COMPUTER SOFTWARE

WHAT IS .
Computer software is any set of machine readable
instructions that directs a computers processor to
perform specific operations.
It is a set of programs, procedures, functions,
associated data and/or its documentation, if any.
Software is a general term. It can refer to all
computer instructions in general, or to any specific
set of computer instructions.
TYPES OF SOFTWARE
Software
System Application
SYSTEM SOFTWARE

System software is computer software designed to
operate the computer hardware, to provide basic
functionality, and to provide a platform for running
application software.

System software also includes the boot firmware,
which loads (or in some cases constitutes) the
operating system. Firmware is software that has
been permanently stored in hardware (specifically,
in non-volatile memory). Thus, it has qualities of
both software and hardware, but it is still software.
SYSTEM SOFTWARE
System
software
Operating Systems
Device Drivers
Servers
Utilities,
Compilers
Window Systems
OPERATING SYSTEMS
An operating system (OS) is a collection of
software that manages computer hardware
resources and provides common services for
computer programs.
Application programs usually require an operating
system to function.
OS perform basic tasks such as recognizing input
from the keyboard, sending output to monitor,
keeping track of files and directories on disk and
controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives
and printers.
eg: Microsoft Windows, Linux, OS/2 etc.
OPERATING SYSTEM
UTILITIES
Utility software is system software designed to help
analyze, configure, optimize or maintain a computer.
It performs a very specific task, usually related to
managing system resources.
Examples
Anti-virus utilities scan for computer viruses.
Backup software can make copies of all information
stored on a disk and restore either the entire disk.
Disk cleaners can find files that are unnecessary to
computer operation, or take up considerable amounts of
space. Disk cleaner helps the user to decide what to
delete when their hard disk is full.
APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE & PACKAGES
Application software were historically defined as all
the software that uses the computer system to
perform useful work (or entertainment functions)
beyond the basic operation of the computer itself.
However, in practice the distinction between
system software and application software is often
blurred due to bundling of useful applications with
the operating system.
Includes data base programs, word processors,
spreadsheets etc.
APPLICATION SOFTWARE
Application
software
Image Processors
Word processors,Spreadsheets
Web Browsers
Games,
Communication Software
Database systems
Mobile and Tablet Apps.
OTHER TERMS
Plug-ins are software that extends or modifies the
functionality of another piece of software, and
require that software be used in order to function

Embedded software resides as firmware within
embedded systems, devices dedicated to a single
use or a few uses such as cars and televisions.

TYPES OF SOFTWARE PACKAGES
1. Word processors
Word processing is usually what leads people to
using a computer for their work. Word processors will
normally have the following capabilities built into them:
Spell checking
Standard layouts for normal documents
Have some characters appear in bold print, italics, or
underlined
Center lines, make text line up on the left side of the
paper, or the right side of the paper
Save the document so it can be used again
print the document.

Two of the most common word processing programs are
WordPerfect and Microsoft Word.

The spreadsheet packages are designed to use
numbers and formulas to do calculations with
ease. Examples of spreadsheets include:
Budgets
Payrolls
Grade Calculations
Address Lists
The most commonly used spreadsheet programs are
Microsoft Excel and LibreOffice Calc.

3. Databases
Database programs are designed for these types
of applications: Membership lists
Student lists
Grade reports
Instructor schedules
Some common database programs are Microsoft
Access and
4. Graphic Presentations
The presentation programs can make giving
presentations and using overheads easier. Other
uses include: Slide Shows
Repeating Computer Presentations on a computer
monitor
Using Sound and animation in slide shows
The most recognized graphic presentation programs
are Microsoft PowerPoint and LibreOffice Impress.

5. Web Browsers Web Browsers provide an easy to
surf the Internet.
Use search engines to find people, places, and
things world-wide.
Create your own web page to tell the world about
you and your job.
Advertise your company and special activities.

The two most popular web browsers are Mozilla
Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer.

DATABASE MANAGEMENT PACKAGES
A database is a large collection of data entered a computer
system and stored for future use. The computerized information
in the database is organized so that the parts that have
something in common can be retrieved easily. Most DBMS
packages can perform four primary tasks:
Database Development: Define and organize the content,
relationships, and structure of the data needed to build a
database.
Database Interrogation: Access the data in a database for
information retrieval and report generation. A user can selectively
retrieve and display information and produce printed reports and
documents.
Database Maintenance: Add, delete, update, correct, and
protect the data in a database.
Application Development: Develop prototypes of data entry
screens, queries, forms, reports, and labels for a proposed
application.
A database management package or database management
system (DBMS) is a software package used to set up, or
structure, a database. It is also used to retrieve information from
a database.

