Software
CHAPTER 02
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Software
The programs that run on a computer are called software
Programs are instructions that are carried out or executed by the computer’s processor,
which provides other instructions for the rest of the computer
Some computers can only run one program at a time, while others can run multiple
programs at the same time
Some computers are single purpose, which means that they are only able to run one
piece of software (for example, the software used to control a microwave)
Other computers are general purpose, which means that they can carry out a range of
tasks for example, the software used in a tablet computer)
There are two basic groups of software: system software and application software
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Software
System Software Application Software
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System Software
Programs that are designed to maintain or operate the computer system are
known as system software
System software consists of:
1. Utility software
2. Operating software
3. Language Translators
Failure in any part of system software would cause the computer to NOT function
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Utility Software
Is one form of system software, which carries our configuration and maintenance
tasks
Utility software consists of:
1. Backup
2. Defragmentation
3. Compression
4. Formatting
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Backup
Creating a copy of your file is known as Backup
Backups can be set to run automatically (usually at a time when the system is not
in use) or can be started by a user
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Factors to be considered
The following factors must be considered when doing a backup
1. The frequency of the backup
2. The media devices which would be used to store the backup
3. The size of the backup
4. The physical location of the backup
5. To backup on cloud storage or not
6. Who has access to the backup
7. What software will be used to carry out the backup
8. When to run the backup
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Defragmentation
Defragmentation means arranging all the fragmented files of a software together
in an organized manner so that they can easily be collected by the RAM and sent
to the processor for processing
As data is stored to hard disk, some systems spread it across the disk wherever
there is free space. This means that sometimes data is fragmented and stored out
of order or out of sequence
When this happens, software files have to be loaded on to the RAM from multiple
locations, this takes extra time and slows down the process of loading a software
TO avoid this and to speed up the system, disk defragmentation utilities reorder
the fragments of data so that they are stored as close to each other as possible
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Defragmentation
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Compression
Compression utilities reduce the original size of a file or set of files.
Where are repeated patterns of data, rather than strong every repeated instance,
only the first instance of the data is stored, alongside how many times it is
repeated
A A A A B B B C C
Run – Length
Coding
A 4 B 3 C 2
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A Fact is that, formatting a disk will not erase the data
completely and it can still be revolvered using specialist
tools, but there are some utilities which will overwrite the
data so that files cannot be recovered
Formatting
Disk formatting prepares
storage media such as hard
disk drive or USB drive for
its first use
Formatting a disk will make
all of the data on the disk
unreadable by normal
applications
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Operating System
The operating system (OS) allows the user to control and manage the computer's
hardware
Human Users
The operating system lets the user control the hardware,
either directly or by using application software
Application Software or system software
Operating System
Other System
Softaware
Hardware
Diagram taken from book, Fig 2.6
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Operating System
Types of Operating Systems:
1. Single-user operating system – only allow for a general user and do not
provide the option to customize the user interface for different users. They are
often found in household appliances
2. Network operating system – an OS which is used to control many
computers on a network. The OS would be used to provide security to the
network by assigning usernames and passwords to each of the users would
certain peripheral devices to be shared.
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Operating System
Functions of the Operating System
1. Memory Management – The OS allocates the required amount of memory (RAM) to
one or more applications. When the application no longer requires the memory space,
the OS makes the space available for other applications to use.
2. Resource Management – System resources include internal components, such as the
processor and graphics card and external devices such as printer. As well as allocating
memory, the OS ensures that system resources are made available to applications
when they are required
3. Controlling Input and Output of Data in the Computer
4. Error Handling – Any error that takes place in the computer is informed to the user by
the operating system
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Security
Operating system can give users secure access to a computer’s storage and other
hardware through usernames and password, biometric scanning or personal
access cards
Operating systems can provide software firewalls to authorize or prevent network
data from remotely accessing a service or application
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Printing Spooling
During large print jobs, the computer will have the pages read for the printer
faster than the printer can produce them
The operating system keeps each page in a queue ready for printing. This process
is called print spooling.
