Software is a collection of instructions that enable the user to interact with a computer.
(or)
In computer, collection of programs are called software.
Software is also classified into three categories.
Those are
A) SYSTEM SOFTWARE:
This software can perform only system operations. It can't do any user operations.
Those are
1. Operating System (OS):-
An operating system is the interface between the user and computer .
The system does not work without OS.
We can not communicate the system without OS.
It can convert all user information into machine code it means binary format like 0's and 1's .
OS is also classified into Four categories.
Those are
i) Single User Single Task O.S:-
As the name implies, this operating system is designed to manage the computer so that one user can effectively do one thing at a time.
The Palm OS for Palm handheld computers is a good example of a modern single-user, single-task operating system.
When you are using MS-DOS it is a single user single task operating system.
ii) Single User Multi Task O.S:-
This type of operating system is found in personal desktop and laptop computers.
The most popular single-user multitasking operating systems include Microsoft Windows and Macintosh.
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You will find this kind of operating system on a personal computer.
The operating system is designed mainly with a single user in mind, but it can deal with many applications running at the same time.
Examples:-
iii) Multi User Single Task O.S:-
Novell NetWare is Multi User Single Task O.S.
This Operating System is can each support hundreds or thousands of networked users, but the operating systems themselves aren't true multi-user operating systems.
A multi-user operating system allows many different users to take advantage of the computer's resources simultaneously. The operating system must make sure that the requirements of the various users are balanced, and that each of the programs they are using has sufficient and separate resources so that a problem with one user doesn't affect the entire community of users.
Examples
A driver is software that allows your computer to communicate with hardware or devices. Without drivers, the hardware you connect to your computer won't work properly.
Examples:-
It is used to converts or Translates the one language into another language.
There are 3 types of Translators.
Those are
a) Assembler:-
An assembler is a program that takes basic computer instructions and converts them into a pattern of bits that the computer's processor can use to perform its basic operations.
(or)
It is used to convert low level language into Middle level language.
Middle level language also called as Assembly Language.
Example:-
b) Compiler:-
It is used to convert low level language into High level language.
(or)
A compiler is a computer program (or a set of programs) that transforms source code written in a programming language (the source language) into another computer language (the target language), with the latter often having a binary form known as object code.
Examples:-
c) Interpreter:-
Interpreter is a computer program that directly executes, that is performs, instructions written in a programming or scripting language, without previously compiling them into a machine language program.
Examples:-
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