Software comprises the entire set of programs, procedures, and routines associated with the operation of a computer system. The term was coined to differentiate these instructions from hardware—i.e., the physical components of a computer system.
A set of instructions that directs a computer’s hardware to perform a task is called a program, or software program.
Early software was written for specific computers and sold with the hardware it ran on. In the 1980s, software began to be sold on floppy disks , and later on CDs and DVDs. Today, most software is purchased and directly downloaded over the internet. Software can be found on vendor websites or application service provider websites.
Types of software
Among the various categories of software, the most common types include the following:
Application software
The most common type of software, application software is a computer software package that performs a specific function for a user, or in some cases, for another application. An application can be self-contained, or it can be a group of programs that run the application for the user.
Examples of modern applications include office suites, graphics software, databases and database management programs, web browsers, word processors, software development tools, image editors and communication platforms.
System software
These software programs are designed to run a computer’s application programs and hardware. System software coordinates the activities and functions of the hardware and software. In addition, it controls the operations of the computer hardware and provides an environment or platform for all the other types of software to work in. The OS is the best Examples of programming software include assemblers, compilers, debuggers and interpreters.
Driver software
Also known as device drivers, this software is often considered a type of system software. Device drivers control the devices and peripherals connected to a computer, enabling them to perform their specific tasks. Every device that is connected to a computer needs at least one device driver to function.
Examples include software that comes with any nonstandard hardware, including special game controllers, as well as the software that enables standard hardware, such as USB storage devices, keyboards, headphones and printers.
Middleware
The term middleware describes software that mediates between application and system software or between two different kinds of application software.
Example, middleware enables Microsoft Windows to talk to Excel and Word. It is also used to send a remote work request from an application in a computer that has one kind of OS, to an application in a computer with a different OS. It also enables newer applications to work with legacy ones.
Programming software
Computer programmers use programming software to write code. Programming software and programming tools enable developers to develop, write, test and debug other software programs.
Examples of programming software include assemblers, compilers, debuggers and interpreters.
How does software work?
All software provides the directions and data computers need to work and meet users' needs. However, the two different types -- application software and system software -- work in distinctly different ways.
Design and implementation :
The software development lifecycle is a framework that project managers use to describe the stages and tasks associated with designing software. The first steps in the design lifecycle are planning the effort and then analyzing the needs of the individuals who will use the software and creating detailed requirements. After the initial requirements analysis, the design phase aims to specify how to fulfill those user requirements.
The next is step is implementation, where development work is completed, and then software testing happens. The maintenance phase involves any tasks required to keep the system running.
Where are the softwares stored?
The softwares are stored on various external or inter memory devices in the system. For any software to run, it has to be first of all installed into a storage device essentially the ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory). The System softwares are permanently stored in ROM while on the contrast, the insstructions of the running application softwares are temporarily transferred to the RAM.
Softwares are the nerve center of the Computer systems. The hardware would be completely of no use without the softwares that run them.
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