Software

What is Software?

Software is a general term for any non-physical component of a computing system. Essentially, software provides instructions that tell the computer’s physical components (hardware) what to do and how to do it.

Software is written in human-readable source code, which is translated into binary machine code. The machine code, which consists of 0s and 1s is what the hardware components understand and execute.

Software can be proprietary or open source (OSS). Proprietary software is owned and controlled by an individual or company. Open source software is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute.

Brief History of Software

The concept of using human-written instructions to make hardware do something specific can be traced back to the early 19th century and the development of the Jacquard loom.

The Jacquard loom used punched cards to control the weaving patterns. The presence or absence of holes on the cards effectively created binary code instructions.

The Jacquard loom’s punched card system inspired Ada Lovelace, who is credited with being the first programmer, and directly inspired later developments in software development.

The timeline below covers significant milestones in the history of digital software.

Types of Software

Traditionally, there have been three main types of software, each of which is complementary: application software, development software, and system software.

Application software delivers user-facing functionality, development software facilitates the creation and maintenance of software applications, and system software acts as an intermediary between application software and hardware.

Software can also be classified based on its licensing model. Proprietary software source code is typically kept secret, and users are granted limited rights to use the software through an end-user license agreement (EULA).

Open source software development is community-driven and its source code is also licensed. The difference is that open source software licenses allow users to view, modify, and distribute the source code freely to encourage collaboration and transparency in the software’s development.

Software Examples

Here are some examples of different types of software:

How Does Software Work?

Software works by providing instructions to a computer’s hardware. These instructions are written in machine code, which is a binary language that firmware built into the hardware components interprets and executes.

Machine code is processed by the computer’s central processing unit (CPU), which reads the instructions and executes them one by one. The CPU then communicates with other computer components, such as RAM and storage, to complete the tasks specified by the code.

Software is initially written in human-readable source code with programming languages. Depending on the specific language, the code is either compiled into machine code before runtime or it is interpreted directly for execution by a computer’s CPU.

The system software manages the computing device’s hardware resources. It facilitates interactions between application software and the computer’s hardware through system calls and application programming interface calls (API calls).

Software source code consists of instructions, programs, applications and data.

Software Development and Maintenance

Software development involves several stages, starting with requirement analysis.

It’s important to note that the software development life cycle (SDLC) doesn’t end with deployment. Software development also includes updating the software to provide better security, as well as iteratively adding new features as needs change.

Project management is an important consideration in this context, because software engineers need to work with operations teams throughout the SDLC  to ensure the software’s continued usability after release. Software development and operations (DevOps) teams heavily rely on project management software to facilitate communication between the two teams and make sure deadlines are met.

How to Maintain Quality and Security

Software quality assurance (SQA) and software security requires proactive testing throughout the software development lifecycle.

Unit tests, integration tests, system tests, and user acceptance tests (UATs) help identify and fix defects as early as possible in the development process. Keeping the software and its dependencies up-to-date with the latest security patches will help defend against newly discovered vulnerabilities.

How is Software Distributed?

Software is distributed two different ways:

• It can be downloaded from the developer’s website, a third-party app store or physical storage media like USB drives.
• It can be accessed with a browser and used directly from the cloud without downloading.

Legal Issues: Liability, Software Licensing and Patents

Open source software and proprietary software both face legal issues, but they differ in some key areas due to their distinct licensing and distribution models.

Open source software is distributed under licenses that allow users to freely use, modify, and distribute the software.

Common open source licenses include the GNU General Public License (GPL), MIT License, and Apache License. Open source software typically comes with disclaimers that limit the liability of developers and distributors. End users use the software at their own risk, and there are no guarantees of performance or security.

In contrast, proprietary software is patented and distributed under restrictive licenses that control how the software can be used, modified, and distributed. Proprietary software licenses often provide warranties in their end user license agreements that include liability disclaimers. If the end user checks “I agree,” the disclaimer limits the extent to which the vendor can be held responsible for any damages or losses incurred by the software’s use.

Future of Software

The future of software development is expected to be characterized by increased integration with artificial intelligence (AI), a greater emphasis on cloud-native development, and a stronger focus on security.

• Cloud computing will be complemented by edge computing to enable real-time applications for Internet of things (IoT) devices.
• Blockchain will facilitate the development of decentralized applications (dApps) that have enhanced security and transparency.
• The use of generative AI and the rise of low-code and no-code (LCNC) platforms will democratize software development and accelerate innovations in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
• As software becomes more interconnected, the need for robust security measures throughout the software development lifecycle will inspire software development teams to become DevSecOps teams.

The Bottom Line

Software definitions have evolved over the years in response to advancements in technology and the increasing use of software in our everyday lives.

New technologies are fundamentally changing what software can do and how it’s created. This evolution is ongoing, so we can expect software’s meaning to continue to  become more sophisticated as technology develops and we increasingly collaborate with intelligent agents and automation tools to create and maintain software.

Ultimately, the bottom line for software will always be to fulfill its intended purpose while meeting the needs and expectations of its users. That’s why we can expect future explanations for software to focus less on individual programs and more on the interconnected networks and platforms they operate within.

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