COMPUTER SOFTWARE

M I S S M AT U K U TA
INTRODUCTION TO SOFTWARE
• Software is the detailed instructions that control the
operation of a computer system.

• It can be defined as a set of instructions that tell the

hardware how to work.

• Software is a collection of programs that control the working

of the computer hardware.

• A program is a set of instruction arranged in a logical way

that a computer can run Hardware is tangible whereas
software is intangible, i.e., it cannot be touched.

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CHARACTERISTIC OF GOOD SOFTWARE

1). Good software should provide 5). Good software should have a
the required functionality. "life-time" at least measured in
years.
2). Good software should be
usable even by the 6). Good software should provide
inexperienced users. an appropriate user interface.
3). Good software should be 7). Good software should be
reliable and dependable. accompanied by complete
documentation.
4). Good software should
function efficiently. 8). Good software should be
"easily" maintained.
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FUNCTIONS OF
SOFTWARE

• Manage the computer resources

of the organizations.

• Provide tools for people to take

advantage of these resources.

• Act as an intermediary between

organizations and stored data
and information.

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5
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER
SOFTWARE
• Computer software is mainly based on purpose the software
serves. This can be broadly classified into two categories
i.e., Systems and Application software.

• System software refers to programs that control the

operations of a computer and its devices.

• System software also serves as the interface between the

user, the application software and hardware. There are
three categories of systems software. Three categories of
system software are;

1. Operating system,

2. Utility Programs

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SYSTEM SOFTWARE
O P E R AT I N G S Y S T E M S
THE OPERATING SYSTEM

• An operating system (OS) is a set of programs containing

instructions that co-ordinate all the activities among
computer hardware devices.

• The operating system so much relies on the device driver to

communicate with each hardware device.

NB. A device driver is a small program that tells the OS how to

communicate with the device.

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FUNCTIONS OF OPERATING SYSTEMS
1. To provide basic working 6. To manage files.
environment/user interface on a
computer. 7. To protect hardware and software.
2. To control the use of peripherals 8. To manage the process of connecting
(both input and output). devices to work with a computer
3. To control the loading and running (configuring devices).
of application programs.
9. To manage the processor e.g.
4. To manage allocation of memory . multitasking and time sharing.
5. To manage booting process of a
computer.

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TYPES OF OPERATING SYSTEM
SOFTWARE
There are different types of operating systems.

These are as follows:

• Real-time Operating System: It is a multitasking

operating system that aims at executing real-time
applications.

• Distributed Operating System: An operating system

that manages a group of independent computers and
makes them appear to be a single computer is known as a
distributed operating system.

• Embedded System: The operating systems designed for

being used in embedded computer systems are known as 10
TYPES OF OPERATING SYSTEM
SOFTWARE
• Single-user, single task: This is designed to manage the
computer so that one user can effectively do one thing at a
time.

• Single-user, multi-tasking: This allows a single user have

several programs in operation at the same time.

• Multi-user operating system: enables two or more users

to run a program simultaneously.

• Multitasking operating system: allows a single user to

work on two or more applications that reside in memory at
the same time.

• 11
Multiprocessing operating system: can support two or
 USER INTERFACES
THIS IS THE ENVIRONMENT GIVEN BY THE OS TO CONTROL HOW
A U S E R E N T E R S D ATA A N D I N S T R U C T I O N S A N D H O W
I N F O R M AT I O N I S D I S P L AY E D . T H E R E A R E T W O T Y P E S O F U S E R
I N T E R FA C E S ;

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1. COMMAND LINE INTERFACE (CLI)

• This is the type of an interface in which users enter data

and instructions by typing key words or pressing special
keys.

Advantages a CLI

• Takes little memory space.

• Does not require very fast processors.

• Operations are fast since command are entered using the

keyboard.

• Many commands can be sent together as a batch file for

repetitive tasks. 13
1. COMMAND LINE INTERFACE (CLI)

Disadvantages of CLI

• Commands must be learnt and memorized.

• It is not user friendly.

• The interface may vary from one application to the other.

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2. GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

• This is a type of interface in which users use menus and

visual images (icon) to enter command into the computer.

Advantages of a GUI

• It is user friendly.

• No need to type or memorize any command language.

• The interface is similar for any application.

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2. GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

Disadvantages of a GUI

• Requires more memory .

• Requires very fast processors.

• It is difficult to automate functions for expert users.

• Occupies more disk space to hold the files for all the
different applications.

