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lecture 4

The document defines software as a set of instructions that perform tasks on a computer, detailing its entry methods, qualities of good software, and classifications into system and application software. It elaborates on system software, particularly operating systems, and their functions such as resource management, task management, file management, and user interfaces. Additionally, it discusses utility programs, device drivers, and their roles in maintaining and optimizing computer systems.

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balogunjeff7
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13 views

lecture 4

The document defines software as a set of instructions that perform tasks on a computer, detailing its entry methods, qualities of good software, and classifications into system and application software. It elaborates on system software, particularly operating systems, and their functions such as resource management, task management, file management, and user interfaces. Additionally, it discusses utility programs, device drivers, and their roles in maintaining and optimizing computer systems.

Uploaded by

balogunjeff7
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 33

COMPUTER SOFTWARE

JOHN KWAO DAWSON


• Software is defined as set of instructions that

perform different tasks on a computer system.

• It actually tells the computer what to do and

how to do it.
• Software may enter the computer through
one of following three ways.
– It may be built into the computer circuit in the
form of firmware.
– It may be loaded into the computer from a storage
device such as CD-ROM or medium such as hard
drives
– It can also be by typing it into the computer with
the aid of the keyboard and programming tools
Qualities of a good software
• Usability: This is the ease and convenience
with which software can be used by human
being. This is affected by technologies such as
the Human-Computer Interface
• Efficiency: This is the degree with which
software fulfils its purposes without waste of
resources
• Portability: It is the ease with which software
can be used in other computer systems
different from the current one.
• Reusability: This is the ease with which
software can be reused to design other
software.
• Maintainability: this is the ease with which
modifications can be made to satisfy new
requirements or to correct deficiencies. Well-
designed software should be flexible enough to
accommodate future changes that will be needed
as new requirements come to light.
• Security: This is when software is able to protect
its data against unauthorized access and to
withstand malicious interference on its operations
• Reliability: This is the frequency and extends
to which software will not fail to perform its
functions under normal operating
circumstances.
• Understand ability: It is the ease with which
software can be understood by computer
users.
• Completeness: This is the characteristic
whereby, the software possesses all of its
parts, each of them being fully developed.
• Correctness: This is the degree with which
software meet its specified requirements.
• Robustness: This is the degree with which
software resist to users manipulations errors
Classification of software based on task
Based on the kind of task they perform,
software can be divided into two major groups:
• System software
• Application software
System software
System software is a type of computer software
that :
• controls the operation of the computer
• provides facilities that extend the general
capabilities of the machine.
• This provides the basic functions for computer
usage and helps to run the computer
hardware.
• It includes a combination of the following:
Operating system
• An operating system is a group of computer
codes that coordinates all the activities among
computer hardware devices.
• This is the most important type of system
software in a computer.
• A user can not run an application program on
the computer except it is self-booting without
the Operating System.
• Operating systems are contained in almost all
devices including mobile phones.
Functions of an operating system
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.
• 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.
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.
• The operating system keeps track of where
files are located on the hard drive through the
type of file system.
• The are two main types of file system mostly
used; File Allocation table (FAT) or New
Technology File system (NTFS).
User Interface:
• It is a function of an operating system that
allows users to interact with a computer.

The two main types of user interfaces are:


• 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.
• An example of a command line interface is
DOS (Disk Operating System).
• 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.
• Examples of popular modern operating
systems include Android, iOS, Linux, Microsoft
Windows(Windows 95, 2000, Vista, 7, 8, …),
Windows Phone, and IBM z/OS
Utility program
• This is system software designed to help
analyse, configure, optimise or maintain a
computer.
• A single piece will be called a utility or tool.
Some Well-known utility software include :
Antivirus programs:
• They are used to detect and eliminate
computer viruses and related malicious
software.
• Some examples are: avast, AVG, Avira,
BitDefender, Norton
Backup programs:
• They help to make copies of all information
valuable to a computer or information system
and store it safe.
• The information can be restored in the event
of disk failure or other accidents that will lead
to data loss.
Data Recovery:
• As the name implies, data recovery programs
are used to recover data.
• Since disk drives or other hardware may fail,
these utilities are essential to recover data in
such a scenario.
Data Compression programs:
• They make the data more compact
• They also reduce the space occupied by the
data.
Disk management program:
• These are program involving formatting and
arranging disk files in an orderly manner.
Memory management software:
• It handles locations in RAM where data put
their current data.
• It can move certain memory-resident items
out of the way so as to increase the memory
space.
Device driver
• Device drivers are computer programs that
allow higher level computer programs to
communicate and interact with a hardware
device.
• All hardware devices have the devices drivers
that communicate with them through the
computer bus to which the hardware is
connected.
• Drivers are hardware dependent and
operating system specific.
• Some specific categories of device drivers are;
• Logical Device Drivers (LDD) which are written
by the Operating System vendors
• Physical Device Drivers (PDD) which are
written and implemented by the hardware
vendor.
• To solve device driver crises, Microsoft has
created the Windows Drivers Foundation
(WDF) which collects and keeps all device
drivers as a database. Belinda.owusuansa.9

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