what is, Define Software? and System of software, Utility programs.
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software is a genetic term for organized collection of computer data and instructions.it is responsible for controlling, integrating, and managing the hardware components of a computer and to accomplish specific tasks. In other words, the software tells the computer what to do and how to do it. For example, software instructs the hardware what to display on the user screen, what kinds of output to generate. Thus, software communicates with the hardware by organizing the control sequences, and the hardware carries out the instructions defined by the software.
A computer needs to be instructed to perform any task. These instructions are given in the form of computer programs, which are written in computer programming languages program controls the activity of the processor. The moment the hardware (processor, memory, etc.), acts as per the instructions of a program, the program is said to be in a running or executing state.
A set of programs, which are specifically written to provide the user a precise functionality like solving a specific problem is termed as a software package. For example, word processing software package provides functionality to the computer so that it can be used to create text document like letters and mailing lists. Similarly, an image-processing software package assists a user in drawing and manipulating graphics.
Define system software?
system software is the software used for controlling the internal operations of the computer.
The main features of system software are
- The main job of the system software is to act as an interface between the user and the computer. It make the operation of a computer system more effective and efficient.
- It controls all the processing activities and makes sure that the resources and the power of the computer are used most efficiently.
- System software checks the availability of different devices; scans input devices for input and sends output to an output device
- System software converts the instructions from user-understandable languages to computer-understandable language.
Utility Programs
Utility programs assist users in system maintenance tasks, such as disk formatting, data compression, data backup, and scanning a system for computer viruses. Some frequently used utility programs are:
I) Disk Formatting Utility
To use a new disk ( hard disk, floppy disk, or optical disk) on a computer system, we need to format it according to the requirements of the computer's operating system. Disk formatting utility enables users to perform this task with great ease.
II) Data Compression Utility
This utility uses a compression algorithm to transform files into a fraction of their normal size, so that they occupy less storage space on disk, or can be transferred across a network in less time. It has an associated decompression algorithm used to convert a compressed file into its normal form and size when accessed by a user. It helps in a significant saving of disk space - it can effectively double the capacity of a disk.
What is a Programming language?
As human beings need a common language to communicate, a language is also needed by computers to communicate with users. A computer language is how data and instructions are transmitted to computers. In another way, computer languages are the interface between a computer and a human being.
A programming language is a computer language used to write instructions for the computer in a well-defined format. the set of instructions for the process of creating programs is called programming.
Assembly language
- Assembly language was the next higher level of computer programming language, which we categorized under second-generation languages.
- Assembly language is easier to understand and use as compared to machine language because certain English - based words (mnemonics) are used for performing specific operations. Like: 'ADD' is used for addition, 'SUB' is used for subtraction, etc.
- Assembly language is machine dependent i.e. assembly language program is specific to a particular machine because each instruction in the symbolic language is translated into exactly one machine language instruction.
- A translating program called an assembler is used to translate the instructions written in assembly language to the machine language and vice versa.
- Assembly language statements are written one per line, where each statement contains a mnemonic.