COMPUTER SOFTWARE

Computer software refers to electronic procedures and instructions that control the operation of the
computers.

Or

Computer Software: This refers to the set of instructions or programs that tells a computer what to do.

Or. It refers to all programs which enable a computer to operate effectively.

Characteristics of a good software

 A good software provides required functionality.

 Usable by real users
 Is reliable and dependable
 Provides an appropriate user interface.
 Good software can easily be customised.

Factors considered before obtaining a software package

1. One should consider whether the software would perform a specific task.
2. One should consider whether it’s easy to use by the user (user friendly)
3. One should consider a software that makes good use of its resources
4. One should consider whether the software protects the information it is responsible for.
5. One should consider a software that can only be moved to other operating systems.
There are two major types of software
1. System software
2. Application software

CATEGORIES OF SOFTWARE
Software is broadly grouped into 2 main categories:
1) System software
2) Application software

COMPUTER SOFTWARE CLASSIFICATION

SOFTWARE

SYSTEM SOFTWARE APPLICATION SOFTWARE

Operating Utility Programming

system programs languages

System level Low level programming

languages
Program level

High level programming

Operating system for Languages
standalone computers

Operating system for

networked computers Custom / tailor- made / Off shelf or packaged /
Bespoke s/w or Standard s/w
SYSTEM SOFTWARE
System software: These are programs that control the operations of the computer and its devices.
It is also a type of software, which performs the control function on the computer system.
It is usually supplied by the manufacturer of the computer. Some of the programs reside inside the ROM and
are known as Firmware
System software also serves as the interface between the user, the application software and hardware.
System software consists of the following:
 Operating System (O/S)
 Programming languages
 Utility programs.
OPERATING SYSTEM
An operating system is a generalised program that manages all the activities taking place within a computer
system.
An operating system is a set of programs containing instructions that coordinate all the activities among
computer hardware devices.
Or. It also refers to all programs which coordinate the operation of all hardware and software components
of a computer.
Eg.
♦ Disk Operating System (DOS): DOS is a collection of programs and commands that are used to
control the overall computer operations in a disk-based system.
DOS is not widely used today because it does not offer a graphical user interface (GUI) and it cannot
take full advantage of modern 32-bit micro-processors.
♦ Mac OS (Macintosh) - commercially successfully graphical user interface.
♦ UNIX: It is a multi-user, multi-tasking operating system and is capable of handling a high volume of
transactions in a multi-user environment and working with multiple CPUs using multiprocessing.
♦ LINUX: It is a popular free UNIX-like multi-tasking operating system.
♦ SOLARIS: Solaris is a version of UNIX. It is a network operating system designed specifically for
E-commerce applications.
♦ PALM OS: It is an operating system for PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) that can manage schedules
and contacts.
♦ WINDOWS, e.g. Win98, Win2000, XP, Win Vista, Windows NT ,Win 7 and Win 8
The kernel of operating system
-This refers to the core of the operating system responsible for managing files, devices drivers etc.
Device drivers
The operating system relies on device drivers to communicate with each device in the computer.
A device driver is a small program that tells the operating system how to communicate with a device.
OR
A device driver is a program that accepts instructions and then converts them into commands that the device
understands. Each device on a computer such as a keyboard, mouse, printer has it’s own device drivers.
-Each time you turn on the computer, the kernel and other frequently used instructions in the operating
system are copied from the hard disk to the computer’s RAM.

QN. Where the operating system reside?

  In most cases the operating system installed resides on the computer’s hard disk.
 On hand held computers and many mobile devices e.g. smart phones, the operating system resides
on ROM Chips
Types of operating system
1. Stand alone operating system.
Is a complete operating system that works on a personal computer. Eg.
 Mac operating system
 Linux
 Unix
 Windows (xP, 7, 8, vista)
 Microsoft Disk Operating System (DOS)
2. Network Operating system (NOS)
Is an operating system that supports a network and typically resides on a server. Examples include:
 Windows server 2008
 Netware
 Unix server
 Linux server
 Solaris
3. Embedded operating system
Is an operating system that resides on ROM chips and typically used on handheld computers and
small devices.
Examples include
 Windows mobile
 Palm operating system
 Embedded Linux
4. Real time operating systems
Are the ones that intend to serve real time application requests eg industrial robots
Factors To Consider When Choosing An Operating System
1. The cost of the operating system
2. The number of users it can support
3. The number of processors and hardware devices it can support
4. The basic utilities and programmes within the operating system
5. The security provided by that operating system

