Unit - II

Software and Operating System

Software
  System software basically controls a
computer’s internal functioning and also
controls hardware devices such as
monitors, printers, and storage devices,
etc.
 It is like an interface between hardware
and user applications, it helps them to
System communicate with each other because
Software hardware understands machine
language(i.e. 1 or 0) whereas user
applications are work in human-readable
languages like English, Hindi, German,
etc.
 so system software converts the human-
readable language into machine language
and vice versa.
  System Software is closer to the
computer system.
 System Software is written in a low-level
language in general.
Features  System software is difficult to design and
of understand.
system  System software is fast in speed(working
speed).
software:  System software is less interactive for the
users in comparison to application
software.
Types of  Operating System

system  Language Processor

software:  Device Driver

  Software that performs special functions
or provides functions that are much more
than the basic operation of the computer
Applicati is known as application software.
on  application software is designed to
perform a specific task for end-users.
Software  It includes word processors, spreadsheets,
database management, inventory, payroll
programs, etc.
  An important feature of application
software is it performs more specialized
tasks like word processing, spreadsheets,
email, etc.
 Mostly, the size of the software is big, so
Features it requires more storage space.
of  Application software is more interactive
applicati for the users, so it is easy to use and
design.
on
 The application software is easy to design
software: and understand.
 Application software is written in a high-
level language in general.
Types of  General Purpose Software
applicati  Customized Software
on  Utility Software
software:
 OS is a built in software available in the
computer itself.
- It is used to control the entire operation
of the computer

OPERATIN - It consists of set of programs using which

it links the user and the computer.
G SYSTEM - When an users program is fed into the
computer and executed, the operating
system takes care of the flow of data
between various parts and storage.
-
It is the collection of programs or modules
that manage the whole activity of the
computer system.
- It can be defined as the system s/w that
takes care of the entire working of
various components of computer.
- Big programs are splited into small
programs called modules.
Modules - The OS consists of a number of
of programs, each defined for a
particular purpose known as module.
Operatin - It stays still the system is switched off. It
g System: supervises the overall activity of the
system.
 -Provides User Interface
Controlling and Communicating with
Peripheral Devices
Memory Management

Function Processor Management

s of OS: File Management

Program Execution
Controlled Access of Files
Facilitates running multiple applications
Offers Built – in utility programs
 Error detection
 Resource allocation and Accounting
 Facilitates computer network
  DOS (Disk Operating System) is an
operating system that runs from a hard
disk drive. The term can also refer to a
DOS - particular family of disk operating
Definition systems, most commonly MS-
DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System).
  DOS stands for Disk operating system.
 It is used for abstraction and
management of secondary storage
DOS devices of the computers and the
information stored there.
 The DOS is a set of computer programs.
 The main functions are to manage disk
files, allocate system resources according
to the requirement.
  Single user system
 Machine independence
 Program control

Features  Peripheral management

of DOS  Operating with directories

 Managing files
 Processing commands
 Managing input and output
 Data securing
 Using batch files
 Managing memory
 Setting up environment
 Command processing
 Operating with assembler
  Machine independence
 More security
Advantage  More useful in commercial applications
s of DOS  Error finding & recovery is more efficient
 Easy debugging
  The Unix operating system is a set of
programs that act as a link between the
computer and the user.
 The computer programs that allocate the
UNIX system resources and coordinate all the
details of the computer's internals is
called the operating system or
the kernel.
 shell
 Users communicate with the kernel
through a program known as the shell.
The shell is a command line interpreter; it
translates commands entered by the user
and converts them into a language that is
understood by the kernel.
Features multiuser system
of UNIX  Several people can use a Unix computer
at the same time; hence Unix is called a
multiuser system.
multitasking environment
 A user can also run multiple programs at
the same time; hence Unix is a
multitasking environment.
  Graphical User interface operating system
 Simple and easy to understand
 Time sharing
Features  Hierarchical file system
of UNIX  Possibility of background processing
 Memory management
 Availability of software development tools
  It is an advanced OS developed by
Microsoft corporation
 It is a replacement of DOS
Windows
 It allows a computer user to have more
OS than one program or process operating
simultaneously in various windows on the
computer screen
  GUI
 Application icons
 Enhanced user interface

