COMPUTER SOFTWARE A software package is a group of programs that solves a specific pro lem or perform a specific t!

pe of "o # For e$ample% a wor& processi'g package ma! co'tai' program for te$t e&iti'g% te$t formatti'g % &rawi'g graphics% spelli'g checki'g etc# Thus a multipurpose computer has several software packages% o'e each for ever! "o it ca' perform# RE(AT)O*S+)P ,ETWEE* +AR-WARE A*- SOFTWARE The followi'g importa't poi'ts regar&i'g the relatio'ship etwee' har&ware a'& software .# ,oth har&ware a'& software are 'ecessar! for a computer to &o useful "o # ,oth are compleme'tar! to each other# /# The same har&ware ca' e loa&e& with &iffere't software to make a computer s!stem perform &iffere't t!pes of "o s "ust as &iffere't so'gs ca' e pla!e& usi'g the same cassette pla!er# 0# E$cept for the upgra&es har&ware is 'ormall! a o'e time affair whereas software is a co'ti'ui'g e$pe'se# T1PES OF SOFTWARE Most software are &ivi&e& i'to two ma"or categories .# S!stem software /# Applicatio' software S1STEM SOFTWARE 2 is a set of o'e or more programs &esig'e& to co'trol the operatio's a'& e$te'& the processi'g capa ilit! of a computer s!stem# Computer s!stem software performs o'e or more of the followi'g fu'ctio's2 .# supports the &evelopme't of other applicatio' software /# support the e$ecutio' of other applicatio' software 0# mo'itors the effective use of various har&ware resources such as CPU% memor! % peripherals etc# 3# commu'icates with a'& co'trols the operatio's of peripheral &evices such as pri'ter% &isk% tapes etc# Thus % s!stem software makes the operatio' of a computer s!stem more effective a'& efficie't helps the har&ware compo'e'ts work together a'& provi&es support for the &evelopme't a'& e$ecutio' of applicatio' software#

The programs i'clu&e& i' the s!stem software package are calle& S1STEM PRO4RAMS Programmers who prepare s!stem software are calle& S1STEM PRO4RAMMERS# 4oo& s!stem software allows applicatio' packages to e ru' o' the computer s!stem with less time a'& effort# Thus s!stem software is a' i'&ispe'sa le part of the total computer

Some of the most commo' t!pe of s!stem softwares are2 .# OPERAT)*4 S1STEM DEFINATION 1 :An operati'g s!stem 5OS6 is a s!stem software that co'trols the i'ter'al activities of the computer har&ware a'& provi&es user i'terface# All applicatio' programs 'ee& to e programme& i' such a wa! that the! talk with the operati'g s!stem for i'teracti'g a'& use har&ware resources# DEFINATION 2: A' operati'g s!stem is a' i'tegrate& set of programs that co'trol the resources of a computer s!stem a'& provi&es its users with a' i'terface or virtual machi'e that is more co've'ie't to use tha' the are machi'e /#PRO4AMME (A*4UA4E TRA*S(ATOR are s!stem software that tra'sform the i'structio' prepare& ! programmers usi'g co've'ie't programmi'g la'guage i'to a form that ca' e i'terprete& a'& e$ecute& ! a computer s!stem#5compiler% assem ler% i'terpreter etc6 0#UT)()T1 PRO4AMS 5also k'ow' as utilites6 are a set of programs that help users i' s!stem mai'te'a'ce tasks a'& i' performi'g tasks of routi'e 'ature# Some of the commo'l! performe& ! utilit! programs i'clu&e& are Formatti'g har& &isks or flopp! &isk Reorga'i7i'g files o' a har& &isk to co'serve storage space Taki'g ackup of files store& o' har& &isk o' to a tape or flopp! &isk Searchi'g a particular file from a &irector! of hu'&re& of files Sca''i'g the s!stem for compute virus 3# PERFORMA*CE MO*)TOR)*4 SOFTWARE 8 also calle& a profiler% helps the user i' a'al!7i'g the performa'ce of the various har&ware compo'e'ts# )t provi&es such i'formatio' as the perce'tage of CPU utili7atio' % perce'tage of memor! utili7atio'% a'& 'um er of &isk accesses &uri'g a'! give' perio& of time# 9# COMMU*)CAT)O* SOFTWARE 2 )' a 'etwork e'viro'me't % where multiple computers are i'tegrate& together ! commu'icatio' 'etwork % the software e'a les to tra'sfer of &ata a'& programs from o'e computer s!stem to a'other# This software i'clu&es2 E'co&i'g the &ata to e tra'sferre& at the source computer i' the right format

Tra'sferri'g of the &ata from the source to &esti'atio' computer -eco&i'g of &ata receive& at the &esti'atio' computer