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BASIC COMPONENTS OF A GUI

• Pointer: A symbol that appears on the display screen and

that you move to select objects and commands.

• Pointing device: A device, such as a mouse or trackball,

that enables you to select objects on the display scree.

• Icons: Small pictures that represent commands, files, or

windows. By moving the pointer to the icon and pressing a
mouse button, you can execute a command or convert the
icon into a window.

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BASIC COMPONENTS OF A GUI

• Desktop: The area on the display screen where icons are

grouped is often referred to as the desktop because the
icons are intended to represent real objects on a real
desktop.

• Menus: Most graphical user interfaces let you execute

commands by selecting a choice from a menu.

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FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING AN
OPERATING

• Hardware specifications of the • The cost of the OS against the

computer. budget.
• Processor type and memory of the • The network and data security
computer. provided by OS.
• Application software intended for use • Number of processors and users
on the computer. supported by the OS.
• Ease of installation and use of the OS. • Available documentation.

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SYSTEM SOFTWARE
UTILITY PROGRAMS
UTILITY PROGRAMS
• Utility programs are special programs are used to enhance
performance of the computer system.

• They help to manage, maintain and control computer

resources. These programs include;

• File viewers

• File compression utility,

• backup utilities

• antivirus

• screen savers, etc.

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FUNCIONS OF UTILITY PROGRAMS

• Scan and fix computer • Partition disks into individual

viruses. logical drives.
• Help in file back up. • Perform tasks on files (move
files, delete files, etc.)
• Compress files of disks.
• Diagnose computer problems.

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COMMON UTILITY PROGRAMS

• Personal computers come loaded with utility

programs designed to help resolve issues and
maintain optimum performance. These utilities are
easily accessed through “Advanced Settings.

• Below are some of the utility programs found in our

computers.

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DATA BACK UP

• Backing up data is the process of creating copies of your

data and keeping them in a separate and secure place.

Back up software

• This is a software designed to duplicate important data in

the event of a hard drive failure, user error, disaster or
accident.

• Backup software help to back up your data automatically.

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REASONS FOR BACKING UP DATA

• In case your laptop or personal computer gets lost or stole.

• In case of hard disk failure. Hard disks do break down from

time to time. The hard disk is where data is stored
permanently on the computer system.

• We back up data due to virus attacks. Without backup files,

you may never see that information again.

• Electrical power failures.

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WAYS TO ENSURE EFFICIENT BACK
UP OF DATA

• Making regular backups.

• Backing up work on removable storage (secondary) media.

• Keeping backup media in a different location from that of

the computer.

• Setting up of automatic backup intervals.

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SYSTEM RESTORE

"System Restore" resets the computer to an earlier

setup. For example, let's say a computer begins

functioning poorly after a new software program is
installed, and the problem persists even after removing
the program. "System Restore" sets the machine to a
state prior to the installation of the program, often
solving the issue.

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DISC DEFRAGMENTER

"Disc Defragmenter", also called "defrag," enhances

computer performance by consolidating file fragments.
Locating requested files affects a computer's speed, and
by consolidating incomplete files, "defrag" makes the
process faster.

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SCHEDULED TASKS

"Scheduled Tasks" accesses a wizard, setting selected

programs to run automatically at a chosen time and
frequency. For example, if a software program backs up
files, the Schedule Tasks function can schedule that
program to run daily at 3 a.m.

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HARDWARE DIAGNOSTICS

Under the Device Manager you can see hardware that is

working improperly, because it will have a warning icon
next to it. Right-click that device and choose to
troubleshoot. This will bring up the device
troubleshooting utility that will often try to update the
driver or fix an existing driver.

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MORE EXAMPLES OF UTILITY
PROGRAMS

Disk partitions

• Divides an individual drive into multiple logical drives.

Disk space analyzers

• To get the size for each folder/sub folders and files in folder
or drive. Showing the distribution of the used space.

Screen savers

• These are designed to prevent phosphor burn-in on LCD and

plasma computer monitors.
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MORE EXAMPLES OF UTILITY
PROGRAMS
Sorting utility

• For organizing files and folders on a storage media.

Data Recovery

• Enables the user to get back all the data that might have
been deleted or lost by a virus from the computer.

Debuggers

• helps to find out the error in computer program and fix it.

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MORE EXAMPLES OF UTILITY
PROGRAMS
Uninstall utility

• It enables the user to remove an application program and

its associated attributes from the system.

