System Software

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System Software
System Software is the software that is directly related to coordinating computer operations and performs tasks associated with controlling and utilizing computer hardware. These programs assist in running application programs and are designed to control the operation of a computer system. System software directs the computer what to do, when to do and how to do. System software can be further categorized into
·        Operating System
·        Language Translators


1. Operating System

An operating system act as an interface between the user and hardware devices. It is a set of programs that activates & co-ordinates various hardware resources (processor & input/output devices) & the processes that use these resources on a computer system. It acts as a resource manager to make optimum use of resources. Without operating system a computer cannot do anything useful. When a computer is switched on, the operating system is the first program that is loaded onto its memory.
Some of the popular operating systems used in personal computers are DOS, Windows, Unix, Linux, Solaris, etc.

An operating system can be a Single User or a Multiuser operating system. For example Windows 7 is a single user operating system while Linux is a multiuser operating system.


2. Language Translators
We know that computer understands instructions in machine code, i.e. in the form of 0s and 1s. It is difficult for us to write computer program directly in machine code. The programs are written mostly in high-level languages, i.e. BASIC, C++, Python etc. A program written in any high-level programming language (or written in assembly language) is called the Source Program or Source Code.
The source code cannot be executed directly by the computer. The source code must be converted into machine language to be executed. The program translated into machine code is known as Object Program or Object code.
The special translator system software that is used to translate the program written in high-level language (or Assembly language) into machine code is called language processor or translator program.
The language processors can be any of the following three types:-
  •         Assembler
  •         Compiler
  •         Interpreter



  • Assembler
The Assembler is used to translate the program written in Assembly language into machine code. The input of Assembler is a source program that contains assembly language instructions. The output generated by assembler is the object code or machine code understandable by the computer.


  • Compiler
It is translator which converts the High Level Language into machine language in one go. A source program in High Level Language get converted into Object Program in Machine Level Language.


  • Interpreter
It is a translator which converts the High Level Language into Machine Language line by line. It takes one statement of HLL and converts it into machine code which is immediately executed. It eliminate the need of separate compilation/run. However, it is slow in processing as compare to compiler.

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