CBSE Class 11 Informatics Practices Software Concepts

Software Concepts & Productivity Tools

Computer being an electronic device, understands only electric pulses i.e. whether the electricity is flowing through a circuit or not. We denote these two states of pulses (electricity flowing & not flowing) by 1 and 0, and thus computer understands a language that consists of only two 'characters' namely 1 and 0. This special language is popularly known as Binary language or Machine language, which is directly understood by the computer. 0 and 1, the digits of binary language or Binary Digits are also known as Bits (Binary Digits). Binary language consists of ones and zeros, typically in groups of 8 or 16 bits, used for storing characters and numbers. Any instruction given to the computer is ought to be in binary language for the computer to understand and act accordingly. But for us as a human being, learning of binary language is extremely difficult and thus we use some interpreter to translate human language into machine language and vice versa. We will discuss about these translators in detail later in this chapter.

When we buy a television set and a DVD player, it is the hardware we are buying. But this hardware is of no use until and unless wehave some movie VCD or DVD to play on it. The content in the VCD or DVD refers to the software which makes a hardware device useful. Similarly a computer system is incomplete, if you just have the CPU, Monitor, Keyboard and other devices without any software.

Software is not only the basic requirement of a computer system, it makes a computer more powerful and useful. We can make railway reservation, send and receive emails, and listen to music only when the hardware and software works together.

An ordered set of instructions given to the computer is known as a program and a set of such programs that governs the operation of a computer system and/or its related devices is known as Software.

Types of Software

Software can be divided into different types depending upon their uses and application. Software can be broadly divided into two categories such as System Software & Application Software. Software required to run and maintain basic components of computer system come under the category of system software whereas software required to solve some specific task of daily use is generally called application software. An operating system is an example of system software while documentation tool, a presentation tool, a spreadsheet tool are all examples of application software. Even yourfavorite computer game is an example of application software.

System Software

Being an electronic device, a computer as such can not perform anything of its own. The functions of all the physical components of a computer system are guided by some instructions or program collectively known as System Software. System Software controls all internal activities inside a computer system and between all attached components of a computer system. It controls all possible activities inside the computer system which can be summarized as follows:

Reads data and instructions through the input devices;

Translates all data and instruction into computer understandable form and vice versa; Controls all devices attached to the computer system;

Processes and generates the result on the output devices;

Some common examples of System Software as follows :

BIOS

Operating System

Device Drivers

Language Processors

BIOS

The basic input/output system (BIOS) is also commonly known as the System BIOS. The BIOS isboot firmware, a small program that controls various electronic devices attached to the main computer system. It is designed to be the first set of instructions run by a Computer when powered on. The initial function of the BIOS is to initialize system devices such as the RAM, hard disk, CD/DVD drive, video display card, and other hardware. The BIOS sets the machine hardware into a known state to help the operating system to configure the hardware components.

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