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CIE IGCSE Computer Science Your notes
4.1 Types of Software and Interrupts
Contents
System Software & Application Software
T he Operating System
Interrupts
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System Software & Application Software
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System Software & Application Software
Systems software provides the services that the computer requires, including operating system
and utility software
E.g. allowing instructions to be processed by the CPU to allow word processing software to
process. Without systems software the system would be useless
Systems Software is made up of two core elements: the operating system and utility software
Operating System
This is a program designed to run other programs on a computer. It is considered the backbone
of a computer, managing both software and hardware resources
Operating systems are responsible for everything from the control and allocation of memory to
recognising input from external devices and transmitting output to computer displays. T hey also
manage files on computer hard drives and control peripherals, like printers and scanners.
Examples of Operating System: Windows, MAC, Linux
Utility Software
Utility programs perform specific tasks related to computer functions, resources, files and
security.They help to configure the system, analyse how it is working and optimise it to improve
its efficiency. Some of these utilities include:
Security utilities:
Anti-Virus - Scans the computer system and ensures that files are quarantined so that they
can be removed by the user
Encryption - uses an algorithm to scramble (encrypt) a file according to the key which is
used to make the file unreadable; the key is needed to decrypt the file back to its original
form so it can be read
Firewall - monitors network traffic and blocks unauthorised access. Criteria is set and if the
data meets the criteria it is accepted otherwise it is rejected
Disk organisation utilities:
System Clean-Up Tools – to search for and remove files no longer needed, to reduce space
and speed up access to the system
Disk Defragmentation Tools - it is used to rearrange the parts of files on the disk drive: when
a file is saved to the disk, parts of the file might be saved in different areas of the disk, these
tools try to move all the parts to the same area for quicker access
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Your notes
Data compression utilities
File Compression Software – to make files smaller so that they take up less storage space
and can be transmitted to other users more easily
File backup utilities
Full Backup - stores all files and software on the system
Incremental Backup - only backs up the files and software that have been added since the
last backup
Application Software
This is designed to carry out a specific task the user would need for completing a variety of tasks.
These are the applications that the operating system would process and allow end users to
complete their vital day to day tasks. Examples are:
Word Processing Software
This allows users to create written documents
e.g. letters, reports etc
Spreadsheet Software
This allows users to perform numerical calculations and function to create automation for all
mathematical elements
e.g. budgeting, accounting, stock counts etc
Presentation Software
This allows users to create interactive and multimedia presentations to show to an audience
e.g. sales pitches, launching of products etc
Multimedia Software
This is used to create multimedia and interactive content for a number of purposes, it
explores text, audio, images, video, sound and animations
e.g. image manipulation, editing a video etc
Web Browsers
This allows the user to access the internet and use the world wide web
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Exam Tip
Your notes
Make sure you use the names given above and not brand names e.g. Microsoft as this will
cost you marks
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Distribution Methods
Freeware software is where: Your notes
The user is not allowed to access the source code so, they cannot tailor the software to their
needs or fix any bugs in it
The software is still covered by copyright and the user must get the owner’s permission to do
anything beyond using it
Free software is where:
The user can access the source code so, they can tailor the software to their needs and fix any
bugs in it
The source code could be studied for educational purposes
The user can redistribute the software but this must be done under the same terms as the original
software
Shareware is software which:
Gives a trial version of the software for a limited time with limited features free of charge
Requires the user has to pay fee if the full version is needed
Is protected by copyright
Is a type of software licence
There are many ethical considerations when distributing software:
Accessibility of software
Age appropriation
Copyright
Distribution of malware
Environmental impact of distribution media e.g. CDs
Following guidelines of professional bodies e.g. ACM/IEEE/BCS
Intellectual property theft
Offensive materials
Plagiarism
Privacy of data
Security of software
Exam Tip
Make sure you apply your answer to the context given in the question
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The Operating System
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The Operating System
What does the Operating System do?
Managing Files:
The file manager controls all of the different files on the system, e.g. text files, graphic files,
and program files. It controls file permissions such as the user's ability to see or open a file,
write a file or delete a file.It helps to organise and control files so that they are as easy to use
as possible for the user. It can help to protect the user from accidental mistakes too
Handling Interrupts:
An interrupt is a signal from a device or software to the processor. This will stop the
processor temporarily from fulfilling this request immediately, some examples could be:
Software errors - e.g. files not found, or software not responding
The user initiating Ctrl Alt Delete to lock, log off etc
Files stop copying as the name of the file is already in the folder
Once this interrupt is received by the CPU it either carries on or completes the action desired
Whenever an interrupt is initiated the status of this task is saved to the interrupt service
routine.
