1.2.2 Applications Generation Flashcards
What is application software?
A software designed to perform tasks for users of the computer
What is a specific application?
Types of applications designed to perform one particular task e.g hospital appoitnments, payrolls. It is something that matches users requirements exactly.
What is an ‘off-the-shelf’ software ?
A specific application that can be purchased to perform one particular task for a variety of situations
What is a general purpose application?
Software designed to allow user to produce or use the computer to find solutions to a variety of problems.
What are software suites?
A general purpose software supplied as a couple packages that are designed to allow communication between them.
What is a utility software?
Very small program that is designed for one purpose, usually concerned with computer’s maintenance.
Name the 5 utilities.
Antivirus Device Drivers Disk Defragmentation File Managers/ Explorers Archieving Auto update Backup
What is a device driver?
A particular software that tells the OS on how to communicate with the device connected.
What is disk defragmentation?
A technique that brings all files together to avoid gaps and speed up the hard disk drive.
What is a file explorer?
A software that is used to manipulate files. It can cut,copy,delete,rename,etc.
What is archieving?
Moving old files for later use.
What is an open source program ?
Programs distributed with the code or a readeable form, so that the user is able to edit it or tailor it.
Example of an Open Source Program ?
MySQL or LINUX
What can we always question about open source programs?
Their quality, reliability and time delays
What is a closed source program?
A program distributed only as an executable form, so only original author can edit it.
Differences between Open and Closed Source?
Open:
Avaiable for external parties to modify
Can spread costs as some do it for free
Lacks formal development and testing, unreliable
No deadlines for development and often has quick fixes rather than full solutions
People who dont fully understand the code can change solution making it inefficient
Closed:
Only avaiable to original author
Developemtn fully funded by company
Tested fully and only released when reliable
Technical solutions are fully understood
Has formal deadlines and timescales with solutons being accountable to the company
What is a source code?
program written in high level language that the user can understand, but one that cant be run without translation
What is an object code ?
The binary code(machine code) produced by the translator from source code
What is an executable code?
Complete program in binary that can be run without any further translation.Made by linking pieces of object code.
What is machine code?
Language that a computer can understand, using binary digits. It is machine specific.
What is assembly language?
A low level language that uses mneumonics to represent opcode of instructions.has a one to one realtionship with machine code.
What is immediate code?
Like code translated half way. It cannot be run until it is further translated but it isnt machine specific and can be run cross platform.
What do translators do ?
Change high-level language into low level language.
What is the process of translation?
Source code goes into object code
Object code is linked with other pieces and library routines to create an executable
Executable is loaded into RAM and run.
Characteristics of a COMPILER translator?
Scans whole program program first and only then translates into object code
Can’t be run during conversion
Doesnt need translation again unless error encountered in executable code
Hard to pinpoint errors since they all come up at the end
Why does a compiler take up a lot of computer resources?
Since all of it needs to be loaded at once (source code + immediate code), while an interpreter holds one line in RAM at a time
Characteristics of interpreter?
Converts firstly into immediate code then into object code
Each line is translated and executed seperately
Stops with errors
Less memory used one line stored at a time in RAM
Easier to correct
Code needs to be translated each time before executing
Can implement breakpoints
Characteristics of an assembler?
Converts assembly code into machine code
uses mneumonics to stand for instructions
What is a system software?
Software needed to run computer’s hardware and applications.
E.g OS,translator,Libraries,utilities
Features of Off The Shelf Software?
- Cheaper than specific applications
- May contain unwanted features or miss essentials
- Ready to install
- Well documented, tested
Features of Specific Application?
- More expensive than ots
- Custom features
- Longer time to develop
- May contain errors
Whats Freeware?
Software that is given for free however users do not have access to source code.
What is a Linker?
A program that combines all object files,including relevant libraries,into one executable .
What is a Loader?
A program that loads the executable into the RAM from secondary storage and updates the OS that program can be executed.
