Definition of software: what it is, what it is for and why it is so important

It is undeniable that the current world moves to the sound of technology; Practically all of us have interacted in some way with some computer system of some kind, or foreign concepts sound like "hardware" or "software"; but for many they are still difficult concepts to internalize. In the case of software and its definition, since it does not have a physical reference attached to it, it usually presents certain difficulties for many habitual users. Today we want to clear doubts about this concept, giving a clear definition of software for all our readers.

Index of contents

What is software?

Software is an integral part of any system.

The software is part of what we call a Computer System (SI), which are the systems used to elaborate, store and process information; where the software is the logical part of these systems (also called programs) as opposed to the physical part, the hardware.

According to the IEEE, It is the set of computer programs, procedures, rules, documentation and associated data, which are part of the operations of a Computer System; they interact with the system resources and seek to solve the problems posed by the end user; which is why the vast majority of them are designed so that communication and interaction with said user is possible in a simple way. To give an example, our readers are the end user of the device where they are reading these lines.

The software is the set of computer programs, procedures, rules, documentation and associated data, which are part of a Computer System.

To achieve such communication, programs usually have a very high level of abstraction, which takes them away from the language of the assembler and makes it easy not only to operate the program, but also to develop new derived software .

The classification of the software according to its function

Several boxes of old software for MacOS. Image: Flickr; Jacob Bøtter.

As this description is so broad, there are many elements within a computer system that we could call software , so its differentiation is common. One of the most common and widespread differentiation methods is performed as a result of the function of each program in a computer system; namely:

• It is a very low level program, not intended for the user to interact with it and that controls the electronic circuits of our equipment. It is essential for the recognition of hardware in a computer and we find it in many ways; One of the most common forms that we can find is the BIOS of our system (to which we dedicate its own text). OS. They are a set of programs in charge of managing the hardware of a system; as well as providing an interface to communicate with the end user of said system. Windows 8 and Windows 10 are the most widespread operating systems at present. Along with the operating system, it is the type of program with which we interact the most. They are intended to solve the problems posed by the users of a system directly. Adobe Photoshop could be an example of an application. Its function is to perform tasks in the background to facilitate the operation of other programs; they are an intermediate medium and users do not have to interact directly with them.

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Software ownership

The license is a very important part of the software. Image: Wikimedia commons; Raimond Spekking.

For the user, it is important to know that the software they normally use is not owned by them, but by the developer. The programs usually have a series of licenses that take into account the attribution of the developer and what the end user can do (legally) with said program; the most common are the following and knowing them can be useful:

• Restricted use. This is a license (usually paid) that allows the user of a system to use a licensed program normally; but it prevents both its distribution and its internal manipulation. Most proprietary software falls into this category; An example could be the Microsoft Office suite . Test. If a payment is required to access the license to use a program, alternatively, a reduced version of said license is usually given; The so-called "lite" versions and the time-limited trial versions usually fall into this category. The programs under this license do not have any type of restriction on use and can be downloaded free of charge to be used immediately; Although the authorship of these programs and their license remains the property of the developers. Software This category includes all freely accessible programs that can be used for free and whose code is available (AND open) for modification by its users.

There are those who put restrictions on the licenses derived from the transformations of the program and who let it be modified to pleasure absolutely all about the program in question. OpenSource initiative programs fall into this category.

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A few final words

As you can see, software is a crucial part of the operation of your equipment and appears in it in various forms and functions; It not only helps us to solve the problems that we pose to our devices, but also that they take part further, in actions that the average user is not aware of. If you want to know more about this topic, we recommend this reading on its analog: hardware .