COMPUTER SOFTWARE

OBJECTIVES:
Define software.
Appreciate the importance of software.
Identify the major classifications of software.
Differentiate the different user interfaces.
Understand the concept of peopleware.

SOFTWARE
Intangible component of the computer
Logical, step-by-step, and detailed instructions that

tell hardware what to do

Written coded commands that dictate computers what
to do

SOFTWARE FUNDAMENTALS
Computer Programs

- This are sequence of instructions for the

computer, which comprise software.
Stored Program Concept
- modern hardware architecture in which stored
software programs are accessed and their instructions
are executed on computers CPU one after the other.
Documentation
- written description of the functions of a software
programs.

SOFTWARE FUNDAMENTALS
Computer Programs

- This are sequence of instructions for the

computer, which comprise software.
Stored Program Concept
- modern hardware architecture in which stored
software programs are accessed and their instructions
are executed on computers CPU one after the other.
Documentation
- written description of the functions of a software
programs.

2 MAJOR TYPES OF SOFTWARE:

Designed and written to perform
Applications
specific jobs for particular
Software
operations and applications
System
Software

An Essential part of the computer

system that controls the
Hardware and other programs

RELATIONSHIP:
Application Software

ystem Softwar
HARDWARE

Types of Application Software

Entertainment Software
- The serious matter of videogames.
- e.g. Pac-man, Super Mario

Educational and Reference Software

- helps student to be more receptive to learning.
- e.g. Math blaster(problem-solving game),
Encarta, encyclopedias, maps, etc.

Business and Specialized Software

- includes programs for desktop publishing, persona; finance,
projects management, computer-aided design, drawing and
painting, and hypertext.

Types of Application Software

Basic Productivity Software

- consist of programs found in most offices and probably

on all campuses, on PCs and other computer systems.
Example:
1) Word Processing allows the user to manipulate text
rather than just numbers. Modern word processors
contains many productive writing and editing features.
(e.g. Microsoft Word)
WYSIWYG
acronyms for What you see is what you get

Types of Application Software

2) Spreadsheets

-software's that use a grid coded rows and columns to

display numeric or textual data in cell.
-with spreadsheets, user can also develop and use
macros (which are sequence of commands that can be
executed with just one simple instruction.
- created in 1987 by Daniel Bricklyn and Daniel
Flystra as study tool
Example: MS Excel (common)

Types of Application Software

3) Database Software- is a program used to manage
multiple data files. Each table is contains(rows) and
fields(Columns).
Examples:
dBase, Microsoft Access, Delphi, Oracle and Paradox.

4) Specialty Software
Presentation Graphics Software
- uses graphics, animation, sound and data to make visual
presentations, commonly called slide shows.

Types of Application Software

Continuation.
Financial Software's
- includes personal-finance managers, entry-level accounting
programs, and business financial management packages.
Desktop-publishing(DTP) Software

-enables users to mix text and graphics to produce highquality output for commercial printing.
E.g. Page Maker, Adobe In Design, Microsoft publisher.

Types of Application Software

Continuation.
Project Management Software
- helps user plan and schedule the people, costs and
resources required to complete a project on time.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) programs

-used to design products, structures, engineering drawings

and maps.

COPYRIGHT
The exclusive right that prohibits copying of intellectual

property without the permission of the copyright holder.

Copyright is described under the umbrella term
Intellectual Property.

Types of Software acquired:

Commercial Software
- also called Proprietary Software
- Refers to any software that is designed for sale to
commercial need. Copyrighted.

serve a

Public-domain Software
- is not protected by copyrighted and thus may be duplicated by
anyone at will. They are often available through sites on the internet.

Shareware
- is copyrighted software that is distributed free of charge but
requires users to make a monetary contribution in order to continue
using it.

Types of Software acquired:

Freeware

- is copyrighted software that is distributed free

of charge.
Rentalware

- is copyrighted software and lease for a fee.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE
Enables the application software to interact with the

computer and helps the computer manage its internal

and external resources.

3 BASIC COMPONENTS:
1. Operating System (OS)
2. Device Drivers
3. Utility Programs

1. OPERATING SYSTEM
- supervises the over all operations of the computer, allocates
CPU time and main memory to programs, and provide an interface
between the user and the hardware.
- it is the principal component of system software in any computing
system.
- Also called Software Platform

2. DEVICE DRIVERS
- Helps the computer control the peripheral devices.

3.UTILITY PROGRAMS
- generally used to support, enhance, or expand existing programs
in a computer system.
- It is designed to help analyze, configure, optimized and maintain
the computer.

UTILITY PROGRAMS
Backup utility is used to make duplicate copy of the

information on your disk.

Data-recovery utility is used to restore data that has been

physically damaged or corrupted.

Antivirus software is a utility program that scans hard

disks, floppy disks, and memory to detect viruses.

Data Compression utility remove redundant elements,

gaps, and unnecessary data from a computers storage space

so that less space is required to store or transmit data.
Fragmentation is the scattering of portions of files about the
disk in nonadjacent areas, thus greatly slowing access to the file.
Defragmentation utility program will find all scattered files
on your disk and reorganized them as contiguous files.

USER

APPLICATION SOFTWARE
Word processing, spreadsheets, database, graphics,etc.

DEVICE
DRIVERS

SYSTEM SOFTWARE
Operating System

HARDWARE

UTILITY
PROGRAMS

SYSTEM SOFTWARE FUNCTIONS

1) Booting
- the process of loading an OS into the computers main memory.

