What is software?We meet examples of its practical use every day, sitting at the computer. Even just moving the mouse around the screen is the result of the software. What are the types of software? How is software development done?
Software: theory
Computer work is carried out bycumulative use of hardware and software. The first is a set of chips, cards 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 - "software".
The software appears on the computer byinstallations - placing the corresponding files on the disk. In some cases it is necessary to update the software. This is, in fact, a re-installation of a more advanced and modern software version. To install the software, you need to have a so-called "distribution". It is a specialized installer.
There are two main types of software - system andapplied. The first version provides the PC with the point of view of its main functions: start, download and implementation of low-level computing operations. The main types of system software is considered to be the operating system (OS), as well as means of controlling the computer hardware components and their settings.
Applied software is programs with which practically meaningful actions are performed on a PC. For example, typing, building tables, drawing, using the Internet, etc.
If you simplify the language, you can summarize it like this:system software for the computer, application software for the user. Another way to explain the difference in simple language: the work of system programs, as a rule, is not visible. They perform their functions without "coordination" with the user, in hidden mode. In turn, only with the direct participation of the user does the application software work. We will consider examples of both of them today.
There are, of course, "non-computer" types of software.They can be controlled by another kind of device - for example, tablets, smartphones, televisions. There is software for climate control systems, industrial facilities, etc.
What is an operating system?
OS - basic in terms of operationPC capabilities view system software. Why does it fall into this category of software? The fact is that in the environments formed by the operating systems, all the rest of the computer software (both system and application) work. OS is the basis for the PC. If there is no operating system, then no other program will work. The basic processes of the OS are hidden from the user.
The most common PC OS in the world is Windows (the most popular, there are so many versions of it - 7th, 8th, XP and others), Linux, MacOS.
System software: drivers
The second, perhaps, the most important type of system software- driver. They are designed to ensure the correct operation of the hardware components. If 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. Typical network software is a router or modem driver. This type of software is usually supplied by hardware manufacturers (and in many cases are included with operating systems).
This is the essence of system software. The next step is application software, examples of the most popular solutions and the main features that are offered to users.
Application software: antiviruses, utilities
Распространенные виды прикладного программного Provisions are antiviruses and utilities. The former are designed to protect PCs against malicious programs that can disable other software or even computer hardware components. One of the most popular in Russia anti-virus - NOD32, DrWeb, Kaspersky. Utilities are designed to ensure stable operation of the PC, to monitor how well the processor, disks, memory and other hardware components of the computer work.
Popular applications. Microsoft Word
Which specific application software samplesfind the greatest demand today? First of all, it concerns word processing software. This kind of computer operation is historically the very first. One of the most popular word processing and word processing programs in the world (drawing tables, graphs, etc.) is Word. It was developed by one of the largest corporations in the world - American Microsoft. Its Russian transcription is acceptable, which sounds like the "Word program".
To date, several versions have been released.this software. The functions in each of them are different, but the basic (and most demanded in practice) task performed by MS Word in one or another modification is formatting the text, saving it to a file and ensuring (if necessary) its correct output to the printer.
Microsoft Word: features
"Program Word" is able to perform a huge number of operations. Namely:
- formatting of letters and paragraphs (selection of the font of the desired size and basic attributes - underline, writing in bold, italics, spacing between lines, etc.)
- design of the appearance of the pages (setting colors and patterns on the background, adding graphics, pictures, etc.)
- adding related text elements (tables, graphs, icons, etc.)
Learning to use Word is very simple.Many of the program controls are intuitive. It is also worth noting that Microsoft, which released Word, supplied its solution with a detailed help system, which the user can access by pressing F1 on the keyboard.
Popular Applications: Microsoft Excel
An example of another popular application software isMicrosoft Excel (in Russian - "Excel program"). Her narrow specialization is computing using spreadsheets. This kind of decision greatly simplifies the work with numbers.
Despite the fact that this program is considered to be professional, even novice users can master the basic methods of working with it (which is why it has gained worldwide fame).
Microsoft Excel: features
The simplest operation in Excel is the display.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 - programming of so-called "macros" (a kind of internal programs), engineering calculations.
We list the most common in practice types of tasks that Excel can solve:
- mathematical calculations using numerical values in tabular cells (summation, subtraction, division, multiplication, alignment of progressions, etc.);
- the use of formulas for account automation;
- drawing up reports, forms, questionnaires and other documents that look most comfortable in the form of tables;
- graphing, visualization of statistics using charts.
