Chapter 4, Problem 1CC

Program Plan Intro

System software and the four kinds of system software programs.

Program Description Answer

System software may be defined as a collection of programs that handles many technical details working along with end users, application software, and computer hardware. System software act as interface between application software and hardware of computer system. The four kinds of system software programs are Operating System, Utilities, Device Drivers, and Language Translator.

Explanation of Solution

System software may be defined as a collection of programs that handles many technical details. In order to handle hundreds of technical details, the system software works as an interface between application software, end user, and computer hardware.

The four kinds of system software programs are:

Operating Systems: It acts as an interface between the end user and the computer itself and helps in coordinating computer resources for the application programs.

Utilities: It executes a distinct function to manage the computer resource.

Device Drivers: It is a specific program defined to manage the interaction between input and output device with rest of the computer system.

Language Translator: The computer understands binary language. So, a language translator transforms a program written by a programmer to the language understood by the computer.