Software is a set of instructions, data, or programs used to operate computers and execute specific tasks. It is the opposite of hardware, which describes the physical aspects of a computer. Software is a generic term used to refer to applications, scripts, and programs that run on a device. It can be thought of as the variable part of a computer, while hardware is the invariable part. The two main categories of software are application software and system software.
-
Application software: This is software that fulfills a specific need or performs tasks. Examples include MS-Word, MS-Excel, PowerPoint, etc. .
-
System software: This is designed to run a computers hardware and provides a platform for applications to run on top of. System software coordinates the activities and functions of the hardware and software. It controls the operations of the computer hardware and provides an environment or platform for all the other types of software.
Computer software has to be "loaded" into the computers storage (such as the hard drive or memory) . Once the software has loaded, the computer is able to execute the software. This involves passing instructions from the application software, through the system software, to the hardware which ultimately receives the instruction as machine code. Each instruction causes the computer to carry out an operation—moving data, carrying out a computation, or altering the control flow of instructions.