Functions Of An Operating System

QN. Briefly explain the functions of an operating system

1. It coordinates the various computer hardware components such as the printers , monitors,
keyboards etc
2. It helps the computer to configure its devices (recognise hardware that are attached or that
are working with it)
3. The operating system manages programs (it can support just one user running one program
or many users running multiple programs)
4. The operating system helps in co-ordinating tasks. It determines the order in which tasks are
processed i.e. receiving data from an input device, processing instructions, sending
information to an output device and transferring items from storage to memory.
5. The operating system monitors the performance of the computer system.
6. Helps in starting a computer (booting)
7. Helps to organise files and folders.
8. It helps users to administer computer access security by use of a user name and a password
before a user logs on a computer.
Most multi-user operating systems require each user to log on. Some operating systems also allow a
user to assign passwords to files so that only authorized users can open them.
Log on: It is the process of entering a user name and a password into the computer.
A password; is a combination of characters associated with a username that allows a user to access a
computer or a network.
NB: Do use:
 At least eight characters if supported by the system
 A combination of mixed case letters and digits
 A password that can be typed easily without looking at the keyboard
Do not use:
 Your name, birth day, ID card number or telephone number
 A password of all digits or the entire same letters
Tips for safeguarding your password
 Do not share your password with others
 Do not write your password
 Change your password frequently
9. The operating system also provides a user interface.
The User interface
Is part of the software with which you interact. It is through the user interface of an operating system
that you can communicate with the computer.
Types of the user inter face.
1. Command line Interface(CLI)
2. Graphical user Interface(GUI)
3. Menu driven Interface(MDI)
1. Command line interface.
Command Line Interface (CLI): It is an interface where the user types key words or press special
keys on the keyboard to enter data and instructions. E.g. COPY, RENAME, DEL, EXIT, Dir C:
for opening the C:\ drive or directory.
(NB: please don’t draw this. It’s just for you to understand)

Advantages Of Command Line Interface (CLI)

• A command line interface takes up little memory and normally does not require a very fast processor.
• Many commands can be grouped as a batch file so that repetitive tasks can be automated.
• Operation is fast because commands can be entered directly through the keyboard.
Disadvantages Of A CLI
• A command language has to be learnt and memorized.
• Can only use the keyboard for both issuing instructions and operations
2. Graphical User Interface (GUI): It is an interface which allows a user to use menus and visual images
such icons, buttons and other graphical objects to issue commands.
(NB: please don’t draw this. It’s just for you to understand)

Examples of elements / objects of a GUI include:

 Icons  The cursor  Text box
 Scroll bars  Tabs  Toolbars
 Action buttons  Radio buttons etc.
Advantages Of A Graphical User Interface
• The graphical user interface is similar to any application.
• It is user-friendly because it is easy to learn and work with.
• There is no need to type and memorize any command language.
• You are provided with a colored screen with icons, each representing a program.
• A mouse may be used.
Disadvantages of a GUI
• It requires more memory as well as a faster processor.
• It is difficult to automate functions for expert users.
• It occupies more disk space to hold all the files for different functions.
3. Menu Driven Interface (MDI)
This provides menus as the means of entering commands.
Advantages Of A Menu Driven Interface
Its easier to learn than the command line interface because users don’t have to cram keywords for issueing
commands.
Dos & Windows Operating System
Disk Operating System (DOS)
DOS is a collection of programs and commands that are used to control the overall computer operations
Characteristics Of DOS
• It operates by direct use of the keyboard.
• It uses a command line interface
• Involves little or no graphics such as menus, icons and the mouse
• It is a text-based operating system
Functions Of The Dos
• It controls programs on how they can run
• It manages various peripheral devices such as printers.
• It controls the entire operation of the computer.
• It provides a tool to store and organize files in the computer.
• It co-ordinates the various resources of the computer and ensures they perform their intended tasks
properly.
• It controls the way programs input and output the data
Differences Between Dos And Windows Operating System
DOS Windows
1 DOS is a command line interface Windows is a graphical user interface.
2 Dos does not involve any graphics such as pictures, Windows allows the use of graphics.
photos etc
3 Not user friendly User friendly
4 The keyboard is used to enter commands The mouse is used to enter commands
5 Dos takes up little memory and normally it does not Windows requires a lot of memory and very fast
require a very fast processor, processor.
6 With DOS operations are fast because commands windows depend on the strength of the
can be entered directly through the keyboard, processor in terms of speed.
7 With DOS commands have to be learnt or With windows, there is no memorization of
memorized commands
8 DOS mainly has improvements but not version Windows have versions each stronger and more
reliable than the previous

