Computer software, or just software, is the collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions

telling a computer what to do. We can also say software refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of the computer for some purposes. Program software performs the function of the program it implements, either by directly providing instructions to the computer hardware or by serving as input to another piece of software. The term was coined to contrast to the old term hardware (meaning physical devices). In contrast to hardware, software is intangible, meaning it "cannot be touched".[1] Software is also sometimes used in a more narrow sense, meaning application software only. Sometimes the term includes data that has not traditionally been associated with computers, such as film, tapes, and records.[2]

Types of software
Practical computer systems divide software systems into three major classes 1. System software, System software provides the basic function for computer usage, which can be divided into operating system and support system.Operating system is the most basic software. System software helps run the computer hardware and computer system. It includes a combination of the following:

device drivers operating systems servers utilities window systems

System software is responsible for managing variety of independent hardware, so that they can work together harmoniously. For the system software, computer users and other software regard the computer as a whole and need not give concern on how every hardware works. The purpose of systems software is to unburden the applications programmer from the often complex details of the particular computer being used, including such accessories as communications devices, printers, device readers, displays and keyboards, and also to partition the computer's resources such as memory and processor time in a safe and stable manner. Examples are - Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.

2. Programming software Programming software usually provides tools to assist a programmer in writing computer programs, and software using different programming languages in a more convenient way. The tools include:

compilers debuggers interpreters linkers text editors

An Integrated development environment (IDE) is a single application that attempts to manage all these functions.

3. Application software, Application software, also known as an application, or an app, is computer software designed to help the user to perform singular or multiple related specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software, and media. Application software is contrasted with system software and middleware, which manage and integrate a computer's capabilities, but typically do not directly apply them in the performance of tasks that benefit the user. A simple, if imperfect, analogy in the world of hardware would be the relationship of an electric light bulb (an application) to an electric power generation plant (a system). The power plant merely generates electricity, not itself of any real use until harnessed to an application like the electric light that performs a service that benefits the user. System software does not aim at a certain application fields. In contrast, different application software offers different function based on users and the area it served. Application is developed for some certain purpose, which either can be a certain program or a collection of some programmes, such as a graphic browser or the data base system. Application allows end users to accomplish one or more specific (not directly computer development related) tasks. Typical applications include:

industrial automation business software video games quantum chemistry and solid state physics software telecommunications (i.e., the Internet and everything that flows on it) databases educational software medical software molecular modelling software image editing spreadsheet simulation software

Word processing Decision making software

Application software exists for and has impacted a wide variety of topics.