It goes without saying that not a single computer system, no matter how modern it may be, can work without installed software. The classification of software offered today by various media or online publications, as a rule, is not uniform. This is due only to the fact that some software products at the same time and equally can be attributed to completely different categories of software. Nevertheless, some general and basic aspects present in any such system can be found and combined into groups similar in their properties.
Software: computer software classification
In general, under the software of any computer system it is customary to understand not only those applications that the user installs, or those that are preinstalled in the operating system itself. In fact, the operating system itself is already system software. The classification of this type of software today does not raise any particular questions, since most systems use object-oriented programming tools with the ability to interact with the user through a graphical interface, and not through command sets, as it was before, for example, in DOS.
But as for the main types of software, it can conditionally be divided into the following categories:
- system software (operating systems, drivers, and controls);
- application software (narrowly targeted applications for performing only tasks of a certain type);
- development tools for programmers (specialized applications and platforms);
- service software (system maintenance).
In the above list, you may notice a slight inconsistency, since the same tools for creating the OS and applications, placed in a separate category, from the point of view of the programmer, are application software. The same can be said about security features or service applets.
System components and drivers
But let's look at all the classes in more detail. Start with operating systems and drivers. Operating systems can be compared with a kind of intermediate component, which provides not only user access to certain functions and settings, but also regulates the relationship between the work of hardware and software components.
On the other hand, no hardware will work in any system without the control software installed for it, thanks to which both the operating system and user programs will be able to recognize it and, if necessary, use purely physical characteristics.
Primary BIOS / UEFI Systems
Speaking about system components, one cannot ignore primary input / output systems, which initially store all the information on the hardware devices installed in the system, and at the time of turning on the computer, their performance is checked.
By the way, it is here that most of the parameters are set that may be unavailable in stationary systems (boot priorities, turning devices on and off, date and time settings that, if the options are set incorrectly, may cause failures already in the OS, options for using hard drive access modes etc.).
Protective equipment
The tools for protecting computer systems should be discussed in more detail, although by and large they can be attributed to the category of application or service utilities.
The classification of antivirus programs today causes a lot of controversy. This is due only to the fact that the very concept of “computer virus” has changed dramatically in recent decades. In other words, today we are no longer dealing with viruses that disrupt the system in the usual sense. Now they are replaced by, so to speak, semi-legal programs that can steal user data or affect browser settings without harming the system as a whole.
But if we consider the classification of antivirus programs, it can only be noted in principle that they are of a stationary and portable type, they are intended for the general neutralization of threats regardless of their nature of impact on the computer system, and narrowly targeted utilities designed to neutralize malicious applets of a certain type.
Separately, it is worth noting the relatively new developments, which are disk utilities with built-in bootloaders, which, when written to removable media, allow you to load your own interface even before the operating system starts and check your computer for threats, including boot and hidden areas, as well as RAM sections.
Application Software Classification
Finally, a few words about the largest class of software. The classification of computer software is simply not possible without considering applications that are created solely to perform certain tasks assigned to the system by the user himself.
Among the most basic types of software packages of this kind are the following:
- programs necessary for creating and processing office documents of any type (test and table editors);
- allowing to manage enterprises and accounting, including means of access to databases;
- Internet access facilities;
- tools for working with multimedia;
- automated control systems;
- publishing;
- entertainment software, etc.
In general, with regard to this category of software, the classification of software is so difficult that it is impossible to imagine, since applications of completely different directions appear almost every day (well, for example, who a couple of years ago assumed that it was very active today will they use cryptocurrency miners?). Such examples can be given for a sufficiently long time, but you cannot describe all the areas in which the application software is involved.
Brief conclusions
In general, the purpose of the software, based on the described types, is quite easy to understand: some types are designed for general management of computer systems and resources or to ensure user safety, while others are designed solely to perform specific tasks. These two categories are the main classes.