Chapter 4 Software

Question 1

What is software?

Answer 1

A series of instructions written in a programming language that tell the computer to do something

Question 2

What is system software?

Answer 2

A type of software which manages hardware and other software and allows communication between them

Question 3

What is the operating system (OS)?

Answer 3

A piece of system software which manages the computer, allows the user to communicate with the computer and lets software run

Question 4

What are utility programs?

Answer 4

System software that maintains the computer system

Question 5

What are some things utility programs do?

Answer 5

Performs system clean-up and defragmentation

Question 6

What is system clean-up?

Answer 6

The process of finding and removing unused programs and data

Question 7

What is defragmentation?

Answer 7

The process of rearranging so files are located together (contiguous) and free space is located together

Question 8

What is application software?

Answer 8

Software which allows the user to perform a task

Question 9

What are some examples of application software?

(generic names)

Answer 9

word processors, spreadsheet, database, web browser

Question 10

What does a spreadsheet do?

Answer 10

Allows the user to perform calculations on data

Question 11

What does a word processor do?

Answer 11

Allows the user to create text documents

Question 12

What does a database do?

Answer 12

Allows the user to store, search and manipulate a data set

Question 13

What does a web browser do?

Answer 13

Allows the user to view and navigate websites by retrieving and displaying them.

Question 14

What is firmware?

Answer 14

Instructions that are stored in ROM and loaded when a computer starts

Question 15

What is the bootstrap?

Answer 15

First commands loaded whenever a computer turns on, checking the hardware and loading firmware

Question 16

How does application software run?

Answer 16

The Operating System (OS) lets application software run on it

Question 17

How does the Operating System run?

Answer 17

The firmware provides instructions to the Operating System

Question 18

How does the firmware run?

Answer 18

The bootstrap loads the firmware and tells it to run

Question 19

How does the bootstrap run?

Answer 19

The bootstrap is loaded when a computer turns on as it is the first commands loaded when a computer starts

Question 20

What are some types of Operating System (OS)?

Answer 20

Windows, Linux, macOS for PCs and laptops. Android OS and iOS for mobile phones

Question 21

What is the overarching purpose of the OS?

Answer 21

Allow the user to interact with the hardware

Question 22

What does the operating system do?

Answer 22

Provide an interface for the user, manages files, peripherals and drivers, memory, interrupts, user accounts, allows multitasking and application software to run

Question 23

What is an interface?

Answer 23

The way a user can communicate with the computer, inputting data and getting it outputted to them

Question 24

What are the types of interface?

Answer 24

Graphical User Interface (GUI), command line interface, natural language interface

Question 25

What does WIMP stand for?

Answer 25

Windows, icons, menus, pointers

Question 26

What is a GUI?

Answer 26

An interface which uses WIMP, useful for novices as it is easy to use. EG: Windows

Question 27

What is a command line interface?

Answer 27

An interface requiring the user to input text as commands. Useful for expert users as commands must be exact. EG: Linux

Question 28

What is a natural language interface?

Answer 28

An interface which lets the user input text or speak commands, the OS analysing them afterwards and executing the action. EG: Apple’s Siri

Question 29

Does an OS let the user create files?

Answer 29

No, a user uses application software to make files

Question 30

How does an OS manage files?

Answer 30

The OS lets the user move, copy, delete, name and rename files and create directories they will be stored in. Allows other actions too, like sorting by date

Question 31

What is a peripheral?

Answer 31

A hardware device not part of the computer itself which inputs, stores or outputs data

Question 32

What is a driver?

Answer 32

Software that controls a device, translating data to and from the device for the computer. Drivers can be used for peripherals

Question 33

Why may drivers be needed?

Answer 33

A peripheral is programmed by the person making it, not the developer of the OS. It may not be compatible. EG: using a different binary interpretation

Question 34

How does an OS manage peripherals and drivers?

Answer 34

The OS allows the installation of drivers and the sending of data to and from them

Question 35

How does the OS manage memory?

Answer 35

The OS ensures the processes being executed have enough memory allocated, don’t try to access the same memory location and manages the movement of data to and from hardware

Question 36

How does multitasking work?

Answer 36

A single processor can only execute 1 instruction at a time. However, it switches between tasks so fast it appears to be doing several at once

Question 37

What are interrupts?

Answer 37

A signal sent to the processor telling it its attention is required

Question 38

How does the OS manage multitasking?

Answer 38

The OS decides which processes should be executed next and how long they can be processed before switching to another process with interrupts

Question 39

How does the OS manage interrupts?

Answer 39

The OS decides which interrupts to run and executed the actions required

Question 40

What are the types of interrupts?

Answer 40

Interrupts can be software (EG: program request for input) or hardware based (EG: printer out of paper)

Question 41

How is it decided which interrupts need immediate attention and which can wait?

Answer 41

An interrupt has a priority level, high-priority interrupts needing attention quickly (EG: hardware failure) and low-priority interrupts being able to wait (EG: data input). The Interrupt Handler manages this

Question 42

What is the interrupt handler (IH)?

Answer 42

A program which organises interrupts in an order based on their priorities, placing them in a queue

Question 43

When does the processor check the interrupt queue?

Answer 43

After it finishes its current fetch-decode-execute cycle (or before the next FDE cycle)

Question 44

What happens to the current task of the processor if there is an interrupt with a higher priority?

Answer 44

The current process is stored

Question 45

What is an interrupt service routine (ISR)?

Answer 45

A program which retrieves an interrupt and executed the required action(s)

Question 46

How does the processor execute the needed actions for the interrupt?

Answer 46

The processor checks the interrupt’s source and calls the relevant interrupt service routine (ISR)

Question 47

What happens after the processor is finished with the interrupt?

Answer 47

The stored process is returned to memory or another higher-priority interrupt is fetched

Question 48

What if the interrupt isn’t of a higher priority than the current task of the processor?

Answer 48

The processor runs another FDE cycle

Question 49

How does the OS provide a platform for applications to run on?

Answer 49

The OS fetches instructions from application software and executes them

Question 50

How does the OS manage user accounts?

Answer 50

The OS allows a user to set up an account, separates data for multiple accounts and restricts access by using the password (text and/or biometric)

Question 51

What are the 2 main types of programming languages?

Answer 51

High-level languages and low-level languages