GRAPHICS PACKAGES
A graphics program can display numeric data in a
visual format for analytical or presentation
purposes.
Draw and Input graphics packages support
freehand drawing, while desktop publishing
programs provide pre-drawn clip art graphics for
insertion into documents.
Popular business graphics packages are
Freelance, Corel Draw etc.

TYPES OF GRAPHICS PACKAGES
Analytical
Graphics
Presentation
Graphics
There are two types of graphics programs.
Analytical graphics programs are used to analyze data.
Graphics may take the form of bar charts, line graphs,
pie charts etc.
Most analytical graphics programs come as part of
spreadsheet programs. They are helpful in displaying
economic trends, sales figures, and the like for easy
analysis.
Analytical graphics may be viewed on a monitor or
printed out.

.
Presentation graphics programs are used to create
attractive finished graphs for presentations or
reports.
Users can use presentation graphics to
communicate a message or to persuade other
people, such as supervisors or clients. Thus,
presentation graphics are used by marketing or
sales people,
High-end presentation graphics packages even
include animation capabilities.
COMMUNICATION PACKAGES
Communications software enables a microcomputer to send and receive
data over a telephone or other communications line.

Common features of microcomputer communications programs are as
follows:

Data Banks: With a communications program, users can access
enormous computerized databases - data banks of information.
Message Exchanges: Communications programs enable users to leave
and receive messages on electronic bulletin boards or to use electronic-
mail services. Electronic bulletin boards exist for people interested in
swapping all kinds of software or information.
Many organizations now have electronic mailboxes. For instance, users
can transmit a report users have created on users word processor to a
far away company executive or to a college instructor.
Financial Services: With communications programs, users can look up
airline reservations and stock quotations and even do home banking and
bill paying.

OPERATING SYSTEM
The OS software must keep track of each h/w
resource, determine who gets what, determine
when the user will have access to the resource,
allocate how much of the resource the user will
be given, and terminate access at the end of the
use period.
An operating system is a group of computer
programs that coordinates all the activities among
computer hardware devices. It is the first program
loaded into the computer by a boot program and
remains in memory at all times.
Operating Systems vary in complexity from those
that support single user micro computers to those
that handle multiuser main frames.
The complexity depends on the computer systems
size and scope, together with the type of
performance provided to its users.
A single stand alone micro computer will have a
relatively simple OS, whereas a mainframe that
supports hundreds of users accessing the system
simultaneously, will have a complex OS.
FUNCTIONS OF AN OS.
The basic functions of an operating system are:
Booting the computer
Performs basic computer tasks eg managing the
various peripheral devices like mouse, keyboard
Provides a user interface, e.g. command line,
graphical user interface (GUI)
Handles system resources such as computer's
memory and sharing of the central processing unit
(CPU) time by various applications or peripheral
devices
Provides file management which refers to the way
that the operating system manipulates, stores,
retrieves and saves data.

BOOTING THE COMPUTER

The process of starting or restarting the computer is
known as booting.
A cold boot is when you turn on a computer that
has been turned off completely.
A warm boot is the process of using the operating
system to restart the computer.

PERFORMS BASIC COMPUTER TASKS

The operating system performs basic computer
tasks, such as managing the various peripheral
devices.
For example, most operating systems now are plug
and play which means a device such as a printer
will automatically be detected and configured
without any user intervention.
PROVIDES A USER INTERFACE

A user interacts with software through the user
interface.
User interface can be
Command line
Graphical user interface (GUI).
With a command line interface, the user interacts
with the operating system by typing commands to
perform specific tasks.
With a graphical user interface, the user interacts
with the operating system by using a mouse to
access windows, icons, and menus.
The two main types of user interfaces are: command
line and a graphical user interface (GUI). With a
command line interface, the user interacts with the
operating system by typing commands to perform
specific tasks. An example of a command line
interface is DOS (disk operating system). With a
graphical user interface, the user interacts with the
operating system by using a mouse to access
windows, icons, and menus. An example of a
graphical user interface is Windows Vista or
Windows 7.
HANDLES SYSTEM RESOURCES

The OS handles system resources such as the
computer's memory and sharing of the central
processing unit (CPU) time by various applications
or peripheral devices.
Programs and input methods are constantly
competing for the attention of the CPU and demand
memory, storage and input/output bandwidth.
The operating system ensures that each application
gets the necessary resources it needs in order to
maximize the functionality of the overall system.

