Software: examples. Software Development

What is software? Examples of its practical use we meet every day, sitting at the computer. Even just moving the mouse across the screen is the result of the software. What are the types of software? How is software development carried out?

Software: Theory

The computer is operated by the combined use of hardware and software. The first is understood as a set of chips, boards and other electronic components and devices that make up the PC. Under the second - computer programs that are designed to process information and perform useful actions using a PC. The first in slang is often called "iron", the second - "soft."

The software appears on the computer through the installation - placing the corresponding files on the disk. In some cases it is necessary to update the software. This, in fact, a re-installation of a more advanced and modern version of the software. To install the software, you need to have a so-called "distribution". It is a specialized installer program.

There are two main types of software - system and application. The first version provides the work of the PC in terms of its main functions: start, download and implement low-level computing operations. The main types of system software is considered to be operating systems (OS), as well as controls for hardware components of the computer and their settings.

Application software is a program by which practically meaningful actions are made on a PC. For example, typing, building tables, drawing, using the Internet, and so on.

If you simplify the language, you can summarize this: system software - for the computer, application software - for the user. Another way to explain the difference in plain language: the work of system programs is usually not visible. They perform their functions without "reconciling" with the user, in hidden mode. In turn, only with the direct participation of the user is the application software. Examples of both that we will consider today.

There are, of course, and "non-computer" types of software. They can be managed by a different kind of device - for example, tablets, smartphones, televisions. There is software for climate control systems, industrial facilities, etc.

What is the operating system?

OS - the basic kind of system software from the point of view of exploiting the capabilities of a PC. Why is it attributed to this category of software? The fact is that in environments formed by operating systems, all other computer software (both system and application) works. OS are the basis for PC operation. If there is no operating system, then no other program will work. The main OS processes are hidden from the user.

The most common OS in the world for PCs is Windows (the most popular, there are a lot of its versions - 7th, 8th, XP and others), Linux, MacOS.

System software: drivers

The second, perhaps, the most important type of system software is the driver. They are designed to ensure the correct operation of hardware components. If the drivers for the disk are not installed on the computer, it will not function. Similarly - for a video card, mouse, modem and even a processor. A typical network software is a router or modem driver. This type of software, as a rule, is supplied by the equipment manufacturers (and in many cases is part of the operating systems).

This is the essence of the system software. Next to us - application software, examples of the most popular solutions and the main features that are offered to users.

Application software: antiviruses, utilities

Common types of application software are antiviruses and utilities. The first ones are designed to protect the PC from malicious programs that can disable other software or even hardware components of the computer. One of the most popular antivirus programs in Russia is NOD32, DrWeb, Kaspersky. Utilities are designed to ensure the stable operation of the PC, to monitor the correct operation of the processor, disks, memory and other hardware components of the computer.

Popular application programs. Microsoft Word

Which of the specific samples of application software find the greatest relevance today? First of all, it concerns the programs for word processing. Such kind of operations on the computer are historically the very first. One of the most popular programs in the world for word processing and for performing related operations (drawing tables, graphs, etc.) is Word. Developed by one of the world's largest corporations - American Microsoft. Its Russian transcription is acceptable, which sounds like a "program Vord".

To date, several versions of this software have been released. Functions in each of them are different, but the basic (and most in-demand in practice) task, performed by MS Word in one or another modification, is text formatting, saving it to a file and providing (if necessary) its correct output to the printer.

Microsoft Word: Features

"Program Vord" can perform a huge number of operations. Namely:

- formatting of letters and paragraphs (selection of the font of the necessary size and basic attributes - underlining, writing bold, italics, distance between lines, etc.)

- design of the appearance of the pages (setting the color and picture on the background, adding graphics, pictures, etc.)

- Adding text-accompanying elements (tables, graphs, icons, etc.)

Learning to use Word is very simple. Many of the program controls are intuitive. Also worth noting is that Microsoft, which released Word, provided its solution with a detailed help system, which the user can access by clicking on the F1 keyboard.

Popular application programs: Microsoft Excel

An example of another popular application software is Microsoft Excel (in Russian - "Excel program"). Its narrow specialization is computation using spreadsheets. Such solutions significantly simplify the work with numbers.

Despite the fact that this program is considered professional, even novice users can master the basic methods of working with it (why it has become world-famous).

Microsoft Excel: Features

The simplest operations in Excel are the display of text and numbers in the form of tables. The working field of the program, in fact, looks like a large number of cells, in each of which you can enter something. A more complicated procedure is the construction of graphs, the introduction of formulas. Operations that require professional training are the programming of so-called "macros" (a kind of internal programs), engineering calculations.

We list the most common types of tasks that the "Excel program" can solve:

- mathematical calculations using numerical values in tabular cells (summation, subtraction, division, multiplication, alignment of progressions, etc.);

- application of formulas for account automation;

- drawing up reports, forms, questionnaires and other documents that look most comfortable in the form of tables;

- construction of graphs, visualization of statistics using diagrams.

As with Word, Excel is very easy to learn. The controls for the program are intuitive in many respects. This type of software is also equipped with a detailed help system (which can be useful not only for a beginner user, but also for a professional).

