What is Computer Software ?

•Set of computer programs, procedures and associated documents(flowcharts , manuals) describing the program and how they can be used.

•Software package is a group of programs that solve a specific problem or perform a specific task.  Example a word processing package contains programs for text editing, text formatting, drawing graphics, spelling check. Etc 

Types of software

•System software

•Set of one or more programs which controls the operation and/or extends the processing capability of a computer system.

Its functions are:

•Supports development of other application software

•Supports execution of other application software

•Monitors effective use of various hardware resources like CPU, Memory, peripherals etc

•Communicate with and controls operation of printer, disk, tape etc (peripheral devices)

•The programs included in a system software package are called system software and programmers who prepare them are called system programmers.


Examples of System software

•Operating systems: It takes care of effective utilization of all the hardware and software components of the computer system. Examples of OS are Mac, Windows NT , Ms DOS , MS windows, Linux/Unix.

•Programming language translators: are system software that performs the instructions prepared by programmers using convenient programming language into a form that can be interpreted and executed by a computer system.

•Utility programs(utilities): are a set of programs that help users in maintenance tasks and in performing tasks of routine nature. Some tasks are Formatting hard disks , searching a particular file from a directory of hundreds of files.