Features  Networking system

of  Portability

Windows  Extensibility
 Compatibility
 Reliability & security
 Versatility
 Program – sequence of instructions used
to tell the computer what to do is
Programmin called a program.
g Programming languages – working out
the correct sequences of instructions is
Languages called programming.
Meaning - Computer being an electric machine,
and need understands only the electric circuitry.

for - Does not understand any of the

languages used in our daily life.
programm - Certain codes have been developed to
ing write instructions for the computer.
languages - PL are the part of S/w or programming
: aids provided by the manufacturer.
Generati
1. First generation
ons of
2. Second generation - symbolic assembly
computer languages
language 3. Third level – high level languages
s: 4. Fourth generation languages
 - Also called as machine code since the
computer understands machine
language directly.
MACHINE
- Works with only numeric codes. It uses
LANGUAG binary codes 0’s and 1’s, hence named
E: as binary language.

(Lowest - Instructions prepared in machine

language has two parts (operation and
level the operand)
language - First part tells the type of operations to be
) performed and the second part tells at
which locations such operations are to
be performed.
- Writing a program in this language is very
difficult process.
 1. Programming in binary
Characteris 2. Direct control of each operation
tics of 3. Highly efficient
Machine 4. Instructions carry on each type of
language: machine
5. A large number of instructions are
required even for a simple task.
 1. Efficiency at run time
Advantag 2. Simplicity of instruction – one for one
es: language
3. Computer understands this language
without any translation.
 1. Difficult to learn
2. Subject to errors
Disadvanta 3. Time consuming and tedious to write.
ges:
 - Symbolic languages were developed to
reduce the burden of programmers.
They are called as assembly
languages.
- Uses symbolic notations to represent the
instruction of the machine language.
ASSEMBLY
- Employ symbolic notations to represent
LANGUAG the logic operations and even for
E: (AL) location of addresses.
- Since the computer understands only
machine language codes, the assembly
language has to be translated into
machine readable form.
 1. Simple to understand and use
2. Easy to write and modify the programs.
Advantag 3. Time saving and easy debugging
es: 4. Manipulation of individual data is
possible.
 1.Machine dependent
2. Knowledge of hardware is required.
3. More number of statements are required
Disadvanta to write even a simple program.
ges 4. Unless the internal design is exactly the
same, the assembler language for one
computer will not run on a different
manufacturer.
 -To write the program in low level language,
a programmer should have a sound
knowledge of hardware and should
remember many operation codes.
HIGH LEVEL - So programming is slow and time
LANGUAG consuming process when low level
languages are used.
E: (HLL)
- To overcome these difficulties several high
level languages were developed. They
are machine independent.
-
These languages does not require the
programmer to have a detailed
knowledge of hardware of the
computer.
- HLL contains statements that are such
like English and maths, so the
programmer can concentrate more on
the logic of problem than on the
hardware details.
 i) Scientific languages: BASIC, PASCAL,
FORTRAN, ALGOL, COMAL ( Common
Machine Algorithmic Language)
ii) Commercial Languages: PL/I, COBOL,
Examples ADA
of HLL: iii) Special purpose languages: LOGO,
PILOG, IQL (Interactive Query
Language), CAL (Computer Assisted
Learning), SNOBOL (Sring Oriented
Language)
 1. Machine independent and Fewer
instructions
2. English commands and keywords
3. Detailed knowledge of internal working
is not required.
Characteri 4. Standardized and portable
stics of 5. Many development aids are available
HLL: 6. Designed for particular task. (COBOL,
FORTRAN, etc.,)
7. Better self – documentation is possible
because they are easier to read and
trace.
 1. Simple and easy to understand and use.
2. Machine independent and higher
efficiency
3. Improved debugging capacity
4. Better documentation
5. Relatively error free programs can be
Advantag written
es: 6. Programs written in them are highly
compact
7. Programmers can use very sophisticated
subroutines in his object program logic,
which could be written only by a very
advanced programmer in symbolic.
Disadvant 1. Programs are lengthy.
age 2. Storage constraint.