HOW DOES THE SOFTWARE WORK?
Software is the computerised instructions that operate the computer, execute particular functions or tasks, and manipulate the data. For software (the instructions) to perform various functions, it must be programmed. That is, the instructions need to be written in a programming language that the computer can understand. Without a program, a computer is useless.
Programming language: An artificial set of rules,vocabulary and syntax used to instruct the computer to execute certain tasks.
Computer program: A sequence of instructions thatcan be executed by a computer to carry out a process.
Over the years, a wide range of programming languages have been developed, including BASIC, FORTRAN, PASCAL, C++, JAVA, and so on. Each language has a unique set of words (codes) that it understands and a special syntax for organising program instructions.
The language the computer actually understands is called machine language, which comprises numbers only. This language is used by the computer to understand the programming language and translate the terms into executable instructions. Lying between programming languages and machine languages are assembly languages. Assembly languages have the same structure and set of commands as machine languages but they enable a program to use names instead of numbers.
Please note: most people who use computers today do not need to worry about programming, machine, or assembly languages. This is because the software being used today is written in a highly user-friendly manner and in a way that does not require knowledge of the computer languages which were used to create and use it.
User friendly: Computer software or hardware that issimple to set up, run and use.
There are two kinds of software, systems software and applications software. Systems softwareincludes the operating system and all the utilities that enable thecomputer to function. The most important program that runs on a computer is the operating system. Every general-purpose computer must have an operating system in order to run other programs. This includes controlling functions such as the coordination of the hardware and applications software, allocating storage facilities, controlling the input and output devices and managing time sharing for linked or networked computers. In many respects an operating system works like an air traffic controller to coordinate activities within the computer. Examples of operating systems are Windows NT, DOS and OS/2. The Windows family of operating systems includes a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that makes the software user friendly.
Operating system: A collection of software that allowsa computer to function.
Applications softwareincludes programs that users access to carry out work. Theyinclude applications for the following functions.
• Word processing is the most common applications software. The great advantage of word processing over using a typewriter is that you can make changes without retyping the entire document. Word processors make it easy to manipulate and format documents.
• Spreadsheets are computer programs that let people electronically create and manipulate spreadsheets (tables of values arranged in rows and columns with predefined relationships to each other). Spreadsheets are used for mathematical calculations such as accounts, budgets, statistics and so on.
• Database management applications are computer programs that let people create and manipulate data in a database. A database is a collection of related information that can be manipulated and used to sort information, conduct statistical analyses or generate reports.
• Presentation packages and graphics are computer programs that enable users to create highly stylised images for slide presentations and reports. They can also be used to produce various types of charts and graphs. Many software applications include graphics components including: paint programs, desktop publishing applications and so on.
• Communications applications typically include software to enable people to send faxes and emails and dial into other computers.
Software programs are continually being written or upgraded to undertake certain tasks. As a result the software can become obsolete quickly.
Software can be either ‘proprietary’ (also called ‘closed’) or ‘open’. Proprietary software is privately owned and controlled. A proprietary software design or technique is one that is owned by a company, which will usually not divulge specifications that would allow other companies to duplicate the product. Increasingly, proprietary software is seen as a disadvantage in many organisations; users prefer to use ‘open’ software, which is software designed using specifications that are publicly accessible. The great advantage of open software is that anyone can create add-on products for it because they can understand how it was designed. People using open software can mix and match products from different manufacturers. By making software public, however, a manufacturer allows others to duplicate its product, which many manufacturers do not want.