Registry cleaners

• Clean and optimize the Windows registry by removing old

registry keys that are no longer in use.

• System monitors: For monitoring resources and

performance in a computer system. 

• Disk storage utilities: Ensures that data is stored and

files arranged in order of ascending. It also helps the 33
computer to re-arrange data files.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
OPERATING SYSTEMS AND UTILITY
PROGRAMS.

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APPLICATION SOFTWARE

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APPLICATION SOFTWARE

• These are programs designed to meet user specific needs.

• The primary function of application software is to apply the

computer to users solve problems and accomplish specific
tasks.

• Application software, such as word processing,

spreadsheets, e-mail, database, and Web browser, can help
you perform tasks such as creating documents, analyzing
finances, sending messages, organizing data, and viewing
pages on the World Wide Web respectively.

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 CLASSIFICATION OF
APPLICATION SOFTWARE
A P P L I C AT I O N S O F T WA R E C A N B E C L A S S I F I E D I N T O
T W O , T H AT I S ;
• O F F - T H E S H E L F S O F T WA R E A N D
• CUSTOM WRITTEN/BESPOKE/IN-HOUSE
D E V E L O P E D S O F T WA R E .
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1. OFF- THE SHELF SOFTWARE

• This is software designed and packaged for sale. A user will

find it readily available in shops for sale. Off-the -shelf is
further subdivided into two:

i. General purpose software

ii. Special purpose software

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GENERAL PURPOSE APPLICATION
SOFTWARE

• General purpose application software is a type of software

that can be used for a variety of tasks.

• It is not limited to one example,. For example, a word

processor could be classed as general-purpose software as
it would allow a user to write a novel, create a restaurant
menu or even make a poster.

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SPECIAL PURPOSE APPLICATION
SOFTWARE

• Special purpose application software is a type of software

created to execute one specific task.

• For example, a camera application on your phone will only

allow you to take and share pictures.

• Another example would be a chess game, it would only

allow you to play chess, web browsers, calculators, media
players, calendar programs etc.

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ADVANTAGES /REASONS OF USING
OFF THE SHELF SOFTWARE

• It is relatively cheap, especially when compared to custom

written software  It is easily available from most computer
shops.

• It will have been thoroughly tested so there won’t be any

serious problem or bugs.

• There is lots of user support i.e., books, user guides, online

help and discussion forums on the internet.

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2. BESPOKE/CUSTOMIZED
APPLICATION SOFTWARE

Bespoke application software is tailor made for a

specific user and purpose. For example, a factory may
require software to run a robot to make cars, however, it
is the only factory making that car in the world, so the
software required would have to be specially build for
the task. Other examples might include software for
hospitals and medical equipment, software being
written inside banks and other financial institutions.

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ADVANTAGES CUSTOMIZED
/BESPOKE APPLICATION SOFTWARE

• The company will get the exact software they need.

• The software will work exactly how they want it to

work.

• The software will only have the features that they

specifically need in their business.

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THE MAIN DISADVANTAGES OF
CUSTOMIZED/BESPOKE
APPLICATION SOFTWARE INCLUDE;

• It costs a lot of money to develop such a software

• It may take some time to develop the software, when off-

the-shelf software could be brought straight away,

• The company may need to develop a team of people such

as business analysts, programmers, testers etc.

• Unlike off- the-shelf software, there is unlikely to be any

internet forums or websites to help users. For example,
popular spreadsheet applications have dozens of online
help sites run by users and professionals

• The software is more likely to be buggy as it probably won't

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have thousands of clients using and testing it.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SYSTEM
SOFTWARE AND APPLICATION
SOFTWARE.

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SOME TERMINOLOGIES USED
IN COMPUTER SOFTWARE:

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FIRMWARE

• Is a software program or set of instructions programmed on

a hardware device. It provides instructions on how that
device should operate.

• Unlike normal software, firmware cannot be changed or

deleted by an end-user without the aid of special programs
and remains on that device regardless if it's on or off.

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SOFTWARE LICENSE

• A software license is a legal instrument that governs how

the software can be used and distributed. When you
download or install software, you are asked to agree to the
terms of a license before you proceed with the installation.

• A license does not mean you have to pay for the software
because even free software is licensed.

Software copyright

• It is a law used by proprietary (commercial) software

companies to prevent the unauthorized copying of their
software. 48
SOFTWARE PIRACY

• This is the act of illegally using, copying or distributing

software without ownership or legal rights.