Once the interruption has been completed the system continues back to normal before the
interruption even happened
Providing an Interface:
Users must interact with the operating system through a user interface. The user interface is a
system which converts what the user inputs to a form that the computer can understand and
vice versa
Many computer or database operating systems use complex programming languages which
are not easy to use
A user interface is created to allow easier control of the operating system by the system user.
A good interface should be easy to use
e.g.: c onsistent menu structures; consistent operations from actions like clicking the right
mouse button
Managing Peripherals and Drivers:
The overall intention of this is to handle all the devices that are connected to the computer
system. T his includes input devices such as a keyboard and mouse, it also includes output
devices such as a monitor and printer
It communicates with the devices through software called drivers. These translate the
instructions by the device manager into one the devices can understand Peripherals like a
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mouse, keyboard and printer all need drivers so that they can communicate with the software
Managing Memory: Your notes
Memory management is in charge of the RAM.Programs use RAM throughout their operation.
Some programs will be large and complex and use the RAM extensively whereas some are
very small programs and won’t use it as much
Memory management checks all requests from programs are valid and allocates accordingly.
It will deallocate space and swap out data to virtual memory. It will ensure overall that
different programs can be open at the same time
Manage Multitasking:
Multitasking allows for software tasks to be completed at the same time to ensure multiple
elements can be completed immediately, it uses a system called time slicing which splits
different tasks into small segments
They can all be run one after the other, giving the element of multiple tasks being completed
at the same time, instead of waiting for one operation to complete before moving on to the
next task
Providing a Platform for Running Applications:
Application programs and the hardware will communicate through a system within the
operating system called an application programs interface(API)
This API is a library interface which will share data between software to allow elements to
process
If any application is installed on the system, the Operating System will manage this process, it
will allocate memory space and will control the application's data or devices, user access will
also be managed
Providing a System Security:
System security is just about how the operating system can stay protected and ensure that
elements are monitored and actioned to ensure the system is secure. Some areas of
security are:
Creating/Deleting users for the system
Providing access level rights, e.g. administrator rights over installing, modifying a system
or accessing files or folders. This is compared to standard rights of just accessing and
using software/files on the system.
Auditing - this is keeping a log of file edits, deleted files, creation of files etc
Protecting from threats, viruses, worms, malware or remote hacker attacks
Security updates to fix patches in the operating system
Managing User Accounts:
Each user is provided with an account for access to the system. They will be provided with
their username and then will need to create a password based on rules set out initially
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Each account will then be granted different levels of access, dependent on needs and level
of security. This will also monitor login activity and even log users out if they have been
inactive for a while Your notes
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Hardware, Firmware & the OS
Application Software must talk to the operating system, this will then allow it to interact with the Your notes
hardware
The hardware will then process and send the information to the operating system which then
directly talks back to applications software in a continuous loop
Firmware
This process is in between the Operating System and Hardware
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When a computer initially first loads up, it has to explore the ROM for its initial boot-up
instructions These are contained in a Bootstrap loader
The initial process is handled by the basic input/output system (BIOS) which is known as Your notes
firmware. This will provide some low-level control for all devices
Once complete these are sent to RAM to be processed by the operating system
Overall this creates an extra layer which is to ensure that initially the hardware devices e.g.
keyboard are available and can be communicated directly with the operating system
E.g. - If you were to type on a word processing document, this would talk with the operating
system initially to request the key presses. It would send it to the firmware to check whether the
keyboard is available. Once the connection is established with the hardware it communicates
directly with the keyboard back through firmware, the key instructions are passed up to the
operating system and finally displayed on the word processing software
Exam Tip
Ensure you have the understanding of how the four areas work together. An exam question
would focus on how these four key areas would communicate.
