Difference Between Program And Software In Software Engineering

What Is A Computer Program?

A computer program is a collection of instructions that performs a specific task when executed by a computer. Most computer devices require programs to function properly. A computer program is usually written by a computer programmer in a programming language. Once it is written, the programmer uses a compiler to turn it into a language that the computer can understand.

A computer program is stored as a file on the computer’s hard drive. When the user runs the program, the file is read by the computer, and the processor reads the data in the file as a list of instructions. Then the computer does what the program tells it to do.

What You Need To Know About Program

• Program is a set of instructions written in a programming language used to execute for a specific task or particular function.
• A program does not have further categorization.
• A program cannot be software.
• A program consists of a set of instructions which are coded in a programming language like c, C++, PHP, Java etc.
• Programs do not have a user interface.
• A program is developed and used by either a single programmer or a group of programmers.
• A program is compiled every time when we need to generate some output from it.
• Program has limited functionality and less features.
• Program functionality is dependent on compiler.
• A program takes less time to build/make.
• Program development approach is un-procedural, un-organized and unplanned.
• The size of a program ranges from kilobytes (Kb) to megabytes (Mb).
• Examples of computer programs include: Operating system, office suite, video games, malware, a web browser like Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari.

What Is A Computer Software?

Computer software popularly referred to as software, is a set of instructions, data or programs used to operate computers and execute specific tasks. It includes all programs on a computer such as applications and the operating system. Software is often divided into three categories:

• Application software. This is intended to perform certain tasks. Examples of application software include office suites, gaming applications, database systems and educational software.
• Programming Software. Programming software is a set of tools to aid developers in writing programs. The various tools available are compilers, linkers, debuggers, interpreters and text editors.
• System Software. System software act as a base for application software. Examples include device drivers, operating systems, compilers, disk formatters, text editors and utilities helping the computer to operate more efficiently. System software is usually written in C programming language.

What You Need To Know About Software

• Software is a collection of several programs and other procedures and documentation.
• Software can be categorized into two categories: application software and system software.
• Software can be a program.
• Software consists of bundles of programs and data files. Programs in specific software use these data files to perform a dedicated type of tasks.
• Every software has a dedicated user interface. The user interface of software may be in the form of a command prompt or in a graphical format.
• Software is developed by either a single programmer or a group of programmers.
• Whole software is compiled, tested and debugged during the development process.
• Software has lots of functionality and features such as GUI, input/output data, process etc.
• Software functionality is dependent on the operating system.
• Software takes relatively more time to build/make when compared to program.
• Software development approach is systematic, organized and very well planned.
• The size of a software ranges from megabytes (Mb) to Gigabytes (Gb).
• Examples of software include:  Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, VLC media player, Firefox, Adobe Reader, Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac etc.

Also Read: Difference Between Application Software And System Software

Difference Between Program And Software In Tabular Form