Softwares are Programs. A program is a set of instruction to the computer to make it do things. Computers are just an inert mass of electronic gadgetry. It comes to life only when a program is fed into it. these programs can be bought or tailor made. There are three types of softwares - System, Utility and Application softwares.
System Softwares These are instructions to the computer to do things. It control different parts of the computer, languages etc. and has three parts: Operating System, Utility, Languages & Compiler.
Operating System An O.S. is regarded as a set of programs which permit continuous operation of a computer with minimum intervention of the operator. Written by manufacturers, these govern the processors, memory and I/O devices. These interface user's programs and computer components. Some OS. are PC DOS, CPM, OASIS, UNIX, XENIX etc.
Utility: Softwares that enable common tasks to be done on the computer are known as Utility Softwares. Users have no control over it. Debugging, backup, sorting, merging, recovering erased files, protecting from unauthorised users, loading programs to memory, duplicating etc. forms part of Utility softwares.
Application Softwares: Programs that are tailor made ie. accounting, inventory etc. are application softwares.
Compilers: These translate high level languages like Visual Basic into machine language. With compiling run it solves problems through procedures. A compiler program substitutes an assembly program.
Interpreters: In PCs an alternative to using compilers is often employed for high level languages. With this the source program is converted into machine language as needed for processing data. It eliminates the need for separate compiling run.
Object Program: When Assembly language is converted into machine language it is called Object Program. The Source Program is read and translated into machine language by an Assembler.
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