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Interrupts
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Interrupts
We know that computers use the fetch-decode execute cycle within the CPU to run
instructions over and over. However, while this is occurring other devices may need to signal to
the CPU to tell it to stop temporarily (interrupt) so that it can do the dedicated specific task
E.g. a user has initiated ctrl alt delete to run task manager or a user wants a document printing
Interrupts will need to ensure that the CPU can stop executing its current program to run code
for the overall interruption. Interrupts need to be added to an area called the interrupt service
routine
Two types of interrupt:
Hardware Interrupt - this is caused by a hardware device such as a hardware failure e.g.
pressing a key on the keyboard
moving the mouse
Software Interrupt - this occurs when an application stops or requests services from the
OS e.g.
a program is not responding
division by z ero
two processes trying to access the same memory location
However, the CPU currently contains registers that are holding data currently being handled:
These include:
Program Counter - The location of the next instruction which will need to be fetched
Current Instruction Register - holds the current instruction being executed
Memory Address Register - stores the location of where the data is being stored in RAM or
where in RAM the data will be sent
Memory Data Register - stores the actual data from the location in the RAM or that will be
sent to RAM
The interrupt service routine is simply added to a particular area where a certain set of
instructions are sent that will need to be fetched, decoded and executed to complete the
commands of the interrupt
As a result, it’s clear that the current registers will need to be changed at this point to
accommodate the interrupt
The interrupt will be executed instead of the original instructions
When the interrupt is received the current values that were held in the registers are copied back
to the RAM in an area known as a stack
These values are pushed onto the stack and are added to the top of the stack frame, which will
save them for later retrieval when the interrupt is complete
There is a possibility that an interrupt can also be interrupted which is known as a division by z ero.
Due to the system in RAM with stack frames, the current interrupt would be moved to the
bottom of the stack frame to complete the main interrupt initially
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Exam Tip
Your notes
Focus on the interrupt service routine and its importance with sending the instructions to a
stack frame to process the interrupted instruction, the previous instructions can be
accessed at the top of the stack frame to continue processing afterwards.
There are common interrupt priorities for different categories, these are:
Hardware
Power supply may have failed
Power button may have been pressed
User
Moving the mouse
Clicking an icon to open a new program
Keyboard presses e.g. ctrl, alt, delete
Software
Illegal instruction encountered
Overflow
Login request
Crashing
Timer
Data logging programs which reads sensors continuously
Screen recording applications
Input/output devices
Signaling of data transfer been completed
Printer ink supply notifications
Input devices not responding
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CIE IGCSE Computer Science Your notes
4.2 Types of Programming Language, Translators &
IDEs
Contents
High & Low Level Languages
Assembly Language
Translators
IDE
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High & Low Level Languages
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High & Low Level Languages
Low Level Languages
Low Level Languages are languages that sit close to a computer’s instruction set. These are
basic instructions that the CPU will understand
For instance an assembly languagewhich allows programmers to focus on programming simple
commands, which in turn is converted into machine code This element is needed for the core
hardware to be able to work with the software
These languages are written for specific processors to ensure they embed the correct machine
architecture
Assembly Language - The code is written using mnemonics, abbreviated text commands such
as LDA (Load), STO(Store) Using this language programmers can write human-readable programs
that correspond almost exactly to machine code.
Machine code – is at the hardware level and is written in binary (1’s and 0’s)
Advantages Disadvantages
It gives programmers complete control over the system Difficult to write and understand
components so it can control hardware components.
Efficient code can be written for the processor so it will Machine dependent and cannot be
occupy less memory and execute faster added to different specification
machines
They provide direct manipulation of hardware which More prone to errors
means it will be more efficient
Communicates directly with hardware Knowledge of computer architecture is
key to program effectively
High Level Languages
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High Level Languages are programming languages which use English-like statements which allow
users to program with easy to use code, allow for clear debugging and once programs are
created they become easier to maintain Your notes
High level languages were needed more due to the development of processor speeds and
memory capacity increasing
Examples of these languages are Python, C#, Java etc
Advantages Disadvantages
It is easier to read and write and the programmer The user is not able to directly manipulate the
is less likely to make mistakes hardware
Needs to be translated to machine code
It is easier to debug so it will save time
before running
The code is portable so can be used on any
The program may be less efficient
computer
One line of code can perform multiple
commands
Exam Tip
You will be asked about the advantages and disadvantages of high or low level languages or
you will be asked to compare and contrast between the two types of language
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Assembly Language
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Assembly Language
The first languages were actually direct machine language, where programmers had to program it
with direct binary numbers of 1’s and 0’s. It was quite clear to see that this method was incredibly
difficult to program, which allowed the introduction of Assembly languages
Programmers who use assembly language do so for the following reasons:
Need to make use of specific hardware or parts of the hardware
To complete specific machine dependent instructions
To ensure that too much space is not taken up in RAM
To ensure code can completed much faster
Assembly languages allow programmers to program with mnemonics. e.g.