Popular application software: Adobe Photoshop

Often, users need to use one interesting program - "Photoshop". For Windows 7, 8 or XP, it exists in a large number of versions. Officially this program is called Adobe Photoshop. It is designed for drawing (this type of solution is called "graphic editors"). It is used, as in the case of Word and Excel, both novice users and professionals: designers, web developers, creators of cartoons.

Photoshop refers to programs that process images in the so-called "raster" mode. What does it mean? We can say that the main part of computer graphics belongs to the "raster" category. We are talking about images consisting of a large number of small points (remember how the picture is built on the TV and the monitor - the same principle). With the help of "raster" graphics editors, you can create absolutely any graphic elements. You can draw a portrait of a person, a house, a landscape - anything. In addition to the "raster" graphics, there is also a "vector" graphic. Images on its basis can, in turn, be built only on the templates embedded in the program.

Adobe Photoshop: Features

With Photoshop, you can not only create images, but also make changes to those already ready. Hence the term "photographed". You can, for example, modify objects in a photo, attach something to them, retouch - with a lot of experience with Photoshop, everything can turn out very believable.

Adobe Photoshop works with most graphics file formats due to the presence of a large set of converters for different formats. The latter convert the graphic information from the file format into the own format of the Adobe Photoshop editor when reading from the file. When writing to a file, the converters perform the reverse transformation.

What are the most popular types of operations that are done in Photoshop? They include the following:

- Creation of new drawings with the help of virtual brushes, pencils, rulers, figures using different colors;

- change the size of pictures or their individual elements;

- combining the contents of two different images;

- change the color of the picture or its parts;

- application of visual effects due to the built-in program templates and algorithms;

- transformation of pictures (reflection, rotation, etc.).

Just like with Word and Excel, Photoshop controls are easy to learn intuitively. So even an inexperienced user can draw something. Many of the versions of the program are equipped with a help system in Russian, where the details are told about how to work with Photoshop.

Popular types of application software: browsers

A browser is a program by which users access the Internet, read news from websites, write messages in social networks, view videos - in short, they do everything that is characteristic of "virtual space". The most popular solutions of this type in the world are Internet Explorer, Opera, Google Chrome. There are a very large number of their analogues and subtypes. The functionality of each of them, in general, is the same. Most users prefer to exploit those or other, based on a subjective evaluation of the quality of the design of programs and the convenience of placing controls on them.

The principle of browsers is based on recognizing the hypertext markup language (called HTML) and converting it into user-friendly visual elements - text, pictures, tables, video, animation, message forms, etc.

Browsers: Features

Samples of such software are very simple. The main elements of the browser are the string with the website address and the main field (often called the "web interface" where information is displayed from the Internet.) The main feature of this program is that it is an intermediary between the user of the PC and other people in the virtual space.That is, By the browser (more precisely, the "web interface"), a person can, in fact, exchange data by sending something from himself (text, files) and getting something from others. Was the Internet before the invention of browsers? The fact is that "web-inte face "- has historically not the first method of communication between users It came after years of international harmonization of standards, which should be exchanged." virtual "information.

ON: paid and free of charge

One of the criteria for classifying software is cost. There are three categories of solutions. First, it's completely free software. Secondly, there is a commercial. If the user wants to use such software, then he must pay for his installation. Thirdly, there is an intermediate type of software - conditionally free. What is its peculiarity? In general, the use of such software is as follows: you do not need to pay for the installation, but after using the program for some time (for example, a month), it will be necessary to transfer the funds to the developer for further use.

What is "cloud technology"?

In recent years, the term "cloud technologies" has gained very great popularity. What is this phenomenon? "Cloud technology" is, in simple terms, application software that can be launched from the browser (accordingly, it is not installed on the PC). Let's consider an example. Microsoft Word, which we mentioned above, is launched by double-clicking on the icon on the desktop. But there is the same solution but "cloudy": the use of software of this type is carried out through the web interface of the browser. Typically, the files that the user is using with this software are also stored on the Internet.

A lot of programs now exist in the "cloud" format. There were even versions of operating systems of this type. So we can say that the "cloud" format is not only applied, but also system software. The popularity of such solutions today is connected with the fast Internet speed (a few years ago this was not), and also the user's time saving - there is nothing to install on the PC. By the way, the update of the cloud-based software is independent of the user. This is also convenient.

Who develops the software?

There is a whole branch of the economy, within the framework of which software development is carried out. It employs people with a wide range of knowledge profiles. But they share a common feature - the knowledge of programming languages. Using one or more of them, a person writes software. A programming language is a set of commands recognized by the hardware components of a computer. By writing a "phrase" built in a certain way, the person creating the software gives an "order" to the processor, or, say, the PC disk to perform such an operation on the file. The languages with which the software is developed are hundreds. Among the popular ones are C ("C"), Java, Pascal, Ruby-on-Rails.

Is it difficult to learn how to create software?

Not at all. Any interested person can become the developer of programs. The creation of software is not a prohibited activity. Many successful entrepreneurs began with the fact that they developed software. Examples of such people are Bill Gates, Linux Torvalds, Eugene Kaspersky. You can learn languages for creating software on the basis of a large number of available literature, video lessons, or by attending specialized courses. Software development is one of the fastest growing industries, and the growth of its popularity is mainly due to universal accessibility.