Computer software

A computer cannot do anything on its own. It must be instructed to do a desired to do a desired job. Hence, it is necessary to specify a sequence of instructions, which a computer must perform to solve a problem. Such a sequence of instructions, written in a language, which can be understood by a computer, is called a computer program. It is the program, which controls the activity of processing by the computer, and the computer performs precisely what the program wants it to do. When a computer is using a program, we say, it is running or executing that program. The term software is refers to the set of computer programs, procedures, and associated documents (flowcharts, manuals, etc.), which describes the programs, and how they are to be used. To be precise, software means a collection of programs, whose objective is to enhance the capabilities of the hardware. A software package is a group of programs, which solve a specific problem or perform a specific type of job. For example, a word-processing package may contain programs for text editing, text formatting, drawing graphics, spelling checking, etc. Hence, a multipurpose computer system has several software packages, one each for each for every type of job it can perform.