Software is a set of code and instructions that tell a specific computer how to perform a certain task. There are many different forms of software, including word processing applications, music creation programs, office applications, gaming systems, cellular phones, and the Web browser. In contrast to physical hardware, software actually does the actual work and is controlled by a computer. When comparing software to physical hardware in terms of complexity, software takes less time and effort to use than hardware solutions, but there are other considerations to keep in mind when choosing software or creating a new software project.
To start at the very beginning, let’s take a look at what software engineering really is and what the main topics are in this particular topic. Software engineering is a general field that describes a set of practices that yield products that are technically perfect, as well as meeting the requirements of the customer. Software engineers implement, design, and maintain the software. The main article discusses three main areas of software engineering: Designing, Developing, and Using.
Designing is often used to describe the process of coming up with ideas for software engineering projects. A designer must put together an idea, drawing on both technological and artistic inspiration. Next, the designer must decide how to implement that idea into a functioning program. Designers can implement technology into a visual or a textual format, as is often done in graphic design. They often use programming languages and object-oriented database structures to help them create their layouts.
Developing is a step further than designing. In order to develop an application software, an engineer will have to create a detailed description of the end product. They may draw up a physical plan and use a series of computer programs to determine how the program will interact with hardware, as well as the user’s preferences in terms of screen size and function keys. A programmer then writes the software and tests it to ensure that it functions correctly. Engineers often test their programs on real hardware and use various forms of testing software to make sure that the application software is robust and can handle the real-world problems that will come up. Finally, an operating system is written to run the program.
As the names of the three stages suggest, the final step of software development is to implement it. This typically involves building and installing the program on a piece of hardware. Operating systems are tested by professional testers and other personnel in order to ensure that it can handle specific tasks, such as opening, saving, and printing; other software applications may be programmed into the operating system and given instructions on how to operate.
Software engineering has a complete definition because it incorporates all three phases mentioned above. While many people only pay attention to the creation of the software, this is but a part of the larger picture. Software engineering also encompasses the full lifecycle of software products, which is where an engineer or team of engineers is responsible for the long-term support of software products. Finally, even though software engineering is very broad in definition, there are different types of software development ranging from internet programming languages to scientific software. No matter what type of software you develop, it is vital that you fully understand its definition before you begin working on it.
