Computer Software

Think about it…

 What is the significance of Software?
 Why Software Crisis sometimes exists?
Software Fundamentals
 Software consists of computer
programs, which are sequence of
instructions for the computer.
 The process of writing ( or coding )
programs is called programming, and,
individuals who perform this task are
called programmers.
Software Fundamentals
 Documentation helps the user
operate the computer system and
help other programmer s
understand what the program
does and how it accomplished it s
purpose.
Two Major Type of Software
1. System Software
• Two Functional Categories:
 System Control Programs
 System Support programs
2. Application Software
• Types of Application Software
 Proprietary Application Software
 Off-the-shelf application software
System Software
 It is a set of instructions that
serves primarily as an
intermediary between
computer hardware and
application programs, and
may also be directly
manipulated by
knowledgeable users.
System Software
Two functional categories:
 System Control Programs - control the
use of the hardware, software, and data
resources of a computer system.
 System Support programs - supports the
operations, management, and user of a
computer system by providing a variety of
support services. For example, system utility
programs, performance monitors, and
security monitors.
 System Utility Programs – are programs that
have been written to accomplish common
tasks such as:
 sorting records
 checking the integrity of diskettes
 creating directories and subdirectories.
 restore accidentally erased files
 locate files within the directory structure manage
memory usage
 redirect output
 System Performance Monitors – are programs that
monitor the processing of jobs on a computer
system. They monitor computer system performance
and produce reports containing detailed statistics
relating to the use of system resources such as:
 processor time

 memory space

 input/output device

 system and application programs.

These reports are used to plan and control the efficient use of
the computer system resources and to help trouble-shoot the
system in case of problems.
 System Security Monitors – are programs that
monitor the use of a computer to protect it and its
resources form unauthorized use, fraud, or
destruction. It also controls the use of the hardware,
software, and data resources of a computer system.
These programs monitor use of the computer and
collect statistic on attempts to improper use.
Application Software
 It is a set of computer
instructions that provide more
specific functionality to a user.
This software is designed to
solve a particular problem for
users.
Application Software
Types of Application Software:
1. Proprietary Application Software – addresses
a specific or unique business need for a company.
Such specific software programs developed for a
particular company by a vendor are called contract
software.
2. Off-the-shelf application software – can be
purchased, leased, or rented from a vendor that
develops programs and sells them to many
organizations. It may be a standard package or it
may be customizable.
Application Software
Types of Personal Application Software:
 Spreadsheets

 Data Management

 Word processing

 Desktop Publishing
 Graphics: Presentations graphics, Analysis graphics,
CAD software
 Multimedia

 Communications

 Speech Recognition Software

 Groupware
The diagram below illustrates the relationship between
application software and system software.