TOPIC 4: COMPUTER SOFTWARE

Computer Instructions or data, anything that can be stored electronically is Software. Hardware is one
that is tangible. The storage devices (Hard disk, CD’s etc.,), mouse, keyboard CPU and display devices
(Monitor) are Hardware. For example: There is a problem in the Software implies – Problem with
program or data.
Computer software is a series of instructions or a special program that performs a
particular task and is recorded in some form on a computer disk. Simply, the software is an
abstract collection of instructions for computers to perform specific tasks. It is called differently
a program or software program. Computer software has two major categories. It is typically
classified into system software and application software.

4.1 Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Explain computer software and the classification of computer software
2. Explain system software and various categories
3. Explain application software and various categories

4.2 This topic consists of four sections namely:-

Section 1: Fundamentals of software
Section 2: Introduction and classification of computer software
Section 3: System Software
Section 4: Application Software

4.2.1 Fundamentals of Software

Software consists of computer programs, which are sequences of instructions for the computer.
The process of writing (or coding) programs is called programming, and individuals who
perform this task are called programmers. Unlike the hardwired computers of the 1950s, modern
software uses the stored program concept, in which stored software programs are accessed and
their instructions are executed (followed) in the computer’s CPU. Once the program has finished
executing, a new program is loaded into main memory and the computer hardware addresses
another task.

Computer programs include documentation, which is a written description of the functions of the
program. Documentation helps the user operate the computer system and helps other
programmers understand what the program does and how it accomplishes its purpose.
Documentation is vital to the business organization. Without it, if a key programmer or user
leaves, the knowledge of how to use the program or how it is designed may be lost. The
computer is able to do nothing until it is instructed by software. Although computer hardware is,
by design, general purpose, software enables the user to instruct a computer system to perform
specific functions that provide business value.

There are two major types/ categories of software:

a) Systems software
b) Application software.

The relationship among hardware, systems software, and application software is illustrated in
Figure 4.1.

Systems software is a set of instructions that serves primarily as an intermediary between

computer hardware and application programs, and may also be directly manipulated by
knowledgeable users. Systems software provides important self-regulatory functions for
computer systems, such as loading itself when the computer is first turned on, managing
hardware resources such as secondary storage for all applications, and providing commonly used
sets of instructions for all applications to use. Systems programming is either the creation or
maintenance of systems software.

Figure 4.1: Layering of Systems and Applications software

Application software is a set of computer instructions that provide more specific functionality to
a user. That functionality may be broad, such as general word processing, or narrow, such as an
organization’s payroll program. An application program applies a computer to a certain need.
Application programming is either the creation or the modification and improvement of
application software. There are many different software applications in organizations today, as
this chapter will discuss. For a marketing application, for example, see the Market Intelligence
box at the Web site.

In summary, application programs primarily manipulate data or text to produce or provide

information. Systems programs primarily manipulate computer hardware resources. The systems
software available on a computer system provides the capabilities and limitations within which
the application software can operate. The next two sections of this chapter look in more detail at
these two types of software.

4.2.1.1: Systems Software

System software is a program that manages and supports the computer resources and operations
of a computer system while it executes various tasks such as processing data and information,
controlling hardware components, and allowing users to use application software. That is,
systems software functions as a bridge between computer system hardware and the application
software.

Systems software is the class of programs that control and support the computer system and its
information-processing activities. Systems software also facilitates the programming, testing,
and debugging of computer programs. It is more general than application software and is usually
independent of any specific type of application. Systems software programs support application
software by directing the basic functions of the computer. For example, when the computer is
turned on, the initialization program (a systems program) prepares and readies all devices for
processing.

Systems software consists of three kinds of programs. They include system management
programs, system support programs, and system development programs. These are explained
briefly.

System control / management programs

System control programs control the use of the hardware, software, and data resources of a
computer system. The main system control program is the operating system. The operating
system supervises the overall operation of the computer, including monitoring the computer’s
status and scheduling operations, which include the input and output processes. In addition, the
operating system allocates CPU time and main memory to programs running on the computer,
and it also provides an interface between the user and the hardware.
Specifically, the operating system provides services that include process management, virtual
memory, file management, security, fault tolerance, and the user interface. Process management
means managing the program or programs (also called jobs) running on the processor at a given
time. In the simplest case (a desktop operating system), the operating system loads a program
into main memory and executes it. The program utilizes the computer’s resources until it
relinquishes control. Some operating systems offer more sophisticated forms of process
management, such as multitasking, multithreading, and multiprocessing.

i. Operating Systems

An operating system is a collection of integrated computer programs that provide recurring

services to other programs or to the user of a computer. These services consist of disk and file
management, memory management, and device management. In other words, it manages CPU
operations, input/output activities, storage resources, diverse support services, and controls
various devices.

Operating system is the most important program for computer system. Without an operating
system, every computer program would have to contain instructions telling the hardware each
step the hardware should take to do its job, such as storing a file on a disk. Because the operating
system contains these instructions, any program can call on the operating system when a service
is needed.

