System Software
A System Software is a software system that supports other software systems.
- Example(s):
- Counter-Example(s):
- See: Systems Programming Language.
References
2019
- (Wikipedia, 2019) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/system_software Retrieved:2019-7-4.
- System software is software designed to provide a platform for other software. Examples of system software include operating systems like macOS, Ubuntu (a Linux distribution) and Microsoft Windows, computational science software, game engines, industrial automation, and software as a service applications. In contrast to system software, software that allow users to do user-oriented tasks such as create text documents, play games, listen to music, or browse the web are collectively referred to as application software.
In the early days of computingmost application software was custom-written by computer users to fit their specific hardware and requirements. In contrast, system software was usually supplied by the manufacturer of the computer hardware and was intended to be used by most or all users of that system.
The line where the distinction should be drawn is not always clear. Many operating systems bundleapplication software. Such software is not considered system software when it can be uninstalled usually without affecting the functioning of other software. Exceptions could be e.g. web browsers such as Internet Explorer where Microsoft argued in court that it was system software that could not be uninstalled. Later examples are Chrome OS and Firefox OS where the browser functions as the only user interface and the only way to run programs (and other web browsers can not be installed in their place), then they can well be argued to be (part of) the operating system and hence system software.
Another borderline example is cloud-based software. This software provides services to a software client (usually a web browser or a JavaScript application running in the web browser), not to the user directly, and is therefore systems software. It is also developed using system programming methodologies and systems programming languages. Yet from the perspective of functionality there is little difference between a word processing application and word processing web application.
- System software is software designed to provide a platform for other software. Examples of system software include operating systems like macOS, Ubuntu (a Linux distribution) and Microsoft Windows, computational science software, game engines, industrial automation, and software as a service applications. In contrast to system software, software that allow users to do user-oriented tasks such as create text documents, play games, listen to music, or browse the web are collectively referred to as application software.