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Software is the set of programs and related instructions that tell a computer or computerized device what to do. It can run the device, help people complete tasks, provide tools for creating programs, or control equipment such as cars and industrial robots. The documents, images, recordings, and other content a program handles are not automatically software.
What does software mean?
In everyday terms, software is the instructions that make a computer perform tasks. A standards-based definition attributed to ISO/IEC/IEEE 26514:2022 describes it as a “program or set of programs used to run a computer,” as reproduced in the IEEE Computer Society’s SEVOCAB software entry.
Formal definitions vary by standard and context. Some encompass procedures, rules, and associated documentation or data as well as programs. The practical point is that software provides instructions or supporting procedures for operating an information-processing system; no single short definition captures every formal use.
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“Features” is not a single official checklist. These characteristics help explain what software is and how it differs from the information it works with:
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- It consists of instructions and procedures. Software specifies operations a computer or computerized device can carry out.
- It runs within a system. Some software operates the computing environment; other software runs on that environment to perform tasks.
- It can be accompanied by supporting material. Depending on the definition and context, associated rules, documentation, or data may be included.
- It can act on digital content without being that content. A word processor is software; a document opened in it is information the software handles. The same distinction applies to a media player and a recording, or an image editor and an image.
The IEEE Computer Society’s SEVOCAB entry explicitly distinguishes software from information “per se,” including documents, audio or video, graphics, and database content.
What are the types of software?
A useful classification groups software by what it does. These categories are not exclusive: a product may span more than one, and other classification schemes are possible.
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| Type | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| System software | Supports the operation and maintenance of a computer and provides a platform for applications. | Operating systems, utilities, disk management, and hardware management. |
| Application software | Helps users perform particular tasks or solve particular kinds of problems. | Office tools, data-management programs, media players, security programs, and web or mobile apps. |
| Programming software | Provides tools for creating and maintaining software. | Text editors, compilers, linkers, and debuggers. |
| Embedded software | Controls or operates devices not ordinarily thought of as general-purpose computers. | Software in cars, telecommunications networks, and industrial robots; connected devices may form part of IoT systems. |
The system- and application-software descriptions align with definitions collected by the IEEE Computer Society in its SEVOCAB entry for application and system software. IBM’s software development overview gives accessible examples across these categories, including programming and embedded software.
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Function is only one way to classify software. A separate distinction concerns who it is made for and how broadly it is distributed:
- Custom software is developed for a specific set of users, functions, or organizations.
- Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software is designed for broader needs and commercial distribution.
This distinction does not replace the functional categories. A custom or COTS product could be an application, a system tool, or another kind of software. IBM describes these distribution and customization categories in its software development overview.
How can you tell what kind of software something is?
Start by asking what role it plays, then consider where it runs and how it is supplied:
- Look at its purpose. Does it operate the computer, help an end user complete a task, provide tools for building software, or control a device?
- Identify its execution context. Does it run on a general-purpose computer, or is it built into equipment such as a vehicle or industrial machine?
- Check its intended scope. Was it tailored for a particular organization or group, or designed for broader commercial use?
For example, a program for editing documents is application software; the operating system beneath it is system software. A compiler is programming software, while the control program inside a machine is embedded software. These labels answer different questions, so a product’s purpose and distribution should not be conflated.
Why do definitions of software vary?
Standards define terms for particular technical contexts, which is why their scope and wording can differ. The IEEE Computer Society’s SEVOCAB project description says the vocabulary brings together definitions from international standards and is a joint IEEE Computer Society and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7 project. Its software entry attributes formulations to standards including IEEE 828-2012, ISO/IEC 19770-5:2015, ISO/IEC/IEEE 26514:2022, and ISO/IEC 19770-1:2017. Read a formal definition with its cited standard and context in mind rather than treating one wording as universal.
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