Chapter 4 Flashcards
What are the three groups into which systems software is divided?
Operating systems, utility programs, and language translators.
What is an operating system (OS)?
A suite of programs acting as an interface between users and hardware.
What are the major functions of an operating system? List at least five.
- Resource sharing
- Device management
- Input/output handling
- Memory management
- Scheduling
True or False: An operating system is not a vital component of a computer system.
False
What type of operating system allows only one user to access the machine at a time?
Single-user operating system.
Name two examples of multi-user operating systems.
- UNIX
- VMS
What is a real-time operating system designed for?
Executing real-time applications with quick and predictable responses.
Fill in the blank: A _______ operating system allows multiple users to access the computer’s resources simultaneously.
[multi-user]
What is the difference between hard and soft real-time systems?
- Hard: Time is fixed and cannot change.
- Soft: Some moments can be changed.
What defines a distributed operating system?
It manages a group of independent computers, making them appear as a single computer.
What is an embedded operating system?
An OS designed for embedded computer systems with limited resources.
What is the purpose of language translators?
To translate programs written in other languages to machine language.
What is an assembler?
A program that translates assembly language into object code.
How does an interpreter function?
It reads, translates, and executes a program line by line into machine language.
What are the stages in the compilation process? List at least four.
- Lexical analysis
- Syntax analysis
- Semantic analysis
- Intermediate code generation
True or False: Compiled programs usually run slower than interpreted programs.
False
What is utility software?
Programs designed to help analyze, configure, optimize, or maintain a computer.
List three operations performed by utility software.
- File conversion
- File copy
- Housekeeping operations
What is application software?
Programs designed to solve specific problems.
Fill in the blank: Application software sits on top of _______ software.
[system]
Name two classes of application software.
- Word processors
- Database management systems
What is a user-defined application program?
Packages specifically designed for a typical set of users.
What sits on top of systems software?
Application software
Application software cannot run without the operating system and system utilities.
Name two classes of application software.
- Word processors
- Spreadsheet, database management systems, graphics, and user-defined software
What is a word processor?
A computer application software used for reproducing documents or any sort of printable material.
Give three examples of word processing packages.
- MS-Word
- WordPerfect
- OpenOffice
What is a spreadsheet?
An interactive computer application program for organization and analysis of information in tabular form.
List three examples of spreadsheet packages.
- MS Excel
- VisiCalc
- LibreOffice Calc
What do graphic packages enable?
They enable you to create images, diagrams, and pictures.
Name three examples of graphic packages.
- CorelDraw
- Photoshop
- Illustrator
What is the purpose of database packages?
Software for designing, setting up, and managing a database.
Provide two examples of database packages.
- Microsoft Access
- Oracle
What does desktop publishing software produce?
Books and documents in standard form.
List three examples of desktop publishing packages.
- Adobe InDesign
- QuarkXPress
- PageMaker
What are games packages?
Packages that contain a variety of games for entertainment.
Name two examples of games packages.
- Solitaire
- Monopoly
What are communication packages?
Software that provides services over the Internet.
List three examples of communication software.
- Yahoo Messenger
- Google Mail
- MS Outlook
What are user programs?
Programs written for individual business or task operations.
What are integrated packages?
Programs that perform various processing operations sold as one.
What are the three main classes of computer languages?
- Machine language
- Low-level language
- High-level language
Define machine language.
A program written in binary code directly executable by the computer.
What is a low-level language?
A programming language with little or no abstraction from a computer’s instruction set.
What is an assembly language?
A low-level language using mnemonics or symbols to represent instructions.
What is a high-level language?
A programming language that is closer to human language and problem-oriented.
Provide two examples of high-level languages.
- COBOL
- FORTRAN
What is BASIC?
A simple high-level language useful for training in educational institutions.
What does COBOL stand for?
Common Business Oriented Language.
What is FORTRAN primarily used for?
Scientific problems and mathematical evaluations.
What is PASCAL primarily designed for?
Teaching principles of structured programming.
What is C language known for?
High coding power and speed of execution.
What are fourth generation languages (4GLs)?
Non-procedural programming languages closer to human language.
Define Object Oriented Programming (OOP).
A programming paradigm where data structures and operations are tied together into objects.
List three examples of Object Oriented Programming languages.
- C++
- Java
- C#
What are web programming languages used for?
Designing applications for the Internet.
Name two examples of web programming languages.
- HTML
- PHP
