Last modified 01/24/2024

What is software ?,What is Software Piracy ?,What is software theft,software maintenance,software testing :
 

Software is a computer’s logical program that works virtually following a series of instruction of different programming languages, in order to achieve certain objective; it counts with an interface to make easier its execution for the user.

This type of logical support helps people to relate with the computers in a way in which they ask the computer to perform certain task and the computer executes them through a software because, if these machines, as others of another extra – informatics ambit, do not posses some algorithm to guide them, they would be the same as an empty box.

Software has many applications in the world of informatics, such as text editors (Microsoft Word, Notepad, Wordpad), music and video players (Wmplayer, Winamp, PowerDVD), P2P programs (Ares, Emule, Limewire, Kazaa), videogames, messaging clients (Yahoo, MSN), data bases (MySQL, Oracle, Microsoft Access), education, calculus (Derive, Excel), business (Minitab, Spss, graphic design (PhotoShop, 3dStudio), web design, compressors (WinRar, WinZip), operative systems (Windows XP, Linux), etc.

The software for program development is through the usage of languages such as (Java, C++, VBasic), it counts with little programs, such as depurators, compilations, linkers, text editors, interpreters, among others that include some codes to keep programming.

According to the definition of the word “Software” by the IEEE standards, software is a system that is formed by a joint of little programs and algorithms composed by procedures, rules, documentation and some data that is needed to operate a system.

This definition is trying to say that the software is an abstract media and it boards intangible objects composed in codes, such as: binary, executable or source. This definition was one by a statistic and bachelor degree in science called John W. Turkey, back in 1957.

Due to the diversity of existing programs, the difficulty of its creating is in a very wide range, because the creation of an operative system covers many branches, many responsible, its interface must not overload the resources of any ordinary system, because, at the same time, it must be compatible with other programs. On the other hand, there are programs and applications that very easy to use and program and even one programmer can be in charge of it.

To reach the level of difficulty, many tools learnt through teaching are performed, but there is a model called COCOMO, which is able to make an estimation of the cost of the development of a software and locate it in a low, intermediate, or high level, based in certain parameters, such as the code lines, amount of people to perform the project and other ones in order to continue the same or the time invested and as a final result you obtain the numerical value of hours / man and salary / month.

For the development of software you need some rules so the program does not fall, because less than 30% of the programs that are created manage to be successful. This is why the development implies following certain rules, like: capture, elicitation (picking up information from the source), specification and ERS (Requirement analysis), design, codification and tests, installation and production and, finally, maintenance. This step sequence is relative, because some programs do not need all that following.

Image: Gregory Szarkiewicz / FreeDigitalPhotos.net