1.2.2 APPLICATION SOFTWARE Flashcards
What is the difference between applications and system software?
applications software is utilised directly by the end-user whereas systems software ensures the high performance of the computer
give three examples of utilities
compression disk fragmentation antivirus automatic backup automatic updating
give one advantage of using closed source code
thorough, regular and well-tested updates
expert support and user manuals from company
high levels of security as it is developed in a professional, controlled environment
state two features of open source code
does not require a license to be used
distributed with the source code
can be modified and sold on
give two advantages of using compiled code over interpreted code
is platform independent
runs instantly without time waiting for compilation
useful for debugging
what is assembly language
a low level language that has almost a one-to-one relationship with machine code. it is platform specific
what are the stages of compilation
lexical analysis
syntax analysis
code generation
optimisation
what happens during syntax analysis ?
tokens are compared to the rules of the programming language
syntax errors are identified
symbol table updates with more details
semantic analysis (finding logic errors)
What are the similarities and differences
between static and dynamic linkers?
Similarities: Both link external modules and libraries to main
program
Static: Library code copied into the file. File size increased.
Dynamic: Addresses of libraries included within file. External
updates automatically feed through to main program.
give three advantages of using libraries
error free save time reusable no need to 'reinvent the wheel' designed by experts
Describe the function of a loader
Provided by the operating system, a loader
retrieves the library or subroutine from the given
memory location.
What is the purpose of the optimisation stage of
compilation?
● Reduce execution time
● Reduce inefficient sections of code
● Remove redundant code