Operating System Functions

An operating system executes many functions to operate computer system efficiently. Among
them, four essential functions are the followings.

Resource Management: An operating system manages a collection of computer hardware

resources by using a variety of programs. It manages computer system resources, including
its CPU, primary memory, virtual memory, secondary storage devices, input/output
peripherals, and other devices.

Viewing the operation system as a resource manager, each manager must do the following:
- Keep track of the resources.
- Enforce policy that determine who, gets what, when and how much.
- Allocate the resources. - Reclaim the resources.

Task Management: The function of the operating system that controls the running of many
tasks. It manages one program or many programs within a computer system simultaneously.
That is, this function of operating system manages the completion of users' tasks. A task
management program in an operating system provides each task and interrupts the CPU
operations to manage tasks efficiently. Task management may involve a multitasking
capability.
 File management: This is a function that manages data files. An operating system contains file
management programs that provide the ability to create, delete, enter, change, ask, and access
of files of data. They also produce reports on a file.
User Interface: It is a function of an operating system that allows users to interact with a
computer. A user interface program may include a combination of menus, screen design,
keyboard commands. A well-designed user interface is essential for an operating system to
be popular. Because of the function, users can load programs, access files, and accomplish
other tasks.
Data security and management: These involve these main activities: Preventing illegal access
or amendments to user or system files; ‘Dumping’ the contents of files from time in case of
future loss, e.g. disk files may be transferred to tape and then stored off-line; Keeping track
of file descriptions and locations.

Real time systems must therefore be fast and reliable. They have complex and expensive
operating system, usually involves multi-processor to share the work load.

Popular Operating Systems

The most popular microcomputer operating systems are DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95, OS/2,
Windows NT, and Macintosh System. UNIX is a popular operating system that is available for
microcomputers, minicomputers, and mainframe computer systems. The following will show the
details:

• DOS
• Windows 3.x
• Windows 95
• OS/2
• Windows NT
• Macintosh Operating System
• UNIX

System Development Programs

These are programs that help users develop information system programs and prepare user
programs for computer processing. These programs may analyze and design systems and
program itself. The main system development programs are programming language translators,
programming environment programs, computer-aided software engineering packages.
Before programs can be executed they must be translated into machine language. A program
written in any language other than machine language is called source program which is
converted into machine language (object program) by the system called translators.
 Low level
Languages Assembler
e.g. assembly

Machine language

High level
languages e.g. Compiler/
Pascal, C, Basic Interpreter
etc

There are three main types of translators

Assembler- which converts low level assembly program to machine code
Compiler and interpreter- they convert high level programs to machine code.

Difference between compiler and interpreter

Compiler:
• They translate the whole source program at once before it can be run
• It ensures that the program need only be translated once
• The compiled program (object code) can be saved on a backing store as a
separate program and run as required.
Interpreter:
• They translate the source program one instruction at a time
• They translate the program each time its run which is therefore slower than
compiling
• They are helpful for line by line fault finding when developing a program

Translators also provide supporting functions as:

• Identifying syntax error
• Provide diagnostic and useful error messages
• They work out where to store the object program and its data
• Provide links to other programs and routines
• They print a list of the source and object programs

4.2.1.2: Application Software

As defined earlier, application software consists of instructions that direct a computersystem to

perform specific information processing activities and that provide functionality for users.
Because there are so many different uses for computers, there are a correspondingly large
number of different application software programs available.

Types of Application Software

Application software includes proprietary application software and off-the-shelf application

software. Proprietary application software addresses a specific or unique business need for a
company. This type of software may be developed in-house by the organization’s information
systems personnel or it may be commissioned from a software vendor. Such specific software
programs developed for a particular company by a vendor are called contract software.

Alternatively, off-the-shelf application software can be purchased, leased, or rented from a

vendor that develops programs and sells them to many organizations. Off-the-shelf software may
be a standard package or it may be customizable. Special purpose programs or “packages” can
be tailored for a specific purpose, such as inventory control or payroll. The word package is a
commonly used term for a computer program (or group of programs) that has been developed by
a vendor and is available for purchase in a prepackaged form. We will further discuss the
methodology involved in acquiring application software, whether proprietary or off the shelf

Types of Personal Application Software

General-purpose, off-the-shelf application programs that support general types of processing,

rather than being linked to any specific business function, are referred to as personal application
software. This type of software consists of nine widely used packages: spreadsheet, data
management, word processing, desktop publishing graphics, multimedia, communications,
speech-recognition software, and groupware.

