UNIT-3: Software and Programming Languages

Software-An overview

 It is a set of computer programs that provide the instructions to the computer for “what to do” and
“how to do”.
 It is an intangible component of the computer system.
 Examples: Microsoft-Windows, Notepad, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Windows Media Player etc.
 It can be purchased or obtained as:
 Shareware (usually intended for sale after a trial period)
 Liteware (shareware with some capabilities disabled)
 Freeware (free software but with copyright restrictions)
 Public Domain Software (free with no restrictions)
 Open source (software whose source code is available for modification or enhancement by
anyone)

Need of Software

 It enables the user to interact with a computer, its hardware, or perform tasks.
 Without software, computer would be useless.
 Examples: internet browser software, operating system software etc.

Types of Software

Software

System software Application software

Operating System Pre-written

Utility Software Customized

Language Translators General Purpose

Special Purpose
I. System Software

 It is the software used for controlling the internal operations of the computer.

Main features:

 Acts as an interface between the user and the computer. It makes the operation of a computer system
more effective and efficient.
 It controls all the processing activities and make sure that the resources and the power of the computer
are used in most efficient manner.
 It checks the availability of different devices; scan input devices for input and sends output for output
devices.
 It converts the instructions from user understandable language to computer understandable language.
 It keeps track of utilization of C.P.U. time and memory by different running applications

Types of System Software

1. Operating system:

 It is an important component of the computer system.

 It can be defined as a set of programs that controls how the system works.
 It is considered as the backbone of a computer, managing both software and hardware resources.
 It allows you to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak the computer’s
language.
 Most popular are DOS, UNIX, Windows 98, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8,
Windows 10 and Linux.

2. Utility Software:

 It is a set of programs provided to ensure the proper functioning of the compute.

 It generally comes with some utility software or with system software.
 Some utility programs allow you to backup files; some protect your computer from virus attacks and
some recover the information erased accidentally.
 Examples: Notepad, WordPad, Calculator, Paint and Antivirus Program (like: AVG, Avast, Quick Heal etc.)

3. Language Translators:

 It is used to translate the instructions written in one type of language into another type.
 The user programs are created in computer programming languages (high level languages like-C, C++)
but the computer understands only machine language (based upon binary digits 0 and 1).
 They are set of programs, which will perform such language translators for the user.

Translator

Complier Interpreter Assembler

 Compiler
 It translates the program written in a high-level language into machine language and vice-versa.
 The program written in high level language is called source program and the program produced
by the compiler after translation is called as object program.
 It translates the whole program at once.

High-level Input Machine-level

language program Compiler language program
(Source program) (Object program)
Output

 Interpreter
 These are also used to convert a program written in high-level language into machine language
and vice-versa.
 They are different in performing their translation job as compared with compilers.
 It translates the program line-by-line, while the program is running.

High-level Input Machine-level

language program Interpreter language program
(Source program) (Object program)
Output

 Assembler
 It is that type of language translator or language processor that translates the assembly language
instructions into machine language and vice-versa.
 It takes a source program of assembly language and converts into an object program or binary
program that can be directly understood by the machine.

Assembly Input Machine-level

language program Assembler language program
(Source program) Output (Object program)

Compiler Interpreter
 Translates the program written in high-  Translates the program written in high-level
level language into machine language and language into machine language and vice-versa
vice-versa in a single step. line-by-line, while the program is running.
 The execution of program is faster (entire  The execution of program is slower (code is
code is executed in a single go). executed line-by-line).
 It generates an error report after the  Once an error is encountered it is notified and no
translation of entire code. further code is scanned.
 C and C++ are compiled languages.  Visual Basic is an interpreted language.

 Memory requirement is more.  Memory requirement is less.

 Program need not be compiled every  Every time a higher-level program is converted into
time. lower-level program.
II. Application Software

 It is the software that is designed to satisfy a particular need of a particular environment.

 They are specially designed to solve the problems of one particular field i.e., application software is used
in one application field only.
 We cannot use application software in different fields to solve different problems.

Main Features:

 It is designed by analyzing the environment and the need of the area of use.
 We cannot use application software for some other purposes except the permitted one.
 We cannot interchange the use of two-application softwares with each other.
 Programmers design application software by using high-level language like C, C++, Visual Basic and Java
etc.
 They are easy to use and manipulate.
 The set of programs included in the application software packages are called the application programs
and the programmers who develop the application software are called application software
programmers or application software developers.
 Examples: MS-Word, MS-Excel and MS-PowerPoint.