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Language Translators
The function of language translators are to convert the user’s language the
computer can understand
Language translators convert high level language to machine language (binary
form)
There are 3 types of translators present in the computer:
1. Assemblers
2. Compilers
3. Interpreters
Done with System
Software
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Application Software
Software applications help the user carry out specific task that are not related to
the operating system
Apps are usually downloaded from servers on the internet or can be purchased off
the shelf
Categories of Application Software:
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Word Processing
Word processing software lets users create documents that mostly include words, but
also some images
They can also include tables, hyperlinks, equations, simple drawings and shapes and
charts
Word processors are a good choice of application for creating:
1. Letters
2. Reports
3. Essays
4. Books
Examples of word processing software are:
5. Microsoft Word by Microsoft Office
6. Writer by Libre Office
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Desktop Publishing (DTP)
DTP software has main features similar to those in word processing software
The main difference is the way in which the software allows the users to work with
complicated pages layouts
DTP is mostly used to create magazine, newspapers and booklets
Examples of DTP are:
1. Adobe InDesign by Adobe
2. Microsoft Publisher by Microsoft Office
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Spreadsheet
Spreadsheet applications are used to do calculations
Users can use and create formulae and functions to perform automatic calculations
on values that can be entered and changed later
Examples of Spreadsheet software is:
1. Calc by Open Office
2. Microsoft Excel by Microsoft Office
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Database
Database management systems (DBMS) are used to enter, edit and search data
Some systems can also produce reports that dynamically display real time
changes to the data as it updates
Examples of DBMS are:
1. Microsoft Access by Microsoft Office
2. Oracle by MySQL
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Web Authoring
Web authoring software lets users create web pages that includes text, images, and videos
Web pages are constructed using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
Web browsers are used to view web pages
A website is a collection of web pages
Examples of web authoring software are:
1. Adobe Dreamweaver by Adobe
2. EdtiPlus by ES-Computing
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Graphics Editors
Graphics editing applications allow users to create or edit vector graphics
Examples of Graphics Editors are:
1. Serif Affinity Designer
2. Adobe Illustrator
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Photo Editors
These allow users to edit and enhance digital photographs and images
Examples of photo editors are:
1. GIMP by OpenOffice
2. Adobe Photoshop by Adobe
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Sound Editing
Sound editing software allows users to edit audio files or to join together different
audio files in order to create multitrack music or soundtrack for video
Examples of sound editing software are:
1. Audacity
2. Adobe Audition
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Presentation Software
This software allows users to create engaging multimedia content including
images, text, animation and video
This content can be placed on slides or pathways that are used to illustrate and
support the spoken content of a talk given to an audience
Examples of presentation software are:
1. Prezi
2. OpenOffiice Impress
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Control Applications
Control Applications are used to make something happen in the physical
environment
This type of software is often used to automate the movement of control devices
or actuators, such as motors.
Control software takes input from one or more sensors, makes a decision based
on the input value and then outputs something, such as command, as a result.
**Facts: Some smartphone apps can control internet-connected devices in certain
situations. For example, if the smartphone calculates that its location is withing
10, meters of a garage door, it will send an instruction via the internet to the
garage door motors to turn on an open the door.
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Project Management
Project management applications are used to help plan and track the individual
tasks in a project, so that project managers can make the most efficient use of
the available resources.
Project management applications can be used to allocate task to individual
people or groups of people. They often provide the option for individuals or
groups of people to be allocated to more than one task
Some project management applications also provide tools for tracking the costs
and arranging for resources to be delivered on time.
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Project Management
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Communication Software
Communication software provides remote access to system and allows users to contact
people using the internet. It can be used to send files and messages as text, images,
audio, and video
Categories of communication software are:
1. Web browsers
2. Email
3. Social Media
4. SMS
5. MMS
6. Instant messaging
7. Video conferencing
8. Online Gaming
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Software Licensing
Sometimes, users require a software license to be able to install and use software
on a computer.
There are many types of software license and the details of software licensing are
complicated. The main three types of software license available are:
◦ 1. Free
◦ 2. Open – source
◦ 3. Proprietary
** Using software without a required license is called software privacy. Software
distributed without the right to do so is called pirate software.**
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Software Licensing
• Free Software – Licenses give users the right to study, modify, copy or
distribute a program. The software can be distributed free to charge or for a fee.
The word ‘free’ refers to the user’s freedom to change whatever they want
because there are no restrictions on the use of the software.
• Open-Source software – This license makes the source code available to users
so that they can modify how the software works or distribute the modified or
unmodified software.
• Proprietary software – is software that is marketed and distributed by its
owner under a brand name. The software owner can decide the fee for the
software and whether or not the software should be distributed.
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Software Updates
Updates to software are released by software developers for the following
reasons:
1. Fixing security vulnerabilities or bugs
2. Increasing compatibility with newer operating system
3. Improving performance and efficiency
4. Introducing new features
5. Improving usability
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General Purpose Software &
Specific Purpose Software
General purpose software alos referred to as Off-the-shelf, is a software which is
developed keeping in mind the requirements of the general public
General Purpose software can be downloaded off the internet or purchased from a
store.
Example: Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, VLC Media Player
Specific Purpose Software also referred to as Bespoke Software, is a software
which is developed to the needs of an organization or an individual
This type of software is not available for any user to purchase
Example: Banking Systems, Supermarket billing system
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THE END
END OF CHAPTER 02
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