Software-Computer Software An Intangible Device

Working and Functions Of Computer Software

Computer software, which is an application program basically and it contains a variety of data for use and for the ease of the users. There are number of software available in the market and once you will download particular software then it will perform that function.

Computer software contains two major and different types of program like-

Application software- this is the software that controls the particular application or information to be used by the users.

System software- the function of the system software is to control the operating system. It coordinates the various operations executed in the computer and it also helps in performing different processing tasks related to the information.

Further the application software can be divided according to the programs like specific categories related to application or the application programs relate to general purpose. The application programs related to the general purpose includes the general information for the users related to the processing jobs like telecommunications, word processing, database management, graphics program, electronic spread sheet and so on, whereas on the other hand application programs relate to the programs performing special business functions, different and specific computer applications or other application related to the technology, engineering or science. Application programs perform the special applications only.

System Software can be further categorized into the development programs and the management programs pertaining to the system. During the execution of the system program it manages and controls the data resources, networks, software, and hardware of the computer system. Security monitors, operating systems, network management programs, system utilities, database management programs, and system monitors are all examples of management programs of system. The networks related to the telecommunications are managed by the programs pertaining to network management whereas the management systems related to the database regulate the updating of databases, integration and development. To copy files, to perform the functions of backing up and other daily functions of computing Utilities are used. The main purpose of the development programs of the system is to assist the specialists.

The major component of the system software is the programming languages. The software needs a number of different programming languages to assist programmers in developing various computer programs and a program to convert the program language into machine language.

Computer software is basically the term referred to the various computer programs including scripts, instructions, and applications and so on, thus whenever you download a new program in your computer it is equivalent to downloading a new software and before downloading it makes sure to go for a software testing for the proper execution and to confirm whether the new program is fit to be executed, as if there are mistakes in your program it will adversely affect the computer. The computer software is unlike the computer hardware that can be touched and that is physical, rather it is difficult to define the computer software since it is not physical it is virtual. The programs in the software are stored in the form of binary data, which is when it is executed it is copied to the hard drive of the computer. Software usually consists of the code language which the programmers of the computer write and that is transformed into the program of the computer. This code language is further converted in the machine language. Since the computer software is not physical and it is virtual and so its handling is also easy and also its maintenance is also cheap unlike the computer hardware, which involves an expensive and difficult way for the up gradation. Whenever you purchase software it comes in the form of disc, which is the physical way to store the software.

Thus a computer is divided into parts namely the computer software and computer hardware, the computer hardware is known by the physical work it performs and computer software is known by the programs incorporated in it by the program developers for the use of the individual, in fact the computer software regulates the computer hardware and it tells the computer hardware what and how to do. The software instructs the hardware. If you consider the computer as a human being, then you can consider the hardware as the body performing various tasks like looking with eyes, filling air in lungs, lifting various objects and software would be considered  the intelligence or the brain, thus you can divide the computer on the basis of the body, which is the physical appearance or the hardware and the brain, which is invisible and you cannot see it and that is the software that just go on performing the functions according to the programs feed in it. The hardware which only understands two concepts of on and off as it is a part of the machine and this concept of on and off is called binary and to convert this binary concept into a useful concept the computer software was developed which guides the hardware what  and what not to do. The software of the computer actually can the instructions and concepts that can be executed on the computer hardware and that can be understood by the people. The numbers of computer languages in the form of commands are written by the computer programmers to create the software of the computer. These languages are similar to what we use in our regular speech and these commands are denoted by the term source code. Another program of computer is then used on these commands or the source code, which is called as the compiler that converts the command into the computer language that a computer can understand. The result what we get is the implanted program that is referred as the software. There are unlimited types of computer software available in the market some of which are for entertainment purpose like computer games to be enjoyed by the children, some of them are online games and then the driver software is also there which allows interaction with the other hardware devices like printer and so on