Classification of Application Software

1. Pre-written Application Software:

 These are designed for common needs of various business organizations or applications.
 These are developed by leading companies and sold as a product in the market.
 The cost of these softwares depends upon the functionality provided by the software, area of use and
expected number of users.
 These softwares can be suitable for an individual or for a group of individuals. They provide help in
controlling the general activities of organizations.
 Example MS-Word.

2. Customized Application Software:

 It is designed for a specific application of a specific environment.

 The cost of such software depends upon the extent of work automated through the software.
 Examples: E-commerce Platforms, Organization Accounts Management, Healthcare Management System
etc.

3. General Purpose Application Software:

 It is a type of application software that can be used for a variety of tasks. It is not restricted to one
particular function.
 Examples: MS-Word, MS-Excel and MS-PowerPoint.

4. Special Purpose Application Software:

 It is a type of software created to execute one specific task.

 Examples: Web Browser, Calculator, Media player, Calendar programs.
 Types of Application Software

Word Spreadsheet Presentation Database

Processing Graphics Management
System (DBMS)

1. Word Processing

 The word “word processor” means it processes words with pages and paragraphs.
 The word processing software is used to apply the basic editing and design and also helps in
manipulating the text to your pages whereas the word processor is a device that provides editing, input,
formatting, and output of the given text with some additional features.
 Spell Checker Headers, Footers & Page
WYSIWYG (what you see is
Numbering
what you get)

Graphics
Insert Text
Features
Font Specifications

Delete Text
Print

Cut and Paste Copy Page Size & Margins Search & Replace Word Wrap

2. Spreadsheet

 A Spreadsheet is a computer application that is designed to add, display, analyze, organize, and
manipulate data arranged in rows and columns.
 It is the most popular application for accounting, analytics, data presentation, etc.
 In other words, spreadsheets are scalable grid-based files that are used to organize data and perform
calculations.
 People all across the world use spreadsheets to create tables for personal and business usage.
 A collection of spreadsheets is known as a workbook. Every Excel file is called a workbook.
 Spreadsheet that consists of a matrix of rectangular cells grouped in rows and columns. It has a total of
1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns, resulting in 17,179,869,184 cells on a single page of a Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet where you may write, modify, and manage your data.
Features of Spreadsheet

1. Rows and columns

 Rows and columns are two distinct features in a spreadsheet that come together to make a cell, a range,
or a table.
 In general, columns are the vertical portion of an excel worksheet, and there can be 256 of them in a
worksheet, whereas rows are the horizontal portion, and there can be 1048576 of them.

2. Cell Formatting

 It is the process of changing the appearance of cells in a worksheet to improve readability, highlight
important information, and make data presentation more visually appealing.
 Formatting can include changes to the font, color, borders, alignment, and number formats of the cells.

3. Formulas

 In spreadsheets, formulas process data automatically. It takes data from the specified area of the
spreadsheet as input then processes that data, and then displays the output into the new area of the
spreadsheet according to where the formula is written.
 In Excel, we can use formulas simply by typing “=Formula Name(Arguments)” to use predefined Excel
formulas. When you write the first few characters of any formula, Excel displays a drop-down menu of
formulas that match that character sequence.

Some of the commonly used formulas are:

 =SUM(Arg1: Arg2): It is used to find the sum of all the numeric data specified in the given range of
numbers.
 =COUNT(Arg1: Arg2): It is used to count all the number of cells(it will count only number) specified in
the given range of numbers.
 =MAX(Arg1: Arg2): It is used to find the maximum number from the given range of numbers.
 =MIN(Arg1: Arg2): It is used to find the minimum number from the given range of numbers.
 =TODAY(): It is used to find today’s date.
  =SQRT(Arg1): It is used to find the square root of the specified cell.

Components of Spreadsheet
3. Presentation Graphics

 Presentation graphics provides predefined backgrounds and simple page layouts to help in the creation
of slides. These slides can be moved automatically within seconds.
 Graphics are defined as any sketch or a drawing or a special network that pictorially represents some
meaningful information. Graphics is used where a set of images needs to be manipulated or the
creation of the image in the form of pixels and is drawn on the computer.
 It can be used in UI design, rendering, geometric objects, animation, and many more.
 Slides mean we have text, graphics, audio clips, video clips, animations, and other effects Presentation
graphics is also known as Presentation Software.
 The best example of presentation graphics is Microsoft PowerPoint.