A DOS file has three (3) parts i.e.

- The file name (is a name by which a file is identified)
- The period (.): Is the separator between the name and the extension.
- The extension (refers to a combination of 3 or 4 characters that appear after a period (.) on a file
name. In order to know a type of file or location of a file, one needs to look at the extension that
appears on the file name.
Common Terms Used In Ms Dos
1. Directory (DIR): This refers to a partition on a hard disk where we store files
2. Root directory: This is the mother directory where all files, sub directories originate from. It
is presented by a back slash i.e. F:/users/Nankyinga/Exams/jimmy.xls
3. Sub- directory: It is a small directory within a bigger directory
4. A command: This is a request given to a computer to perform a given task
5. Parameter: This refers to additional information needed to perform a task

Rules when naming a file

 The file should have an extension of more than 3 characters
 The file name should be separated from the extension by a period e.g. linda.mp4
 A file name must not contain spaces
 Special symbols are not allowed e.g. question mark (?, !)
 A file name should not exceed 8 characters in length
Illustration of the DOS file structure
Desktop Root directory

My computer Main directory

31/2 Floppy (A:)

Local Disk (C:)
Local Disk (D :) Sub directory
Removable Disk (E:)

My Documents

My Network places

Online services
Syntax: It is a rule of writing programming statements.
The syntax is the most important part of a Dos command name without which the computer will send an
error message i.e. it gives Bad command or file name.
Basic DOS commands.
A DOS command is an instruction that DOS executes from the command line. DOS contains internal
commands, which are built into the operating system. And external commands, which must be executed from
a file.
All Dos commands have command names which tell Dos what function is wished to be carried out or
formed as below.
COMMAND FUNCTION
Dir Lists a directory of files
TIME Changes the system time
DATE Changes the system date
DEL Deletes named files (for example: C:\del myfile.txt)
COPY Copies files or disks. To copy all files from the “my files” subdirectory to the A: floppy drive, the
command would be: Copy C:\myfiles\*.*a:
CHDIR or CD Changes the directory
CLS Clears the screen
TYPE Displays a text file
VER Displays the version of MS-DOS in use
DIR/P Views directories one page at a time
DIR/p Displays wide format in columns

Windows Operating System (Windows Desktop)

