Cojan Paula

Anul II
Informatic

COMPUTER SOFTWARE
Computer software, or simply software is any set of machine-readable
instructions that directs a computer's processor to perform specific
operations.
Computer software includes computer programs, libraries and their
associated documentation. The word software is also sometimes used in a
more narrow sense, meaning application software only. Software is stored
in computer memory and is intangible, i.e. it cannot be touched.
Application software consists of machine language instructions specific to
an individual processor typically a central processing unit (CPU). A machine
language consists of groups of binary values signifying processor instructions
that change the state of the computer from its preceding state. For example,
an instruction may change the value stored in a particular storage location
inside the computer an effect that is not directly observable to the user. An
instruction may also (indirectly) cause something to appear on a display of
the computer system a state change which should be visible to the user.
The processor carries out the instructions in the order they are provided,
unless it is instructed to "jump" to a different instruction, or interrupted.
Software written in a machine language is known as "machine code".
However, in practice, software is usually written in high-level programming
languages that are easier and more efficient for humans to use (closer
to natural language) than machine language.

Types of software
Based on the goal, computer software can be divided into:

Application software, which uses the computer system to perform

special functions or provide entertainment functions beyond the basic
operation of the computer itself. There are many different types of
application software, because the range of tasks that can be performed
with a modern computer is very large.
System software, which is designed to directly operate the computer
hardware, to provide basic functionality needed by users and other
software, and to provide a platform for running application software.
System software includes:

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Cojan Paula
Anul II
Informatic

o Operating systems, which are essential collections of software

that manage resources and provides common services for other
software that runs "on top" of them. Supervisory programs, boot
loaders, shells and window systems are core parts of operating
systems. In practice, an operating system comes bundled with
additional software (including application software) so that a user
can potentially do some work with a computer that only has an
operating system.
o Device drivers, which operate or control a particular type of
device that is attached to a computer. Each device needs at least
one corresponding device driver; because a computer typically
has at minimum at least one input device and at least one output
device, a computer typically needs more than one device driver.
o Utilities, which are computer programs designed to assist users
in maintenance and care of their computers.
Malicious software or malware, which are computer programs
developed to harm and disrupt computers. As such, malware is
undesirable. Malware is closely associated with computer-related
crimes, though some malicious programs may have been designed
as practical jokes.

Software architecture
Users often see things differently from programmers. People who use
modern general purpose computers (as opposed to embedded
systems, analog computers and supercomputers) usually see three layers of
software performing a variety of tasks: platform, application, and user
software.

Platform software: Platform includes the firmware, device drivers,

an operating system, and typically a graphical user interface which, in
total, allow a user to interact with the computer and
its peripherals(associated equipment). Platform software often comes
bundled with the computer. On a PC one will usually have the ability to
change the platform software.

Application software: Application software or Applications are what

most people think of when they think of software. Typical examples
include office suites and video games. Application software is often
purchased separately from computer hardware. Sometimes
applications are bundled with the computer, but that does not change

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Cojan Paula
Anul II
Informatic

the fact that they run as independent applications. Applications are

usually independent programs from the operating system, though they
are often tailored for specific platforms. Most users think of compilers,
databases, and other "system software" as applications.

Quality and reliability

Software quality is very important, especially for commercial and system
software like Microsoft Office, Microsoft Windows and Linux. If software is
faulty (buggy), it can delete a person's work, crash the computer and do
other unexpected things. Faults and errors are called "bugs." Software is
often also a victim to what is known as software aging, the progressive
performance degradation resulting from a combination of unseen bugs.

Many bugs are discovered and eliminated (debugged) through software

testing. However, software testing rarely if ever eliminates every bug;
some programmers say that "every program has at least one more bug"
(Lubarsky's Law).
In the waterfall method of software development, separate testing teams
are typically employed, but in newer approaches, collectively termed agile
software development, developers often do all their own testing, and
demonstrate the software to users/clients regularly to obtain feedback.
Software can be tested through unit testing, regression testing and other
methods, which are done manually, or most commonly, automatically, since
the amount of code to be tested can be quite large.
For instance, NASA has extremely rigorous software testing procedures for
many operating systems and communication functions. Many NASA-based
operations interact and identify each other through command programs. This
enables many people who work at NASA to check and evaluate functional
systems overall. Programs containing command software enable hardware
engineering and system operations to function much easier together.

Industry and organizations

A great variety of software companies and programmers in the world
comprise a software industry. Software can be quite a profitable industry: Bill
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Gates, the founder of Microsoft was the richest person in the world in 2009,
largely due to his ownership of a significant number of shares in Microsoft,
the company responsible for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office software
products.
Non-profit software organizations include the Free Software
Foundation, GNU Project and Mozilla Foundation. Software standard
organizations like the W3C, IETF develop recommended software standards
such as XML, HTTP and HTML, so that software can interoperate through
these standards.
Other well-known large software companies
include Oracle, Novell, SAP, Symantec, Adobe Systems, and Corel, while
small companies often provide innovation.

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