programming
(Or "computer program", "program", "code") The instructions executed by acomputer, as opposed to the physical device on which they run (the "hardware ").
The term was coined by the eminent statistician, John Tukey.
Programs stored on non-volatile storage built from integrated circuits (e.g.ROM or PROM ) are usually called firmware.
Software can be split into two main types - system software and applicationsoftware or application programs. System software is any software requiredto support the production or execution of application programs but which isnot specific to any particular application. Examples of system softwarewould include the operating system, compilers, editors and sortingprograms.
Examples of application programs would include an accounts package or aCAD program. Other broad classes of application software include real-timesoftware, business software, scientific and engineering software, embeddedsoftware, personal computer software and artificial intelligence software.
Software includes both source code written by humans and executablemachine code produced by assemblers or compilers. It does not usuallyinclude the data processed by programs unless this is in a format such asmultimedia which depends on the use of computers for its presentation. Thisdistinction becomes unclear in cases such as spread sheets which cancontain both instructions (formulae and macros ) and data. There are alsovarious intermediate compiled or semi-compiled, forms of software such aslibrary files and byte-code.
Some claim that documentation (both paper and electronic) is alsosoftware. Others go further and define software to be programs plusdocumentation though this does not correspond with common usage.
The noun "program" describes a single, complete and more-or-less self-contained list of instructions, often stored in a single file, whereas "code"and "software" are uncountable nouns describing some number ofinstructions which may constitute one or more programs or part thereof.Most programs, however, rely heavily on various kinds of operating systemsoftware for their execution. The nounds "code" and "software" both refer tothe same thing but "code" tends to suggest an interest in theimplementation details whereas "software" is more of a user's term.
(2002-07-21)
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