Software suites combine some of these packages and integrate their functions. Personal
application software is designed to help individual users increase their productivity. Below is a
description of the nine main types.

a) Spreadsheets
Computer spreadsheet software transforms a computer screen into a ledger sheet, or grid, of
coded rows and columns. Users can enter numeric or textual data into each grid location, called a
cell. In addition, a formula can be entered into a cell to obtain a calculated answer displayed in
that cell’s location. With spreadsheets, users can also develop and use macros, which are
sequences of commands that can be executed with just one simple instruction.
Computer spreadsheet packages can be used for financial information, such as income statements
or cash flow analysis. They are also used for forecasting sales, analyzing insurance programs,
summarizing income tax data, and analyzing investments. They are relevant for many other
types of data that can be organized into rows and columns. Although spreadsheet packages such
as Microsoft’s Excel and Lotus 1–2-3are thought of primarily as spreadsheets, they also offer
data management and graphical capabilities.

b) Data management.
Data management software supports the storage, retrieval, and manipulation of related data.
There are two basic types of data management software: simple filing programs patterned after
traditional, manual data-filing techniques and database management programs that take
advantage of a computer’s extremely fast and accurate ability to store and retrieve data in
primary and secondary storage. File based management software is typically very simple to use
and is often very fast, but it offers limited flexibility in how the data can be searched. Database
management software has the opposite strengths and weaknesses. Microsoft’s Access is an
example of popular database management software.

c) Word processing.
Word processing software allows the user to manipulate text rather than just numbers. Modern
word processors contain many productive writing and editing features. A typical word
processing software package consists of an integrated set of programs including an editor
program, a formatting program, a print program, a dictionary, a thesaurus, a grammar checker, a
mailing list program, and integrated graphics, charting, and drawing programs. WYSIWYG (an
acronym for What You See Is What You Get, pronounced “wiz-e-wig”) word processors have
the added advantage of displaying the text material on the screen exactly—or almost exactly—as
it will look on the final printed page (based on the type of printer connected to the computer).
Word processing software enables users to be much more productive because the software
makes it possible to create and modify the document electronically in memory.

d) Desktop publishing.
Desktop publishing software represents a level of sophistication beyond regular word processing.
In the past, newsletters, announcements, advertising copy, and other specialized documents had
to be laid out by hand and then typeset. Desktop software allows microcomputers to perform
these tasks directly. Photographs, diagrams, and other images can be combined with text,
including several different fonts, to produce a finished, camera-ready document.

e) Graphics.
Graphics software allows the user to create, store, and display or print charts, graphs, maps, and
drawings. Graphics software enables users to absorb more information more quickly and to spot
relationships and trends in data more easily. There are three basic categories of graphics software
packages: presentation graphics, analysis graphics, and computer-aided design software.
f) Presentation
Presentation graphics software allows users to create graphically rich presentations. Many
packages have extensive libraries of clip art—pictures that can be electronically “clipped out”
and “pasted” into the finished image.

g) Computer-aided design (CAD) software

Are used for designing items for manufacturing, allows designers to design and “build” production
prototypes in software, test them as a computer object under given parameters (sometimes called
computer-aided engineering, or CAE), compile parts and quantity lists, outline production and assembly
procedures, and then transmit the final design directly to machines. Manufacturers of all sorts are finding
uses for CAD software. Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software uses digital design output, such
as that from a CAD system, to directly control production machinery. Computer-integrated
manufacturing (CIM) software is embedded within each automated production machine to produce a
product. Overall, a design from CAD software is used by CAM software to control individual CIM
programs in individual machines. Used effectively, CAD/CAM/CIM software can dramatically shorten
development time and give firms the advantage of economies of scope.

h) Multimedia
Multimedia software combines at least two media for input or output of data. These media
include audio (sound), voice, animation, video, text, graphics, and images. Multimedia can also
be thought of as the combination of spatial-based media (text and images) with time-based media
(sound and video).

i) Communications
Computers are often interconnected in order to share or relate information. To exchange
information, computers utilize communications software. This software allows computers,
whether they are located close together or far apart, to exchange data over dedicated or public
cables, telephone lines, satellite relay systems, or microwave circuits. When communications
software exists in both the sending and receiving computers, they are able to establish and
relinquish electronic links, code and decode data transmissions, verify transmission errors (and
correct them automatically), and check for and handle transmission interruptions or conflicting
transmission priorities. E-mail and desktop videoconferencing rely on communications software.
4.3 Activity
Examine two types of software used by your institution. What system software is
running in your computer? Identify application software installed in your
system/computer

4.4 Summary
In this topic, you have been introduced to various types of computer software, including
classification, and expanded description of the two key types of software: systems software and
applications software. Systems software and applications software has been discussed with keen
interest on their functionally. The next chapter explores data communication and networking
concepts.

4.5 Self-check Questions

1. Distinguish between systems software and applications software (4mks)

2. Briefly explain the various ways in which computer software can be classified
3. Operating systems are crucial to the performance of the entire computer system.
State and explain three ways in which operating systems can be classified
4. How are stand-alone operating systems different from embedded operating systems?
5. Discuss the functions of any five system utilities
6. Describe various ways in which users of computer systems can be able to interact with the
hardware using operating systems

4.6 Scorecard

20-17 Excellent
16 - 14 Good
13-10 Satisfactory
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