Software and its types
Software
Computer is an electronic machine used to process data. It consists of both hardware and software components.
While the computer’s hardware is the physical part that you can touch, it needs software to function and perform tasks.
Software is the part of computer that let’s hardware to function properly. Without Software, hardware cannot perform any task.
So, Let’s understand what exactly a software.
To understand software, firstly we have to know key termonologies used in software. That’s key termonoligies are: –
- Set of Instructions: Series of commands/instruction for the computer.
- Programming Language: These instructions are written in languages like Python, Java, C++, etc.
- Intangible: Exists in the digital realm and cannot be physically touched.
Software
Software is a set of instructions that tells a computer what to do. It is written in a specific programming language that instruct computer that what to do and when to do. It is an intangible thing therefore it cannot be touched.
Types of Software
There are mainly three types of software: –
- System Software
- Application Software
- Programming Software
1. System Software
System software is the software that lets the computer run. It helps the hardware and other software to function properly.
It manages all the hardware and software parts of the computer and acts as an interface between humans and hardware.
This means it creates an environment where users (humans) and hardware can communicate with each other.
Hardware cannot understand human language, and humans cannot understand hardware language.
System software is the part of the computer that helps facilitate this communication. It converts human language into hardware language and vice versa.
This ensures that when you give commands to your computer, the hardware understands and executes them, and when the hardware processes data, it can be presented back to you in a way you understand.
Example: – Operating System, Compilers etc.
2. Application Software
Application software is designed for end users to perform their day-to-day tasks.
It’s the software you interact with directly to accomplish specific activities or work.
Application software runs on top of the system software, meaning it relies on the system software to operate.
Application software can be a single program or a collection of related programs. It’s designed for particular purposes, such as writing documents, managing spreadsheets, or editing multimedia files.
Example of Application software: –
- MS Excel: Used for creating and managing spreadsheets.
- MS Word: Used for writing and editing documents.
- Multimedia Software: Includes programs for playing, creating, and editing audio and video files (like VLC Media Player or Adobe Premiere).
3. Programming software
Programming software consists of tools used by developers to create other software or programs.
It provides an environment for writing, editing, testing, and debugging code.
It is like the toolkit a craftsman uses to build furniture—programming software equips developers with everything they need to build and manage software applications.
Example of programming software: –
- Code Editors: Tools for writing and editing code, such as Notepad++ or Sublime Text.
- Integrated Development Environments (IDEs): Comprehensive tools that include code editors, debuggers, and other features in one application, like Visual Studio or PyCharm.
- Debuggers: Tools that help identify and fix errors in the code.