As with Word, using Excelvery easy to master yourself. The controls of the program are largely intuitive. This type of software is also provided with a detailed help system (which can be useful not only for a novice user, but also for a professional).
Popular applications: Adobe Photoshop
Often users have a need forusing 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 intended for drawing (such solutions are called "graphic editors"). It is used, as is the case with Word and Excel, by both novice users and professionals: designers, web developers, cartoon creators.
Photoshop refers to programs that processimages 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 (we recall how the picture is built on the TV and monitor - the principle is the same). With the help of "raster" graphic editors you can create absolutely any graphic elements. You can draw a portrait of a man, a house, a landscape — anything. In addition to the "raster" graphics, there is also a "vector". Images based on it can, in turn, be built only according to the templates laid down in the program.
Adobe Photoshop features
With Photoshop you can not only createpictures, but also make changes to the ready. Hence the term "photosharpening". You can, for example, modify objects in a photo, add something to them, retouch them - with a lot of experience with Photoshop, everything can turn out to be very plausible.
Adobe Photoshop works with most formats.graphic files due to the presence of a large set of converters for different formats. The latter converts graphic information from the file format to the native format of the Adobe Photoshop editor when reading from a file. When writing to a file, converters perform the inverse transformation.
What are the most popular types of operations that are performed in Photoshop? These include the following:
- creation of new drawings using virtual brushes, pencils, rulers, shapes 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;
- the use of visual effects due to the built-in patterns and algorithms;
- transformation of images (reflection, rotation, etc.).
Так же, как в случае с Word и Excel, элементы Photoshop controls are easy to master intuitively. So even an inexperienced user can draw something. Many of the versions of the program are equipped with a help system in Russian, which tells in detail how to work with Photoshop.
Popular types of application software: browsers
The browser is the program with whichusers access the Internet, read news from sites, write messages in social networks, watch videos - in a word, do everything that is characteristic of "virtual space". The most popular solutions in the world of this type 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 one or another, based on the subjective assessment of the quality of the design of programs and the convenience of the location of controls on them.
Принцип работы браузеров основан на распознавании hypertext markup language (called HTML) and converting it into user-friendly visual elements — text, images, tables, videos, animations, message forms, etc.
Browsers: features
Samples of such software are very simple.The main elements of the browser are the line with the site address and the main field (often called the "web interface" where information from the Internet is displayed. The main feature of such a program is that it is an intermediary between the PC user and other people in the virtual space. That is, using a browser (more precisely, a "web interface"), a person, in fact, can exchange data by sending something from himself (text, files) and receiving something from others. Was the Internet available prior to 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.
Software: paid and free
One of the software classification criteria is cost.There are three categories of solutions. First, it is completely free software. Secondly, there is a commercial one. 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 feature? In general, the use of such software is as follows: no need to pay for the installation, but after using the program for some time (for example, a month), it will be necessary to transfer money to the developer for further use.
What is cloud technology?
In recent years, scored a very largethe popularity of the term "cloud technology". What is this phenomenon? "Cloud technologies" is, in simple terms, application software that can be run from a browser (accordingly, it is not installed on a PC). Consider an example. Microsoft Word, about which we spoke above, is launched by double clicking on the icon on the desktop. But there is the same solution but a "cloud": the use of this type of software is carried out through a web browser interface. As a rule, files that a user works with using such software are also stored on the Internet.
Очень много программ сейчас существует в "cloud" format. There are even versions of operating systems of this type. So we can say that the "cloud" format is not only application, but also system software. The popularity of such solutions today is associated with the fast speed of the Internet (a few years ago this was not), as well as saving the user time - you do not need to install anything on your PC. By the way, cloud-based software updates occur independently of the user. It is also convenient.
Who develops software?
There is a whole branch of the economy, withinwhich is carried out software development - programming. It employs people with a wide variety of knowledge profiles. But they are united by a common feature - 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. Having written the “phrase” structured in a certain way, the person creating the software gives an “order” to the processor, or, say, a PC disk, to perform such an operation on the file. There are hundreds of languages with which software development is carried out. Popular ones include C ("C"), Java, Pascal, Ruby-on-Rails.
Is it difficult to learn how to create software?
Not at all.Anyone can be a program developer. Software creation is not a prohibited activity at all. Many successful entrepreneurs began by developing software. Examples of such people are Bill Gates, Linux Torvalds, Eugene Kaspersky. You can study languages for software creation on the basis of a large amount of available literature, video tutorials, or by visiting specialized courses. Software development is one of the fastest growing industries, and the growth of its popularity is mainly related to universal accessibility.