LDA Load - this will ensure a value is added to the accumulator
ADD Addition - this will add the value input or loaded from memory to the value in the
accumulator
STO, Store - stores the value in the accumulator in RAM
This is used rather than binary code which allowed continuation of working directly with the
hardware but removed an element of complexity
A mnemonic is received by the computer and it is looked up within a specific table
An assembler is needed here to check the word so that it can be converted into machine code
If a match from the word is found e.g. STO the word is replaced with the relevant binary code to
match that sequence
Exam Tip
A question will focus more directly on how the assembler converts to work with the
hardware. You must focus on mnemonics being converted from a table and into the
corresponding binary code
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Translators
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Compilers & Interpreters
Programmers will write program source code using high-level languages e.g. Python, Java, C#
etc. As programmers, we can understand source code as it is descriptive, easy to read, maintain
and debug. However this is not good for the hardware as it needs to be converted into binary to
allow the hardware to understand and execute it, this is known as machine code. For this to work
it needs to pass through a translator first. There are two types of translators - a compiler and an
interpreter
Compiler
This method will translate a program into machine code. Compilers convert the source code in
one go into an executable file ready for distribution. This method is used mainly when a program is
finished with no syntax or logical errors
Compiling may take time to be processed, however, this can be used over without needing to be
recompiled every time, bearing in mind that the program contains no errors
Error reports are produced after a program has been translated. Common errors in code will allow
the computer to crash and not respond, it’s important to be aware that if there are errors the
source code must be changed to compile again
Interpreter
This is the method that directly sends the source code to the machine code. This will translate
each line of code individually, if an error occurs the program will stop and an error message will
occur. Once the error message is fixed, the program can carry on running from where the error
occurred
Exam Tip
You will need to have a good understanding of the difference between a compiler and an
interpreter. You will need to focus on features of compilers and interpreters or focusing on
an overall comparison between the two
Although both translators find errors in code, they do not debug the errors - this is done by
the programmer
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Advantages & Disadvantages
Compiler Your notes
Advantages Disadvantages
Run quickly as the program as the Due to all code being compiled at the same time there must
source code has been stored to be be enough memory space to handle this, if not and virtual
translated memory is used it can be much slower
Compilers optimise the code, this
If there are errors in the code the compiler will not identify
code will run quicker and take up less
directly where the error lies, making it difficult to debug
memory space
Original source code will not be seen,
which is ideal for programmers to stop It is designed solely for one specific processor
work being copied
If the program is changed it must be recompiled
Interpreter
Advantages Disadvantages
Each line of code has to be interpreted
Program will always run, it will just stop when it finds a
separately by the CPU, which can lead to
specific syntax error in the code
slower execution
Every time the program is run it has to be
It is easier to debug and understand where particular
translated, due to no instructions being
code has gone wrong
stored
Interpreters do not store instructions and are not They cannot optimise code, it is translated
stored for later use, this means they require less RAM to and executed as it is
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process the code
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IDE
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IDE
An integrated development environment (IDE) is software that consolidates basic tools required
to write and test software to make a programmer's journey effective and useful, this will ensure they
have key features to improve programming code and ensure it does as instructed. Some features
are:
Basic code formatting - changing the font, siz e of the font, making text bold etc
Coloured keywords in source code - e.g. Python code print, input etc turn purple, if turns
orange. This makes it easy to see keywords
Code Editing - this will allow users to write and manipulate source code, it includes features
such as auto-completion and auto-correction of code, bracket matching, syntax checks etc
Commenting code - this allows sections of code to be commented out easily to stop it from
being run or as comments on what the program is doing
Identifying errors - highlight particular areas of code or provide direct error messages where the
error may have appeared e.g. indentation errors etc
Run-Time environment - to allow the program to run and see its corresponding output
Debugger - this will identify and remedy errors within the source code. This can provide a step
through command also which provides step by step instructions and shows what is happening to
the code line by line. This method is amaz ing for catching logical errors
Libraries - extra modules that are not included in the main programming language e.g. math in
Python for extra mathematical commands
Graphical User Interface Builder - will create a graphical design rather than working with source
code
Translator - which compiles or interprets the code
Exam Tip
You could be asked to Identify or Describe different features within an Integrated
Development Environment (IDE) this number could range from 2-5
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