4.6 Fundamentals of computer systems Updated Flashcards
What is meant by hardware
Hardware describes the electrical or electro-mechanical parts of a computer system
What are the functions of OS
processor management
user management
memory management
file management
device management
What are the two low level languages
Machine code
Assembly language
Describe assembly code/language
Assembly language is a low-level programming language that uses human-readable mnemonics instead of binary machine code.
What is meant by software
Software comprises all of the programs that make the computer function
Explain what is meant by system software
Software used in the management of a computer system
What is meant by application software
computer programs designed to perform specific tasks for users.
What is the purpose of an OS ( 2)
To hide the complexities of the hardware from the user (i.e. provide a virtual machine)
Manages the hardware (resources) including the allocation of hardware resources (to processes)
What is utility software / utility programs
Utility software is software that performs a non-core, ancillary function for a computer
What are three examples of utility software
Defragment a disk
install/uninstall software
Virus checkers
Automatic backup and restore
File compression software
What is a library program
A library program is a collection of pre-compiled routines that can be used by other programs
What is machine code (2)
Machine code is a computer programming language consisting of binary or hexadecimal instructions
which a computer can respond to directly.
What is a translator
A translator is used to translate code written in assembly language or other high level code into machine-code
What are the three types of translators
Assembler
Compiler
Interpreter
What does an assembler do
translate assembly language into machine code
What does an interpreter do
An interpreter is a type of program that translates and executes code line by line rather than compiling the entire code at once. It converts high-level programming languages into machine code
What does a compiler do
translate high-level language programs into object code (machine code) which can be saved and run whenever needed, without the compiler having to be present (executable file)
What is general purpose software
General purpose softwares can be used for a range of generic tasks
What is special purpose software
Special-purpose software performs tasks for a single, specific job
What is off the shelf software (2)
Off-the-shelf software is software that can be purchased by lots of different customers -
they are all purchasing the same piece of specialised software
What is bespoke software
Bespoke software is software that has been developed by programmers specifically for a particular customer to meet their exact needs and requirements
What are the benefits and drawbacks of off the shelf software
Off-the-shelf software is readily available for anyone to use
The cost is usually lower because development costs are shared among all the buyers
You have little or no control over what features there are
It may not do exactly what you want
Definition of an API (2)
An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other.
It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software.
What is the OS responsible for (4)
allocating processors to processes
allocating memory/RAM to processes
allocating I/O devices (input and output devices) to processes
allocating space on storage devices to files