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Software

Software is a set of instructions that operate computers and execute tasks. There are two main categories of software - application software and system software. Application software fulfills specific needs, while system software runs hardware and provides a platform for applications. Other types include programming software, middleware, and driver software. Early software was sold with hardware, but now most software is downloaded online.

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32 views

Software

Software is a set of instructions that operate computers and execute tasks. There are two main categories of software - application software and system software. Application software fulfills specific needs, while system software runs hardware and provides a platform for applications. Other types include programming software, middleware, and driver software. Early software was sold with hardware, but now most software is downloaded online.

Uploaded by

Sifat Faridi (221051043)
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Software is a set of instructions, data or programs used to operate computers and execute

specific tasks. It is the opposite of hardware, which describes the physical aspects of a
computer. Software is a generic term used to refer to applications, scripts and programs that
run on a device. It can be thought of as the variable part of a computer, while hardware is the
invariable part.

The two main categories of software are application software and system software. An
application is software that fulfills a specific need or performs tasks. System software is
designed to run a computer's hardware and provides a platform for applications to run on top
of.

Other types of software include programming software, which provides the programming tools
software developers need; middleware, which sits between system software and applications;
and driver software, which operates computer devices and peripherals.

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.

Examples and 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 example of system software; it manages all the other computer programs. Other
examples of system software include the firmware, computer language translators and system
utilities.
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. For 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.

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