CHAPTER-2

Software
What is Software?

• Software is a collection of instructions (programs) that can be ‘run’ on

a computer. These instructions tell the computer what to do.
• Software is not a physical thing (but it can of course be stored on a
physical medium such as a CD-ROM), it is just a bunch of codes.
• There are two types of software:
– system software
– application software
System Software

• Programs are designed to maintain or operate the computer system are

known as system software.
• Examples of system software are:
❖ Operating Systems
❖ Device Drivers
❖ Utilities
❖ Linkers
❖ Compiler
Utility software

• Utility software is system software which carries out configuration and

maintenance tasks.
➢ BACKUP
▪ Backup utilities create a copy of files and programs.
▪ Backups can be set to run automatically or can be started by a user.
Utility software

➢ DEFRAGMENTATION
▪ Data is fragmented (broken into pieces) and stored out of order or out of
sequence.
Utility software

▪ Data from the same file may be spread over multiple locations on a platter,
on different platters in the cylinder or disks.
▪ When these files are loaded, data has to be retrieved from these multiple
locations which takes extra time and slows down the process of loading
the files.
▪ To avoid issues, disk defragmentation utilities reorder the fragments of
data so that they are stored as close to each other as possible.
▪ Defragmentation utilities are usually set to run automatically, but they can
also be started by a user.
Utility software
➢ COMPRESSION
▪ Compression utilities reduce the original size of a file or set of files.
▪ The resulting compressed file is not usually readable by the original
application.
▪ Compression utilities have the ability to decompress (extract) the data from
a compressed file so it can be read by the original application again.
Utility software
➢ FORMATTING
▪ Disk formatting prepares storage media such as a hard disk drive or USB
flash drive for its first use.
▪ If a disk has already been used, then formatting it will make all of the data
on the disk unreadable by normal applications.
▪ Disk formatting utilities make this process easy for users by providing them
with the option to choose the file system, file unit sizes and the name of the
disk.
 Operating system (OS)

• The operating system (OS) allows the user to control and manage the
computer's hardware.
 Operating system (OS)

❑ Single-user operating systems 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.
 Operating system (OS)

❑ Network operating systems have additional functionality, including:

➢ sending requests to a server when users log in with their username and
password
➢ separating user accounts and ensuring that users cannot access each other's
files
➢ providing access to network storage and shared resources such as networked
printers.
Operating system (OS)
➢ MEMORY MANAGEMENT
▪ The operating system allocates the required amount of memory (RAM) to
one or more applications.
▪ When the application no longer requires the memory space, the operating
system makes the space available for other applications to use.
▪ The operating system also handles the creation of virtual memory.
Operating system (OS)
➢ RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
▪ System resources include internal components, such as the processor and
graphics card, and external devices, such as printers.
▪ The operating system ensures that system resources are made available to
applications when they are required.
▪ If a system resource is already being used by another application, then the
operating system may say that the required resource is in use and place the
additional request in a queue.
Operating system (OS)
Operating system (OS)
➢ SECURITY
▪ Operating systems can give users secure access to a computer's storage and
other hardware through usernames and passwords, biometric scanning or
personal access cards.
▪ This process is called authentication.
▪ Operating systems can provide software firewalls to authorize or prevent
network data from remotely accessing a service or application.
Operating system (OS)
➢ PRINT SPOOLING
▪ During large print jobs, the computer will have the pages ready 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.
 Application Software

• Programs that allow the user to do specific tasks.

• Examples of application software are:
❖ Word processor
❖ Spreadsheet
❖ Database
❖ Control and measuring software
❖ Graphics editing
❖ Video editing
❖ Audio editing
❖ Apps and applets
❖ computer-aided design (CAD)
Office productivity software
▪ Office productivity software is any application that can carry out work-related
tasks.
▪ They are often available as an application suite.
Office productivity software

➢Word processing
▪ Word processing software lets users create documents that include words,
images, tables, hyperlinks, equations, simple drawings and shapes and charts.
▪ Word processors are a good choice of application for creating:
• letters
• reports
• essays
• books
Office productivity software

➢Desktop Publishing (DTP)

▪ DTP software has many similar features to those in word processing software.
▪ The main difference is the way in which the software allows users to work
with complicated page layouts.
▪ Eg. Adobe lnDesign
Office productivity software

➢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.
▪ Eg. Microsoft Excel
Office productivity software

➢Database
▪ Database management systems (DBMS) are used to enter, edit and search data.
▪ Some systems can produce reports that dynamically display real-time changes to
the data as it updates.
▪ DBMS software features include:
■ data entry forms so that users can input data
■ query editors so that users can select all data that meets certain criteria
■ report builders so that users can display data in a more readable format.
▪ Eg. Oracle MySQL
Web authoring
▪ Web authoring software lets users create web pages that include text and images.
▪ The pages are output as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).
▪ Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is a computing language read by web
browser software such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox.
▪ Web browsers translate HTML into pages that people can see and read.
▪ Web pages can be linked together to create a website for people to view on an
intranet or on a web server on the internet.
▪ Eg. Adobe Dreamweaver
Image editing

