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Software consists of computer programs that instruct the execution of a computer. [1] Software can be defined broadly to include design documents, specifications, and testing suites. [ 2 ]
System software was usually supplied by the manufacturer of the computer hardware and was intended to be used by most or all users of that system. Many operating systems come pre-packaged with basic application software. Such software is not considered system software when it can be uninstalled without affecting the functioning of other software.
A software system is a system of intercommunicating components based on software forming part of a computer system (a combination of hardware and software). It "consists of a number of separate programs, configuration files, which are used to set up these programs, system documentation, which describes the structure of the system, and user documentation, which explains how to use the system".
Software engineering is an engineering approach to software development. [1] [2] [3] A practitioner, called a software engineer, applies the engineering design process to develop software. The terms programmer and coder overlap software engineer, but they imply only the construction aspect of typical software engineer workload. [4]
Operating systems include the software that is always running, called a kernel—but can include other software as well. [7] [9] The two other types of programs that can run on a computer are system programs—which are associated with the operating system, but may not be part of the kernel—and applications—all other software. [9]
Software architecture is the set of structures needed to reason about a software system and the discipline of creating such structures and systems. Each structure comprises software elements, relations among them, and properties of both elements and relations.
System software is a generic term referring to the computer programs used to start and run computer systems including diverse application software and networks. Computer programming tools, such as compilers and linkers, are used to translate and combine computer program source code and libraries into executables, which are programs that fall ...
Computer science is more theoretical (Turing's essay is an example of computer science), whereas software engineering is focused on more practical concerns. However, prior to 1946, software as we now understand it – programs stored in the memory of stored-program digital computers – did not yet exist.