Software

2 definitions found

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  software
       n : (computer science) written programs or procedures or rules
           and associated documentation pertaining to the operation
           of a computer system and that are stored in read/write
           memory; "the market for software is expected to expand"
           [syn: {software system}, {software package}, {package}]


           [ant: {hardware}]

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  software
       
           (Or "computer program", "program", "code") The
          instructions executed by a computer, 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 application software or {application programs}.  System
          software is any software required to support the production or
          execution of application programs but which is not specific to
          any particular application.  Examples of system software would
          include the {operating system}, {compilers}, editors and
          sorting programs.
       
          Examples of application programs would include an accounts
          package or a {CAD} program.  Other broad classes of
          application software include {real-time} software, {business
          software}, scientific and engineering software, {embedded
          software}, personal computer software and {artificial
          intelligence} software.
       
          Software includes both {source code} written by humans and
          executable {machine code} produced by {assemblers} or
          {compilers}.  It does not usually include the data processed
          by programs unless this is in a format such as {multimedia}
          which depends on the use of computers for its presentation.
          This distinction becomes unclear in cases such as {spread
          sheets} which can contain both instructions (formulae and
          {macros}) and data.  There are also various intermediate
          compiled or {semi-compiled}, forms of software such as
          {library} files and {byte-code}.
       
          Some claim that {documentation} (both paper and electronic) is
          also software.  Others go further and define software to be
          programs plus documentation 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 of instructions which
          may constitute one or more programs or part thereof.  Most
          programs, however, rely heavily on various kinds of {operating
          system} software for their execution.  The nounds "code" and
          "software" both refer to the same thing but "code" tends to
          suggest an interest in the implementation details whereas
          "software" is more of a user's term.
       
          (2002-07-21)