PROVIDES FILE MANAGEMENT

The operating system also handles the organization
and tracking of files and directories (folders) saved
or retrieved from a computer disk.
The file management system allows the user to
perform such tasks as creating files and directories,
renaming files, copying / moving files, and deleting
files.
CLASSIFICATION OF OPERATING SYSTEMS
(1) Multiuser
(2) Multiprocessor
(3) Multiprogram
(4) Multitasking
(5) Multithreaded
(6) Time sharing
(7) Real time etc..
MULTI USER OS
A multiuser system is one that can be used by
more than one user.
The system provides an environment in which
many users can use the system at the same time or
exclusively at different times.
Each user can execute applications without
any concern about what other users are doing in
the system.
When many users run their applications at the
same time, they compete for system resources.
The operating system allocates them the
resources in an orderly manner.
Security is a major design issue in multiuser
operating systems.
Each user has a private space in the system where
the user maintains own programs and data, and
the operating system must ensure that this space is
visible only to the user and authorized ones, and is
protected from unauthorized and malicious users.
The system needs to arbitrate resource sharing
among active users so that nobody is starved of
system resources.
Multiuser systems may need an accounting
mechanism to keep track of statistics of resource
usage by individual users.
MULTIPROCESSOR SYSTEMS

A multiprocessor system is one that has more
than one processor on-board in the computer.
They execute independent streams of
instructions simultaneously.
They share system buses, the system clock,
and the main memory, and may share peripheral
devices too.
There are two primary models of
multiprocessor operating systems: symmetric and
asymmetric.

In a symmetric multiprocessor system, each
processor executes the same copy of the resident
operating system, takes its own decisions, and
cooperates with other processors for smooth
functioning of the entire system.

In an asymmetric multiprocessor system, each
processor is assigned a specific task, and there is a
designated master processor that controls activities
of the other subordinate processors. The master
processor assigns works to subordinate
processors.
MULTIPROGRAM SYSTEMS

A multiprogram system is one where many
application programs can reside in the main
memory at the same time.
Applications definitely need to share the main
memory, and they may also need to share other
system resources among themselves.
Memory management is a major design
challenge in multiprogram operating systems.
Multiplexing of the main memory is essential to hold
multiple applications in it. Different standalone
applications should be able to share common
subprograms and data.

Processor scheduling is another design issue in
such systems as the operating system needs to
decide the best applications to bring in the main
memory.
Protection of programs from their own executions
is another issue in designing such systems.

MULTI TASKING SYSTEM
Multi tasking is one that executes many processes
concurrently.
Many processes are executed concurrently to
improve the performance of the system, and to
improve the utilization of system resources such as
the processor, the main memory, disks, printers,
network interface cards, etc.
TIME-SHARING SYSTEMS

Time sharing system allows many users to share
the computer resources simultaneously. In other
words, time sharing refers to the allocation of
computer resources in time slots to several
programs simultaneously.
For example a mainframe computer that has many
users logged on to it. Each user uses the resources
of the mainframe -i.e. memory, CPU etc. The users
feel that they are exclusive user of the CPU.
REAL TIME OS
Real Time System is used at those Places in which
we Requires higher and Timely Response.
These Types of Systems are used in Reservation.
So when we specify the Request, the CPU will
perform at that Time.
The time to display the Results after Possessing
has fixed by the Processor
The time sharing system provides the direct access
to a large number of users where CPU time is
divided among all the users on scheduled basis.
The OS allocates a set of time to each user.
When this time is expired, it passes control to the
next user on the system. The time allowed is
extremely small and the users are given the
impression that they each have their own CPU and
they are the sole owner of the CPU.
This short period of time during that a user gets
attention of the CPU; is known as a time slice or a
quantum
TIME SHARING SYSTEMS
MULTITHREADING OS
Multi threading is an ability of an OS to execute
different parts of a program called threads,
simultaneously.
The programmer must carefully design the program
in such a way that all threads can run at the same
time without interfering with each other.