▪ Image editing applications let users create and change bitmap images, such
as digital photographs, or vector graphics, such as drawings or logos.
▪ Bitmap - a computer image that is stored or printed as an arrangement of
bits
▪ vector graphic - a graphical image made up of points and lines
Image editing

➢Graphics editors
▪ Graphics editing applications allow users to create or edit vector graphics.
▪ Eg. Serif® Affinity Designer
▪ Features of graphics editors include
✓ vectorising images
✓ layers
✓ adding text
✓ adding or drawing shapes and lines
✓ resizing, aligning or moving shapes and lines
✓ altering the colour of shapes, lines and fill areas.
 Image editing
➢Photo editors
▪ These allow users to edit and enhance digital photographs and images.
▪ Eg. GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)
▪ Features of photo editors include
✓ adjusting brightness and contrast
✓ resizing the image
✓ altering sharpness and blurring
✓ applying filters and effects such as distortion
✓ red-eye removal
✓ cropping
 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 soundtracks for
video.
▪ Eg. Audacity
▪ Features of this software include:
✓cut and join audio clips
✓mute and solo some audio tracks
✓alter volume levels for individual tracks
✓change tempo
Sound editing
✓frequency equalisation
✓add effects like reverberation
✓apply audio processing:
- reverse
- noise reduction
- normalisation
- fade the volume in, so that it gets louder, or out, so that it gets quieter.
 Presentation software
▪ Presentation software allows users to create engaging multimedia content,
including images, text, animation and video.
▪ This content can be placed on slides or pathways.
▪ Eg. PowerPoint
 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 sensor(s), makes a decision based on
the input value and then outputs something, such as a command, as a result.
▪ It used in engineering, vehicles and building control systems.
 Project management
▪ Project management applications are used to help plan and track the
individual tasks in a project.
▪ Project management applications can be used to allocate tasks to individual people
or groups of people.
 Project management
▪ Project managers can make the most efficient use of the available resources.
▪ When all tasks are combined together into a timeline, it is easy for the project
manager to see the critical path.
▪ These applications can also be used to set milestones.
Communication software

▪ Communication software provides remote access to systems and allows users

to contact people using the internet.
▪ It can be used to send files and messages as text, images, audio and video.
Communication software

➢Web browsers
▪ Web browsers allow users to view web pages and websites created in web authoring
software and hosted on servers that are connected to the internet.
▪ Different browsers have different features and compatibility with file types used on
the World Wide Web.
▪ Browsers allow users to access other systems that use the internet but are not on the
World Wide Web, such as file transfer protocol (FTP) servers.
Communication software

➢Emails
▪ Emails can be sent and received by software installed on a computer.
▪ This locally installed software acts as a client to an email server.
▪ Users can access email through webmail software, which they reach through a web
browser.
▪ Some webmail applications allow users to store emails offline for access when they
do not have an internet connection.
▪ Email applications provide features such as labels to help organize emails and filters.
Communication software

➢Social media
▪ Social media can be accessed through a web browser or by using locally installed
apps.
▪ Some apps provide access to multiple social media accounts.
▪ Eg. TweetDeck
Communication software

➢SMS
▪ Short messaging service (SMS) applications are found on mobile phones.
▪ They allow users to send up to 160 text characters per message using the mobile
phone network.
▪ They do not require an internet connection.
Communication software

➢MMS
▪ Multimedia messaging service (MMS) applications extend the capabilities of SMS.
▪ MMS can deliver more than 160 characters per message and can include video,
animations, images and audio.
▪ Like SMS, they are sent using the mobile phone network and do not require an
internet connection.
Communication software

➢Instant messaging
▪ Instant messaging applications are very similar to MMS applications, but they require
a connection to the internet.
▪ They can allow users to see when other users are typing, and users can also prevent
others from seeing when they are typing.
▪ Messages sent via instant messaging applications can include location data.
Software licence
▪ Users require a software licence to be able to install and use software on a computer.
▪ There are many types of software licence and the details of software licensing are
complicated.
▪ Two types of software are
1. free or open-source
2. proprietary
Free software
▪ Free software licences give users the right to study, modify, copy or distribute a
program.
▪ Free software can be made available for a fee or free of charge.
▪ 'Free' refers to the user's freedom to charge whatever they want because there are
no restrictions on the use of the software.
Open-source software
▪ Open-source software licences make the source code available to users so that they
can modify how the software works, or distribute the modified or unmodified
software.
Proprietary 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.
▪ Proprietary software can be made available for a fee or free of charge.
▪ When no fee is required, the software is called freeware.
▪ Unlike software distributed under an open-source licence, software with a proprietary
licence usually does not make its source code available.
Software Updates
▪ Updates to software are released by software developers for the following reasons:
➢fixing security vulnerabilities or bugs
➢increasing compatibility with newer operating systems
➢improving performance and efficiency
➢introducing new features
➢improving usability.
Software Updates
▪ Software updates are usually made available for download from a server on the
internet.
▪ Some updates can be scheduled to happen automatically when they are released.
▪ It is important to back up a system and files before updating software in case the
update introduces problems, such as removing components that other software
needs in order to function.