2) CPU Management
o Kernel is the supervising the software that manages the CPU.
o Memory management - the OS keeps track of the memory

locations to prevent programs and data from overlapping each

other.
o Queues, Buffer, Spooling

SYSTEM SOFTWARE FUNCTIONS

o Queue: first-in, first-out(FIFO) sequence of data or programs
that waits inline for its turn to be processed.
o Buffer: the place where the data or programs sit while they are
waiting
o Spooling: the act of placing a print job into a buffer.

3) File Management
o

File is either a:
Data File: a named collection of data
Program File: a program that exist in computers secondary
storage.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE FUNCTIONS

4) Task Management
Required for users that accommodate multiple users.
Multitasking the management of 2 or more task, or programs,

running concurrently on the computer system.

Multiprocessing Simultaneous processing of more than one

program by assigning them to different processors.

Time-sharing - is the sharing of a computing resource among many

users by means of multiprocessing and multi-tasking.

5) Formatting
-process of preparing a disk so that it can store data or programs.

6) Security Management

COMMON FEATURES OF SOFTWARE:

User Interface

2 TYPES:

-the user-controllable display screen that allows you to communicate,

or interact with the computer.

Command-Driven Interface

MS-DOS
Graphical User Interface (GUI)

MAC OS, Windows, Linux

COMMON FEATURES OF SOFTWARE:

Command-Driven Interface
Require you to type in strange-looking instructions.
Graphical user Interface(GUI)
Pronounced as gooey
display format that enables the user to choose commands, start

programs, and see lists of files and other options by pointing to

pictorial representations (icons) and lists of menu items on the
screen.

3 FEATURES OF GUI:
Desktop
The systems main interface screen, displays pictures(icons) that

provide quick access to program information.

Icons
are small figures that represent programs, data files, or procedures.
Menus
a list of options from which a program user can select in order to
perform a desired action.

TYPES OF OPERATING SYSTEM:

Real-time Operating System: It is a multitasking operating system

that aims at executing real-time applications.

Multi-user and Single-user Operating Systems: The operating

systems of this type allow a multiple users to access a computer

system concurrently.
Multi-tasking and Single-tasking Operating Systems

-When a single program is allowed to run at a time, the system is

grouped under a single-tasking system, while in case the operating
system allows the execution of multiple tasks at one time, it is classified
as a multi-tasking operating system.

TYPES OF OPERATING SYSTEM:

Distributed Operating System: manages a group of independent

computers and makes them appear to be a single computer

Embedded System: The operating systems designed for being

used in embedded computer systems

-They are designed to operate on small machines like PDAs with
less autonomy.
-They are able to operate with a limited number of resources.
-They are very compact and extremely efficient by design.

EXAMPLE OF OPERATING SYSTEM:

Windows XP
Windows 7
Linux powerful version of the UNIX OS that is open source
software (publicly and freely available).
Java OS OS designed to execute programs written in Java, for
internet and intranet applications, embedded devices, hand-held
products, and client computing.
Etc..

Data Storage Hierarchy:

Character is a letter, number, or special character.
Fieldconsist of one or more characters(bytes). E.g. name,
address, or Social security number.
Record is a collection of related fields.
File is a collection of related records

.e.g data collected on everyone employed in the same department

of a company.
Database is an organized collection of integrated files.

PEOPLEWARE

PEOPLEWARE:
Consist of the users or personnel involved in data

processing operations.
The are the most important part of and beneficiaries of
computer-communication system.

TYPES OF PEOPLE USING I.T.

Professionals
- these are people who have had formal education in the technical
aspects of using a computer and communication systems.

End Users
- these are those without much technical knowledge of information
technology, who use computers for entertainment, education or workrelated tasks.

COMPUTER JOB DESCRIPTION:

System Programmer
develop, acquire and effectively utilize programming

languages.
Develop technical specifications for future computers
system and applications.
Establish programming standards.

COMPUTER JOB DESCRIPTION:

System Analyst
Determining proposed computerized applications to be

effectively integrated into the operational structure of the

organizations.
-They produce outline designs and costing's of new IT
systems, specifying the operations the system will perform,
and the way data will be viewed by the user, present their
design to the client and, once it is approved, work closely
with the client team to implement the solution.

COMPUTER JOB DESCRIPTION:

System Developer
Systems developers work on the internal operations of

computers. They work within organizations to solve

computer problems using existing systems or
incorporating new technologies to meet particular
needs.
Systems developers may also create systems in
response to technical specifications supplied by an IT
analyst.

COMPUTER JOB DESCRIPTION:

Network Administrator
Is as modern professional responsible for the

maintenance of computer hardware and software that

comprise a computer network.
This normally includes the deployment, configuration,
maintenance and monitoring of active network
equipment.

COMPUTER JOB DESCRIPTION:

Web Developer
Is a software developer who is specially engaged in the

development of WWW (World Wide Web) applications,

or distributed network applications that are run over the
HTTP protocol from the web server to a web browser.

COMPUTER JOB DESCRIPTION:

Database Administrator
is responsible for the performance, integrity and security

of a database. Additional role requirements are likely to

include planning, development and troubleshooting.
DBA roles are increasingly identified by the databases
and processes they administer and the capabilities of
the database management system (DBMS) in use.