Introduction to Software Software

Types of software Click on each type of software to find out what it does.

Operating system When a computer boots up, it loads its operating system. An operating system turns an assortment of electronic parts into a computer that we can use to do things. It acts as an interface (go between) between the different hardware devices and the user.

Most software we use is made by large companies who make generic software that we can use to do lots of different jobs. Applications software – generic If we buy a spreadsheet package, for instance, we can use it to keep track of what we spend, or to plot charts of temperatures in a science experiment.

Applications software – specialist We can also buy special purpose software that only does one job, like an accounts package or data logging software. It will do that job very well, but we can’t use it to do anything else. Flowol screen shots by kind permission of Data Harvest: Keep IT Easy, KITE.

If we have a very specialized job to do, we could have software specially written for it. Applications software – bespoke This is called bespoke software, and would be much too expensive for most people. The government had bespoke software written for the passport agency, for example. Another example is the software used for online university applications.

There is another group of software that does useful jobs, like checking for viruses. This is called utilities software. Utilities software Some utilities, such as file management software, are usually delivered with the operating system. Others, like firewalls and security software, come as separate packages. I get all the unglamorous jobs around here.

Programming software Java is mostly used for web sites All programs that run on a computer are written in programming code. A computer program gives the computer a list of instructions that it runs or executes. Some programming languages, like C++, are general purpose. Others are written for special purposes: Logo moves a screen turtle BASIC is designed to be easy to learn and use.

Which is which?

Summary Operating systems turn electronic parts into computers we can use. Applications software lets us perform the tasks we need to do. It cannot run without an operating system. Generic software is multi-purpose, such as spreadsheets. Specialist software has a single purpose, such as accounts. Bespoke software is specially written, like passport application processing. Utilities software does useful things like checking for viruses. All the software packages above are written in code which is generated by programming software.