software
     n : (computer science) written programs or procedures or rules
         and associated documentation pertaining to the operation
         of a computer system and that are stored in read/write
         memory; "the market for software is expected to expand"
         [syn: {software system}, {software package}, {package}]
         [ant: {hardware}]

software
     
         (Or "computer program", "program", "code") The
        instructions executed by a computer, as opposed to the
        physical device on which they run (the "{hardware}").
     
        The term was coined by the eminent statistician, {John Tukey}.
     
        Programs stored on {non-volatile storage} built from
        {integrated circuits} (e.g. {ROM} or {PROM}) are usually
        called {firmware}.
     
        Software can be split into two main types - {system software}
        and application software or {application programs}.  System
        software is any software required to support the production or
        execution of application programs but which is not specific to
        any particular application.  Examples of system software would
        include the {operating system}, {compilers}, editors and
        sorting programs.
     
        Examples of application programs would include an accounts
        package or a {CAD} program.  Other broad classes of
        application software include {real-time} software, {business  software}, scientific and engineering software, {embedded  software}, personal computer software and {artificial  intelligence} software.
     
        Software includes both {source code} written by humans and
        executable {machine code} produced by {assemblers} or
        {compilers}.  It does not usually include the data processed
        by programs unless this is in a format such as {multimedia}
        which depends on the use of computers for its presentation.
        This distinction becomes unclear in cases such as {spread  sheets} which can contain both instructions (formulae and
        {macros}) and data.  There are also various intermediate
        compiled or {semi-compiled}, forms of software such as
        {library} files and {byte-code}.
     
        Some claim that {documentation} (both paper and electronic) is
        also software.  Others go further and define software to be
        programs plus documentation though this does not correspond
        with common usage.
     
        The noun "program" describes a single, complete and
        more-or-less self-contained list of instructions, often stored
        in a single {file}, whereas "code" and "software" are
        uncountable nouns describing some number of instructions which
        may constitute one or more programs or part thereof.  Most
        programs, however, rely heavily on various kinds of {operating  system} software for their execution.  The nounds "code" and
        "software" both refer to the same thing but "code" tends to
        suggest an interest in the implementation details whereas
        "software" is more of a user's term.
     
        (2002-07-21)