Introduction to Computer Software

Unit – I :Basics of C Programming

CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING

Takeaways

• Hardware wine

• Application software

• Assembly language

• System software

• Generation of programming languages

• Procedural and non-procedural languages

• Compiler, interpreter, linker, loader

• Machine language

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SOFTWARE

When we talk about a computer, we actually mean two things (Figure 1.1):

• First is the computer hardware that does all the physical work computers are known for.

• Second is the computer software that commands the hardware what to do and how to do it.

If we think of computer as a living being, then the hardware would be the body that does things like seeing with eyes and lifting objects with hands, where- as the software would be the intelligence which helps in interpreting the images that are seen by the eyes and instructing the arms how to lift objects.

Since computer hardware is a digital machine, it can only understand two basic states: on and off. Computer software was developed to make efficient use of this binary system which is used internally by all computers to instruct the hardware to perform meaningful tasks.

The computer hardware cannot think and make decisions on its own. So, it cannot be used to analyse a given set of data and find a solution on its own. The hardware needs a software (a set of programs) to instruct what has to be done. A program is a set of instructions that are arranged in a sequence to guide a computer to find a solution for a given problem. The process of writing a program is called programming.

Computer software is written by computer programmers using a programming language. The programmer writes a set of instructions (program) using a specific programming language. Such instructions are known as the source code. Another computer program called a compiler is used which transforms the source code into a language that the computer can understand. The result is an executable computer program, which is another software.

Examples of computer software include:

• Computer games which are widely used as a form of

• Driver software which allows a computer to interact with hardware devices such as printers, scanners, and video cards.

• Educational software which includes programs and games that help in teaching and providing drills to help memorize facts. Educational software can be diversely used from teaching computer-related activities like typing to higher education subjects like Chemistry.

• Media players and media development software that are specifically designed to play and/or edit digital media files such as music and videos.

• Productivity software is an older term used to denote any program that allows users to be more productive in a business environment. Examples of such software include word processors, database management utilities, and presentation software.

• Operating system software which helps in coordinating system resources and allows execution of other programs. Some popular operating systems are Windows Vista, Mac