This is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allows users to interact with a computer by simply
clicking an icon using the mouse.
OR
Its a Graphical User Interface that makes computer systems easier to use since it contains menus
and icons. It is called a Graphical User Interface because almost everything is represented
graphically.
Components of a window’s Desktop
• Icons such as my computer, Recycle bin, My Network places/Internet Explorer, My documents.
• Start menu
• Task bar
• The Clock
Icons: These are graphic symbols on the screen/ small pictures that represent a program
Eg. Standard Icons (my computer, Recycle bin, My Network places/Internet Explorer, My documents)
Application Icons (any shortcut icon of any application program)
Explanation on features of a desktop (major icons)
Taskbar By default it is located on the bottom edge of desktop and it contains the start button, active
program buttons, icons for quick access to programs and the current time
My Computer It represents all resources on the computer graphically.
Recycle Bin It stores the deleted files.
My Network It allows you to browse and connect to resources on the network.
places/Internet
Explorer
My Document By default it stores all documents saved without specifying the location.
Start menu The start button is the entry point for windows. It replaces the windows program manager.
Graphical User Interface operating systems include;
• Windows 8 • Windows NT
• Windows 7 • Windows 98,
• Windows 95 • Windows 2000
Advantages Of The Windows Operating System
 Programs can easily be started
 Many programs can easily be used at the same time
 Files can easily be created and managed
 There is easy transfer of information between running actions
 Windows allows the use of graphics.
Classification Of Operating Systems:
Based on the number of computers, an operating system can act as an interface .Two types of operating
systems have been identified namely:
Single User systems: is an operating system which acts as an interface for only one user. Ideally all stand
alone machines (computers which are not connected to any other) use this operating system. e.g Ms Dos,
windows 7 etc.
Multi user systems: is an operating system which acts as an interface for more than one user. It is also a
multi-user environment system.
UTILITY PROGRAMS
These are also called Service programs. A utility program is a program designed to support the efficient
operation of the computer system and application programs. (A program designed to maintain a computer in
a good working condition.)
Or.
This is a form of system software that performs a specific task, usually related to managing a computer.

Types Of Utility Programs

• File viewer utility • Disk defragmenter • Screen saver
• File Compression utility • Uninstaller • Data sorting
• Diagnostic utility • Backup utility • Merging
• Disk scanner • Antivirus utility etc

1) File viewer utility: It is a utility that displays and copies the contents of a file.
2) File Compression utility: This reduces or compresses or shrinks the size of a file. A compressed file
takes up less storage on a hard disk or any other storage devices, which frees up room on the disk.
Compressed files sometimes are called zipped files because they usually have a .zip extension.
3) Diagnostic utility: This compiles technical information about a computer’s hardware and certain system
software programs and then prepares a report outlining any identified problems.
4) Disk scanner utility: It is a utility that detects and corrects both physical and logical problems on a
hard disk or floppy disk, and searches or removes unwanted files.
A physical problem is one with the media, such as a scratch on the surface of the disk.
A logical problem : It is the one with the data, such as a corrupted file.
5) Disk defragmenter utility: It is a utility that organizes the files and unused spaces on a computer’s hard
disk so that data can be accessed more quickly and programs can run faster. When the contents of a file
are scattered, the file is fragmented.
6) Uninstaller utility: It is a utility that removes an application, as well as any associated entries in the
system files.
7) Backup utility: This allows a user to copy or backup selected files or the entire hard disk onto another
disk or tape.
8) Anti-virus utility: It is a program that protects, detects and removes viruses from a computer’s memory
or storage devices, for example Norton Antivirus, Kaspersky Anti-virus, avast antivirus etc.
9) Screen saver utility: This is a utility that causes the monitor’s screen to display a moving image or blank
screen if no keyboard or mouse activity occurs for a specified period of time.
10) Data sorting utility: This involves taking in data and re-arranging it in order as specified by the user.
11) Merging: It is a utility that involves combining data from different locations in memory into one single
unit.
12) Spy ware remover utility: is a utility that detects spyware and other similar programs. Spyware is a
program placed on a computer without the user’s knowledge that secretly collects information about the
user.
13) Internet filters utility: Are utilities that remove or block certain information being sent
14) Search utility: Is a utility that attempts to locate a file on one’s computer.
Etc

