What is Software? Why Is It Important? What Are The Types Of Software?

 What is Software? Why Is It Important? What Are The Types Of Software?

The software in its simplest definition; electronic hardware is a collection of commands compiled to do a certain job. These commands are processed in the processors and converted into an event. 

When we look at it, we encounter the following definition; All of the programs, procedures, programming languages ​​, and documentation that bring hardware to life and are used in computing on a computer.

Software is actually in every aspect of our lives. As such, software makes our lives easier. Computers, telephones, televisions, mobile technology, internet, almost all of the new generation devices used in industry, automotive, construction, education, advertising, marketing, communication, media, entertainment, health, in almost all sectors, space industry, daily life In some technical accessories, "software" in short is indeed in all areas of life.

What Should Be Considered When Getting Started?

To bring an idea to life or to do a software job given to you, you must first choose the hardware and/or operating system.

If electronic hardware is being made, processor and hardware with the most suitable performance and the most affordable price should be selected according to the need. Processors can reach high prices today. Therefore, choosing the right processor is very important. Then, the language and language supported by this processor must be determined. Since not every processor has support for every language, the choice between the languages ​​it supports should be based on the speed and convenience provided by these languages.

If the software is made for the computer, it is first selected for which operating system the software will be made. Then it is determined which programming language to use. Subsequently, the codes written with the help of the compiler are translated into machine language. It is therefore imperative to use a compiler compatible with the written language. Since the language and compiler compatibility in computers are more diverse and easily accessible than electronic devices, the needs can be found easily with short research. The important thing here is which operating system you will compile the program for.

What Are The Types Of Software?

• Computer Software
• Electronic Software

Although the computer is an electronic device, it would be more correct to divide them into two separate categories, as the software logic is slightly different from the basic electronic devices. By the way, mobile devices can be described in the same category as computers, there is not much difference between them.

Computer Software

Computer software is also divided into three functions within itself. These;

• Application Software
• System Software
• Computer Programming Tools

Application Software

They are software used on a computer, written to perform a task. E.g; There are applications in many categories such as Web programs, Office Programs, Picture, and Video Editing Programs, Games. In short, application software; They are software written to speed up the work of people and to do an operation with one or a few keys.

System Software

As everyone knows, they are the basic software that the user first encounters, such as Windows, Android, iOS, that ensure the compatible operation of hardware and software. System software requires a deeper knowledge of computers and software than application software.

Computer Programming Tools

This software tells the hardware what to do by translating the written codes into computer language. In this way, the computer/machine can run these applications. If the software language and the programming tool used do not match or do not belong to the correct operating system, that program will not work on that device.

Electronic Software

They are software written to perform one or more tasks, usually to read and process data from sensors connected to the pin inputs and outputs of the processor, and to do a job for an electronic device such as a motor or LED connected to the input and output. This software is used in every field from small projects to large devices used in the industry.

By the way, electronic software languages ​​and computer languages ​​are no different. So there are many common software languages.

The difference of electronic software from computer software; In electronic software, the programmed processor must be connected with an electronic circuit; If necessary, it should be combined with mechanical design and used. So in electronic software; sometimes there must be a physical response such as a camera and sometimes a motor.

Which Software Language Should Be Used While Programming?

Although this question is asked a lot since it is a very general question, it does not have a single answer. For this reason, I think it is necessary to answer this question by dividing it into parts.

For Applications with User Interface;

If you want to make application software with a user interface, C #, Visual Basic, or Java can be preferred, as the interface can be made easier and faster with drag and drop logic. Developers who are just starting to write games usually use ready-made engines, so it is necessary to learn the C # language. Since I have tried all three languages, I think Visual Basic is the easiest to understand and is ideal for learning programming logic at first. Java language is a very important language that must be developed to become a professional in the software business and to work in this field.

For Transactions Requiring Speed ​​Instead of an Interface;

Learning C, C ++, or Python is much more ideal if it is to be written for operations that do not require an interface such as computing, reading and writing files, and require speed. At the same time, the C language is used in almost all electronic circuits. According to the runtime speed comparison made with other languages, C language is the fastest working programming language because it is the closest language to the machine language. Although it is a more difficult language to learn, it is a very important language that must be learned in terms of speed and resource control. I excluded assembly language from this comparison because Assembly language would take a lot of time and energy to write a computer program. Assembly language can be preferred for simpler operations in electronic circuits, but the loss of time and energy will be at the highest level in complex operations as in the computer. Since I do not use C ++ language, I did not write any information about it to avoid false information. You can comment if you know C ++ language. I would like to read and learn.

To Make a Website;

If you want to make a website or web application, you must know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Since HTML and CSS cannot be used alone, at least two must be known, one of which is HTML. These three languages ​​have a lot of resources and free case studies on the internet and in bookstores. That is why they are very easy to learn today. At the same time, programming languages ​​running on the server such as PHP must be known for the site to come to life. Python-based web frameworks such as Django and Flask are also used when creating websites.

Python

Although the Python language is very popular all over the world, I did not pay much attention to it in the previous paragraphs. Python is an advanced language that can be used in almost all operating systems and can be used in many areas such as system programming, application programming, web programming. There are a lot of resources in every field, especially on the internet. Too much work can be done with too little code. However, in large programs, it is slower than in other languages. For those who want to design user interfaces, C # is more difficult than object-oriented languages ​​such as Java. If very small operations are to be done, speed will not be a problem, so they can be preferred over C or C++ language, but when the processing load grows, it will cause a significant loss of speed. So I think it would be better to learn Python as a second or third language unless you have to. After giving detailed information about the software, do not forget to follow me on OpenStack!