COMP)(ER 2 A high level la'guage program must e co'verte& 5tra'slate&6 i'to its e:uivale't machi'e la'guage program efore it ca' e e$ecute& o' the computer# This tra'slatio' is &o'e with the help of a tra'slator program calle& a COMP)(ER# )t compiles a set of machi'e la'guage i'structio's for ever! program i'structio's of a high level la'guage# i'put output high level la'guage program 888; COMP)(ER 888888888888; machi'e la'guage program The i'put to a compiler is high la'guage program ofte' calle& a SOURCE PRO4RAM a'& its output is the machi'e la'guage program ofte' calle& as a' O,<ECT PRO4RAM# Each high level la'guage i'structio' is co'verte& i'to a set of machi'e la'guage i'structio' rather tha' a si'gle machi'e la'guage i'structio'# +e'ce % there is o'e to ma'! correspo'&e'ce etwee' high level la'guage i'structio' of a source program# )*TERPRETER 2 )t is a'other t!pe of tra'slator% which is use& for tra'slati'g programs writte' i' high level la'guage# )t takes o'l! o'e stateme't of a high level la'guage program% tra'slates it i'to machi'e la'guage a'& the' imme&iatel! e$ecutes the resulti'g machi'e la'guage i'structio's# This is &iffere't from a compiler % which tra'slates the e'tire source program i'to a' o "ect program a'& is 'ot i'volve& i' the e$ecutio'# i'put output high level source program 888888; )*TERPRETER 888888888; result of program e$ecutio' 5tra'slates a'& e$ecutes stateme't ! stateme't 6 ASSEM,(ER 2 A' assem l! la'guage program must e co'verte& i'to a' e:uivale't machi'e la'guage program% efore it ca' e$ecute& o' a computer# This tra'slatio' is &o'e ! with the help of a tra'slator program which is k'ow' as a ASSEM,(ER# i'put output assem l! la'guage program 888888; ASSEM,(ER 88888888;machi'e la'guage program

APP()CAT)O* SOFTWARE Applicatio' software is a set of o'e or more programs &esig'e& to solve a specific pro lem or &o a specific task# The programs i'clu&e& i' applicatio' software package are calle& APP()CAT)O* PRO4RAMS a'& the programmers who prepare them are calle& APP()CAT)O* PRO4RAMMERS# There are ma'! applicatio' software such as wor& processi'g% i've'tor! ma'ageme't% a'ki'g %hospital etc#

.# WOR- PROCESS)*4 SOFTWARE2 is the term &escri i'g the use of computer to create% e&it % view % format % store a'& retrieve a'& pri't &ocume'ts# /# SPREA-S+EET SOFTWARE2 is a 'umeric &ata a'al!sis tool that allow !ou to create a ki'& of computeri7e& le&ger# 0# -ATA,ASE SOFTWARE = A -ATA,ASE is a collectio' of relate& &ata store& a'& treate& as a u'it for i'formatio' retrieval purposes# -ata is the raw material for &ata processi'g a'& i'formatio' is the processe& &ata# A &ata ase software is a set of o'e or more programs that e'a les the user to create &ata ase% mai'tai' it 5a&&>&elete>up&ate6# 3# 4RAP+)CS SOFTWARE = e'a les us to use a computer s!stem for creati'g% e&iti'g% viewi'g % stori'g% retrievi'g a'& pri'ti'g &esig's % &rawi'g pictures % graphs% etc# 9# PERSO*A( ASS)STA*CE SOFTWARE8 allows us to use perso'al computer for stori'g a'& retrievi'g our perso'al i'formatio' % a'& pla''i'g a'& ma'agi'g our sche&ules# ?# E*TERTA)*ME*T SOFTWARE like vi&eo game% movies etc# FREE -OMA)* SOFTWARE The! are program that are offere& at 'o cost# +owever% the! are cop!right of the ow'er% which mea's !ou ca''ot use these programs for selli'g or !our ow' software &evelopme't purposes# For e$ample 2 ()*U@ software

Free software% software libre or libre software is software that ca' e use&% stu&ie&% a'& mo&ifie& without restrictio'% a'& which ca' e copie& a'& re&istri ute& i' mo&ifie& or u'mo&ifie& form either without restrictio'% or with mi'imal restrictio's o'l! to e'sure that further recipie'ts ca' also &o these thi'gs a'& that ma'ufacturers of co'sumer8faci'g har&ware allow user mo&ificatio's to their har&ware# Free software is ge'erall! availa le without charge% ut ca' have a fee# )' practice% for software to e &istri ute& as free software% the huma'8rea&a le form of the program 5the source co&e6 must e ma&e availa le to the recipie't alo'g with a 'otice gra'ti'g the a ove permissio's# Such a 'otice either is a Afree software lice'seA% or a 'otice that the source co&e is release& i'to the pu lic &omai'# The free software moveme't was co'ceive& i' .BC0 ! Richar& Stallma' to satisf! the 'ee& for a'& to give the e'efit of Asoftware free&omA to computer users#D.E Stallma' fou'&e& the Free Software Fou'&atio' i' .BC9 to provi&e the orga'i7atio'al structure to a&va'ce his Free Software i&eas#