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
A programming language is a set of instructions employed to direct the operation of a computer
.OR. Programming languages are coded instructions which are used when designing computer programs.
OR. They can also be defined as artificial languages used by programmers to write instructions (computer
programs) that can be run by the computer.
PROGRAMMING: This is the process of writing a program to solve a given problem.
Characteristics Of Programming Languages
• They are instructions for calculations
• Have instructions for data movements
• Every programming language has instructions for input and output
• Have syntax (a set of grammatical rules)
Classification Of Programming Languages
Programming Languages are classified into two categories:-
• Low Level Languages(LLL)
• High Level Languages(HLL)
1. Low Level Languages:
These are languages which the computer can easily understand and are strongly related to the processor since
they can easily be memorized.
Low level languages are machine oriented and very difficult for programmers to understand.
They are categorized into two:-
i) Assembly Languages
ii) Machine Code Languages:
Machine Code Languages:
It is a language that consists of binary numbers that represent instructions. These are first generation
languages consisting of 0s and 1s. Machine language is written in binary codes i.e. digits of 0s& 1s..
Advantages Of Machine Code Language
• Machine language is highly efficient and allows control of each operation.
Disadvantages Of Machine Code Language
• Programmers have to write computer programs using 0 and 1 which are difficult to learn, read and
debug.
• The whole process is tedious, time consuming and error prone.
• It is not user friendly at all and it is designed for specific microprocessors.
Assembly Language:
This is a language that uses a group of letters to represent a whole group of words instead of presenting a
binary operation of zeros and ones (0s& 1s). They use more English words and therefore easily understood by
the programmers. E.g. "ADD" for addition, "SUB" for subtraction.
However, each assembly language instruction is eventually translated into machine language by the compiler.
Advantages Of Assembly Languages
• It has closer control of the computer hardware.
• It is useful for writing operating systems and game programs which require the fast and efficient use of
the Central Processing Unit (CPU).
Disadvantages Of Assembly Languages
• Execution may be too slow since the language has to be translated into machine code which can easily be
understood by the computer.
• It is designed for a specific machine and specific processor thus not easily compatible with every
machine.
2. High Level Languages
These are languages which programmers can easily understand but not immediately understood by the
computer.
These languages are user-friendly and problem oriented rather than machine based. Just like machine
language, instructions in high level languages are written in English like words. E.g. phrases, symbols etc.
They consist of phrases that are closer to human language or mathematical notations. They are later translated
into low level languages for the computer to easily understand. High level languages are also referred to as
Third (3rd) Generation Languages.
Examples Of High Level Languages
BASIC: Beginners All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. This is used for training computer programmers.
COBOL: Common Business Oriented Language. This is an international accepted high level language used
for general commercial purposes.
FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslation)
This is a procedure oriented language used for mathematical and engineering services. It is known for its
simplicity, efficiency and accuracy.
PASCAL (Pascaline Arithmetic):
This language was named after Blaise Pascal a French mathematician who invented a mechanical calculator
commonly known as a Pascaline. It is used for fast execution for mathematical problems.
ALGOL (Algorithmic Language)
This is suitable for scientific and engineering computations; and it is suitable for scientific and engineering
computations.
ADA: This language was named after Lady AUGUSTA ADA LOVERACE. This language was used on the
first commercial computer invented by Charles Babbage at the University of Cambridge in England. It is
suitable for both scientific and commercial purposes.
C- Language: This is also a high level program oriented language used for software development.
LOGO: This was developed for educational use in which children can explore and develop concepts through
programming the movement of a pen.
Other Programming Languages include
- C++
- LISP (List Processing): This was developed in the late 1950’s by John McCarthy and it is a prominent
language used in artificial intelligence.
- PROLOG (Programming in Logic):; is a language from LISP by the Japanese and it is designed for use
with expert systems and artificial intelligence.
- DBASE etc.
What makes the language good?
• Suitability of the problem • Availability
• Clarity and simplicity • Consistency
• Efficiency
Language Translators / Language processors
These are system programs that convert assembly language and high level languages into machine
language for the computer to understand.
Examples include:
A compiler: A compiler is a program which translates a source program from high level language to low level
language which can easily be understood b the computer.
Interpreters (Translators): This is a program that translates the source program line by line while the
program is running from high level language to low level language.
Assembler: This translates assembler instructions from assembly language to machine code language or the
binary code.
Programming Tools
Debuggers: These are programming tools which help programmers to detect and correct errors in a
computer program.
Linkers: These combine compiled programs and determine where the program will be located in the
memory.

APPLICATION SOFTWARE: To be continued