Features

High-impact Visuals Visual & Audio learning

Illustrations & Graphs Ability to combine text & graphics

Animations & Sound effect Ability to Communicate

MS-Excel into Presentation Predefined layouts & designs

4. Database Management System (DBMS)

 Data is a very important resource in the operation and management of an organization.

 It is very essential to organize the data in a meaningful manner, because an unorganized data has no
meaning.
 Various organizations such as banks, universities, railways, airlines, companies etc., it becomes a
necessity to store data in an organized manner so that it can be used again and again.

Definition

“Database” can be defined as a structured collection of related data, which can be accessed by different users
but stored only once.

“DBMS (Database Management System)” is a software system used to manage database and its various
operations like insertion, deletion, updating, and retrieval.

 It enables users to store, modify and extract information from a database as per the requirements.
 It acts as an intermediary between the user and the database.
 Example: MS-Access, Oracle, SQL-Server and MySQL.
“Microsoft-Access or MS-Access” is a database creation and management tool developed by Microsoft.

 It is mainly used to store and manipulate large amount of data.

 It helps to analyze large amounts of information, and manage related data more efficiently than
Microsoft Excel or other Spreadsheet applications.

Large amount of data Supports data integrity

Features
of DBMS
Complex relation between data Separate architecture

Controls data redundancy Data access authorization

User defined rules Different interfaces

Data sharing Backup & recovery

Programming Languages

 It is a computer language used to write instructions for the computer in a well-defined format.
 The set of instructions is technically termed as program and the process of creating programs is called
programming or coding.
 The person who writes the code for programs is called Programmer or Coder.
 Each instruction in a program is called a statement.

Types of Programming
Languages

Low-level High-level
Language Language

Machine Language (1st Generation) Procedural Language (3rd Generation)

Non-procedural Language (4th Generation)

Assembly Language (2st Generation)

Natural Language (5th Generation)

I. Low-Level Language

 It is the most understandable language used by computer to perform its operations.

1. Machine Language (1ST Generation Language)

 The set of instruction codes, which can be directly understood by the CPU of a computer system
without the help of any translating program, is called as machine code or object code.
 The programming language which contains the machine code is called machine language.
 Machine code is based on two numbers (i.e., 0s and 1s) binary numbers or bits (binary language).

Advantages:

 Fast & efficient as statements/codes are directly written in binary language.

 No translator is required.
 Doesn’t need larger memory.

Disadvantages:

 Difficult to learn binary codes.

 Difficult to understand – both programs & where the error occurred.
 Error handling is difficult (not easy to fix the code).
 Machine dependency (computers are having different designs or structure).

2. Assembly Language (2nd Generation Language)

 To design a program, programmer needs detailed knowledge of hardware specification.

 Uses certain English-based words (mnemonics) in places of 0s and 1s to perform basic operations like
“ADD” for addition, “SUB” for subtraction.
 A translating program called assembler is used to translate the instructions written in assembly
language to the machine language and vice versa.
 The program written in assembly language is called source program and the translated binary form of
the source program is called object program.

Advantages:

 Easier to understand and use.

 Programmer need not keep track of the storage locations of the data and instructions.
 Less prone to error.

Disadvantages:

 A translator (assembler) is required to translate the instructions.

 Machine dependency.

II. High-Level Language

 They are closer to human languages.

1. Procedural Language (3rd Generation Language)

  Are designed to express the logic and the procedure of a problem to be solved.
 User has to specify “what to do” and also “how to do” (step by step procedure).
 A program is written in the form of a sequence of instructions (tells the computer to do something).
 Also known as imperative language.
 Examples: Pascal, COBOL, C, C++, Java etc.

Advantages:

 Easy to understand.
 User friendly (use English vocabulary and well known symbols).
 Flexible approach (able to solve a variety of problems).
 Machine dependent (can executed on different computers having different configurations).

Disadvantages:

 Compiler/ interpreter are needed.

 Need more execution time.
 Needs higher processor and larger memory.
 Testing the program is difficult.
 Different compilers are needed for different machines.

2. Non-procedural Language (4th Generation Language)

 They are easy to learn, because their syntax and grammar is very easy to learn.
 The user has to specify only “what to do” and “how to do”.
 Also known as declarative language.
 Examples: Visual FoxPro and SQL (Structured Query Language).