Types of software piracy include:

• Soft lifting: Borrowing and installing a copy of a software

application from a colleague.

• Client-server overuse: Installing more copies of the

software than you have licenses for.

• Hard-disk loading: Installing and selling unauthorized

copies of software on refurbished or new computers
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SOFTWARE PIRACY

• Counterfeiting: Duplicating and selling copyrighted

programs.

• Online piracy: Typically involves downloading illegal

software from peer-to-peer network, Internet auction or
blog.

Packaged software:

• Is commercial software, which is copyrighted and designed

to meet the needs of a wide variety of users.

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SOFTWARE SUITES

• A software suite, also known as application suite or

productivity suite, is a software package that has several
applications that work well together because they have
related functions, features and user interfaces, and are able
to interact with each other.

• Business applications often come in suites, e.g., Microsoft

Office, OpenOffice.org, and iWork, which bundle together a
word processor application, a spreadsheet application,
presentation graphics, database and e-mail applications, 51

etc.
ADVANTAGES OF SOFTWARE SUITES

• It is easy to transfer data from • A software suite tends to be more

one component of the application powerful and versatile than
to another. individual applications.
• An integrated software takes up • A software suite is less likely to
less disk space than individual crash and contains fewer errors
packages. (bugs), since it has been widely
tried and tested.
• The user can move faster from
one application to the next. • The producers of software suites
often offer after-sales services (e.g.
• It is usually easier to learn how
online help facilities); users can
to use the applications in a
also get support from user groups
software suite because the user
and magazines.
interface for choosing commands
is similar for all applications 52
SOFTWARE ACQUISITION
• Computer software can be acquired in three main ways:
freeware, shareware, and commercial software.

• Freeware : this refers to free software but with copyright

restrictions. (does not require any payment from the user.)

a) Public domain software : This is free software with no

restrictions.

• Shareware: It refers to a type of software that is given to the

users to use freely for a certain period(trial), but when that
period ends, a user must pay to continue using the software.

• Commercial software: Refers to software that requires payment

before it can be used. Commercial software programs typically
come in a physical box, which is what you see displayed in retail
stores, while others are available as downloads over the 53
Internet.
OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE

• Open-source software is:

i. Software provided for use, modification and redistribution.

ii. Software that any programmer can download from the

Internet for free and modify with suggested improvements.
The only qualification is that changes can't be copyrighted.

• Why is it popular? Because any programmer can make

improvements which can result in better quality software.

• Examples: Linux

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ADVANTAGES OF OPEN-SOURCE
SOFTWARE

• The source code are available • The open-source software is created

to users, and they have the according to industry demands but
rights to modify them. This allows for upgrades to take place
will allow improvements to the freely when the need arises.
software without having to Therefore, if bugs in the codes are
invest large sum of money in found, they can be fixed by anyone
research and development. interested and capable.
• The modified and improved • The software can be used in any
source codes can be freely way and for any legal purposes.
redistributed. There is no restriction in a unilateral
way on how the software could be
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used.
DISADVANTAGES OF OPEN-SOURCE
SOFTWARE.

• The codes are too complicated • Since nobody in particular is

for beginner to understand. responsible for the codes, there
is no exact knowledge and
• There is no official monitoring
assurance on when the codes
the works of a programmer
are going to be fixed if there a
improving the codes. This is
bugs in it. Thus, users will have
because anyone is free to use,
to use the problematic software
modify or even distribute the
until someone rectifies the
codes.
problem.

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PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE

• Proprietary software is also called closed source software.

The closed source software or proprietary software offers a
stable system with support if the software fails or
malfunctions.

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ADVANTAGES OF USING
PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE

• The software offers a stable system support if it fails or

malfunction.

• The software is safe and guaranteed to be safe from

dubious threats like programming bugs and viruses thus
providing ease of mind for the user.

• The software is easier to install and used as the production

is planned and extensive research is carried out to ensure
users purchase only the best.

• Furthermore, free updates and latest information on the

software are usually provided to the user. 58
DISADVANTAGES OF USING
PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE

• Users need to spend a long time downloading and installing

security patches to fix bugs announced by the
manufacturer.

• Any improvements would usually require a cost, which is

often expensive.

• Users are not allowed to describe and share the software as

they are licensed.

• Customizing the software is impossible because when users

buy proprietary software, they will not receive the code as
the code is the manufacturer’s trade secret. 59