Software

Computer Science
IGCSE
 Classification of Software

System Software Application Software

 System Software
Examples
• Basic Input Output System (BIOS) - installed in
Definition
ROM.

A variety of programs that a • Operating System - MAC, Windows, Android, iOS.

computer needs to function.
• Device Driver - A software that enables hardware
to communicate with the operating system (Plug
Function and play).

• Allows software and hardware to run

• Compilers - Translate high-level programming
without problems.
language into machine code.

• Provides a human computer interface. • Utilities Software - Built into the operating system
to carry out a specific task.
• Control the allocation and usage of
hardware resources.
 Examples of utilities software (1)

• Offered by the operating system

• Must be constantly updated
Virus Checker - Anti Virus Software • How they work
⚬ The software is constantly running in
the background
⚬ Check software of files before they
are run or loaded
⚬ Compare a possible virus against a
database of known viruses
⚬ Any possible files or programs which
are infected are put into quarantine
Examples of utilities software (2)

Defragmentation Software - When HDD becomes full, blocks used for files will be
scattered all over the disk surface. Data accessing will be faster if files could be stored
in contiguous sectors to reduce HDD head movements.

data data data

data

data data
Examples of utilities software (3)

• Software that communicate with

Device Driver the OS and translate data into a
format understood by a
hardware device (middle man)
• Without device drivers, a
hardware device would be
unable to work with a computer
• As soon as a device is plugged
into a USB port, the OS looks for
appropriate device driver.
 Examples of utilities software (4)

• It is a good practice to use the operating

system back-up utility
Backup Software • Allow a schedule for backing up files to be
made
• Total security
⚬ Working version stored in SSD/HDD
⚬ Locally backup stored in removable
SSD/HDD
⚬ Remote back-up version stored in cloud
storage
 Application Software

Definition

Software that a user needs to

make use of the computer
system
 Application Software

Definition Examples

Software that a user needs to • Word Processor

make use of the computer • Spreadsheet
system • Database
• Video Editing Software
Features • Apps
• Used to perform various
• Music and video streaming
applications (apps) on a computer • GPS
• Allows a user to perform specific • Camera facility
tasks using the computer’s
resources
 Classification of Software

System Software - Application Software -

The Manager The Independent

Responsible for managing the Allows the user to perform different

hardware and other software in a tasks using the computer
computer

Eg. BIOS, OS, Device Driver, Utilities Eg. Word Document, Spreadsheet,
Video Editing Software, Games
Question 1
Question 2
 Answers
• Question 1
Answers
Answers
Chapter 4.2

Operating
System
IGCSE Computer Science
About the Operating System
• It is a system software

• Manages other programs

• OS is an intermediaries between software

programs and hardware peripherals
(Driver)

• Stored within the SSD/HDD, loaded into

RAM when a particular action needs to be
carried out (very large programs)
Main function of the operating system

Enable computer system to function correctly

Allow users to communicate with computer systems

Via Device Drivers

Workbook
Page 62
Workbook
Page 62
 7 Main Functions Of
The Operating System
 Human Computer Interface

Memory Management
7 Main Functions
Multitasking
Of
Hardware Peripheral Management
The Operating
User Account Management System
File Management

Security Management
HCI

Human computer interface

The OS provides an interface which allow the user to communicate with the
computer.

2 types of HCI

Command Line Graphical User

Interface (CLI) Interface (GUI)
HCI

Compare and Contrast CLI and GUI

Command Line Graphical User

Interface Interface

• The user is in direct communication with the • It is more user-friendly;

computer • Utilizes WIMP (Windows icons menu and pointing
• Uses a small amount of computer memory device)
• Recent innovations uses post-WIMP interactions
(Capacitive touch screens)
• Need to learn a lot of commands
• icons are used to represent applications
• Each command must be typed in correctly in terms
• The user doesn’t need to learn any commands
of format and spelling

• Use up more computer memory than CLI, as it

needs an operating system, to operate.
• The user is limited to icons provided on the screen
Workbook
Page 62
Workbook
Page 62
Workbook
Page 62
Workbook
Page 62
Workbook
Page 62
HCI MM

Memory Management

VON NEUMANN ARCHITECTURE CONTROL BUS

DATA BUS
ADDRESS BUS
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• Manages the RAM and allows data to
CU
MAR
be moved between RAM and
PC
HDD/SSD.
MDR

CIR
• Carries out memory protection to
ALU ACC ensure that two competing applications
cannot use the same memory
Input Memory Unit (RAM) Output locations at the same time.

Load executable code

when needed
Potential Computer
Secondary Storage security issues might crash
(HDD, SSD, Removable Disk, CD) Applications (data might be
can produce accessible to
incorrect other
results software)
HCI MM MT

Multitasking - allows the computer to carry out

more than 1 task at a time

Pre-emptive multitasking

Sharing hardware resources • Resources are allocated to a process for a

specific time limit
• Each of the processes will share the
• The process can be interrupted while it is
hardware resources under the control of
running
the operating system software.
• The process is given a priority so it can have
resources according to its priority (the risk here
is that a low priority process could be starved of
resources)
HCI MM MT

**NOT IN SYLLABUS
Workbook
Page 63
Workbook
Page 63
HCI MM MT HPM

Hardware Peripheral Management

Meaning of peripheral devices

• Use device driver
⚬ Communicates with all input and output
devices
⚬ Take data from a file (defined by the
operating system) and translates it into a
format that the input/output device can
understand
• Ensures each hardware resource has a priority
so that they can be used and released as
required
HCI MM MT HPM UAM

User Account
Management

A computer can have more than one user to log into

the account. Eg.
It is therefore important
that users’ data is stored
in separate parts of the
memory for security
reasons.
HCI MM MT HPM UAM

User Account
Management

Role of an administrator

• Oversees the management of these user accounts

• The administrator can create accounts, delete user
accounts and restrict user account activity (create,
edit and delete file)
Workbook
Page 63
Workbook
Page 63
• Allows more than one user to log on to the system.
• Allocates users a part of memory protected by passwords and user
IDs.
• Very often an administrator oversees the management of these
accounts; create, delete and restrict user account activity.
HCI MM MT HPM UAM FM

File management

Main tasks of file management include:

• file naming conventions which can be used i.e.
filename.docx (where the extension can be .bat,
.htm, .dbf, .txt, .xls, etc.)
• performing specific tasks (for example, create,
open, close, delete, rename, copy, and move)
• maintaining the directory structures
• ensuring memory allocation for a file by reading it
from the HDD/SSD and loading it into memory.
HCI MM MT HPM UAM FM SEC

Security Management
- covered more in depth in chapter 5

Main tasks of security management include:

• Ensures that anti virus software (and other security software) is always up to date,
preserving the integrity, security and privacy of data

• Maintains access rights for all users

• Communicates with a firewall to check all traffic to and from the computer

• By offering the ability for the recovery of data when it has been lost or corrupted (eg.
Apple Time Machine)
Homework
• Complete Workbook Question 6 – 8
• Pages 64 – 67
• Slides will be posted on firefly today!