating systems, device drivers, diagnostic tools, servers, windowing systems, utilities
and more. The purpose of systems software is to insulate the
applications programmer as much as possible from the details of the
particular computer complex being used, especially memory and other
hardware features, and such accessory devices as communications,
printers, readers, displays, keyboards, etc. Programming software usually provides tools to assist a programmer in writing computer programs and software using different programming languages in a more convenient way. The tools include text editors, compilers, interpreters, linkers, debuggers, and so on. An Integrated development environment (IDE) merges those tools into a software bundle, and a programmer may not need to type multiple commands for compiling, interpreter, debugging, tracing, and etc., because the IDE usually has an advanced graphical user interface, or GUI. Application software allows end users to accomplish one or more specific (non-computer related) tasks. Typical applications include industrial automation, business software, educational software, medical software, databases, and computer games.
Businesses are probably the biggest users of application software, but
almost every field of human activity now uses some form of application
software. It is used to automate all sorts of functions.
|