Advantages:

 Very easy to learn.

 Programming productivity is increased (One line of 4GL code is equivalent to several lines of 3GL code).
 Program maintenance is easier.

Disadvantages:

 Executed at a slower speed by the CPU.

 Need more space in the memory of the computer system.

3. Natural Language (5th Generation Language)

 Designed to make the computer solve a given problem without the programmer.
 Incorporates the concepts of expert systems, AI and natural language processing.
 It is based on constraints given to the program, rather than using an algorithm written by a programmer.
 Examples: Prolog and Mercury.

Advantages:

 Reduces the work load on the programmer.

 User can communicate with the computer system in simple and an easy manner.
  Can be used to query the database in a fast and efficient manner.

Disadvantages:

 Programs continue to get more complicated.

 Slowly loose relation with the original algorithm.
 Sophisticated and complex programming tools are used.

Commercial Software

 It refers to any software that is designed and developed for licensing or specifically for sale to serve a
commercial need.
 It is considered to be proprietary software, but now a number of free and open-source software
applications are licensed or sold to end users.
 Example: Microsoft products.

Advantages:

 Easy to obtain.
 Designed for specific tasks.
 Easy to use interface.
 Greater Compatibility.

Disadvantages:

 Mostly platform dependent.

 Difficult to modify.
 Can’t be copied.
 Restrictions for use.
 Redistribution is not possible.
 High cost.
 Technical Support required.
 Proprietary Software.

Open Source and Public Domain Software

 OSS refers to publicly accessible computer software with its source code that can be modified and
shared.
 Source code is made available for modification or enhancement by anyone.
 It is created as a collaborative effort in which developers from various organizations come together to
improve the program that the companies collectively need.

Five Basic Principles in OSS

1. Freedom to use (any purpose, by anyone, anywhere, anyhow).

2. Freedom to make copies of OSS and to distribute them.

3. Freedom to create derivative works of OSS and to distribute them.

4. Freedom to access and use the source code of OSS.

5. Freedom to combine Open Source and other Software.

Practical accessibility to Security problems tend to be

source code (design, discovered quickly (code is
develop, distribute) scrutinized by peer developers)

Features of
OSS
Supported by many companies
Developed by collaborating through (forum, mailing list, FAQ
programmers. & Online Documentation)

Reviewed by community
Better quality at lower
developers (offers better
cost
quality and higher reliability)

Examples:

 Ubuntu (a form of Linux) is a popular open source computer Operating system.

 Andriod is a popular mobile OS.
 PHP, Perl and Python are general purpose programming language.
 LibreOffice is an example of open source Office suite.
 Mozilla Firefox is popular open source web browser.
 MySQL is popular open source database software.

Public-Domain Software

 It is software that has been placed in the public domain.

 Software for which there is absolutely no ownership such as copyright, trademark, or patent.
 Such software has no editing restrictions associated with it.
 It can be publicly modified, distributed or sold without any restrictions.
 Commonly used Public Domain Software is SQLite, Glitch and ImageJ etc.
 Under this you are giving up right to the copyright of the code, and it can be used in any way.

Free Software

 It refers to software that respects user’s freedom and community.

 The user has the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software.
 “Free Software” is a matter of liberty, not price.
 Freedom to distribute
Freedom to run the
copies of your modified
program as you like for
versions to others
any purpose

Four essential
freedoms to users

Freedom to study
Freedom to redistribute
(program, work and
copies so you can help
change as required)
others

 Examples: Linux OS, MySQL relational database and the Apache Web server.

Freeware Software

 It refers to any software that you can use without incurring any costs.
 It offers minimal freedom to the end user.
 It can be used free of charge, often modification, redistribution, or other improvements cannot be done
without getting permission from the author.
 It is often shared without including its source code.
 Examples: Skype and Adobe Acrobat Reader, while both programs are free to use, their source code are
unavailable to the public.

Hardware-An Overview

 It represents the physical and tangible (can touch) components of the computer.
 It is used to refer to all the physical components inside and outside the computer.
 Examples: CPU, Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, Speaker, Printer, Scanner, Hard Disk, CD, DVD etc.

Types of Hardware

Hardware

Input Output Communication

devices devices devices

Processing Storage Multimedia

devices devices devices