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Lexikon

software

(Or "computer program", "program", "code") The instructions executed by a computer, as opposed to the physical device on which they run (the "href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=hardware">hardware"). The term was coined by the eminent statistician, href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=John Tukey">John Tukey. Programs stored on href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=non-volatile storage">non-volatile storage built from href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=integrated circuits">integrated circuits (e.g. href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=ROM">ROM or href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=PROM">PROM) are usually called href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=firmware">firmware. Software can be split into two main types - href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=system software">system software and application software or href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=application programs">application programs. System software is any software required to support the production or execution of application programs but which is not specific to any particular application. Examples of system software would include the href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=operating system">operating system, href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=compilers">compilers, editors and sorting programs. Examples of application programs would include an accounts package or a href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=CAD">CAD program. Other broad classes of application software include href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=real-time">real-time software, {business software}, scientific and engineering software, {embedded software}, personal computer software and {artificial intelligence} software. Software includes both href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=source code">source code written by humans and executable href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=machine code">machine code produced by href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=assemblers">assemblers or href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=compilers">compilers. It does not usually include the data processed by programs unless this is in a format such as href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=multimedia">multimedia which depends on the use of computers for its presentation. This distinction becomes unclear in cases such as {spread sheets} which can contain both instructions (formulae and href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=macros">macros) and data. There are also various intermediate compiled or href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=semi-compiled">semi-compiled, forms of software such as href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=library">library files and href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=byte-code">byte-code. Some claim that href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=documentation">documentation (both paper and electronic) is also software. Others go further and define software to be programs plus documentation though this does not correspond with common usage. The noun "program" describes a single, complete and more-or-less self-contained list of instructions, often stored in a single href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=file">file, whereas "code" and "software" are uncountable nouns describing some number of instructions which may constitute one or more programs or part thereof. Most programs, however, rely heavily on various kinds of {operating system} software for their execution. The nounds "code" and "software" both refer to the same thing but "code" tends to suggest an interest in the implementation details whereas "software" is more of a user' s term. (2002-07-21)

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