System Software and Language Translators

Vocabulary flashcards covering Operating System functions, Utility Software, Program Libraries, Language Translators, and Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) based on the lecture notes.

Operating System (OS)

A type of system software that provides an interface between the user and the computer hardware, hiding hardware complexity and creating a platform for running application software.

Command Line Interface (CLI)

A user interface where the user communicates directly with the computer system by typing a series of commands using a keyboard in response to a prompt.

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

A user interface (also known as WIMP for windows, icons, menus, and pointer) that displays graphics and text, allowing users to interact with the system using a pointing device.

Memory Management

An operating system function that controls data movement between RAM, the processor, and virtual memory, tracks memory locations, and performs memory protection to prevent process overlap.

Security Management

An operating system task that manages user accounts, authenticates usernames and passwords, sets access rights, and provides firewall or anti-virus management.

Process Management

An OS function that handles process scheduling, allocates CPU resources, manages process priorities, and enables multitasking.

Hardware Management

An OS function (also called peripheral or device management) that controls communication between hardware and software using device drivers, queues, and buffers.

File Management

An OS management task that handles directory structures (such as FAT or NTFS), allocates storage space to files, specifies allowable file operations, and manages access rights.

Utility Software

System programs that assist in maintaining, configuring, or optimizing a computer system by performing specific dedicated tasks.

Virus Checker

A utility program that scans files on a computer system or incoming data for malicious code, quarantines or deletes detected viruses, and updates virus definitions.

Defragmentation Software

A utility that reorganizes files stored on a disk into contiguous blocks and consolidates free space to reduce drive head movement and speed up access times.

Disk Contents Analysis / Repair Software

A utility program that scans a disk drive for errors or corrupt bad sectors, marks bad sectors as unusable, and recovers damaged data.

Disk Formatter Software

A utility program that prepares a hard disk for initial use, sets up a specified file system, creates logical partitions, or renders pre-existing data inaccessible.

Back-up Software

A utility that creates copies of computer files at regular intervals to be stored in a separate location, enabling data restoration if original files are lost or corrupted.

File Compression Software

Utility software that uses lossy or lossless compression algorithms to reduce file sizes, saving storage space and speeding up data transmission.

Program Library

A stored collection of pre-written functions, subroutines, and modules that software developers can reference and import into their own programs.

Library Routine

A pre-existing, pre-compiled module of code in a program library that can be linked into a program without alteration to execute common or complex tasks.

Dynamic Link Library (DLL)

A collection of self-contained, pre-compiled shared library files stored separately from the main executable code and linked to the main program at run time.

High-Level Language (HLL)

A machine-independent, portable programming language close to human English that focuses on problem logic and requires translation to run on a computer.

Low-Level Language (LLL)

A machine-dependent programming language (such as assembly language or machine code) that provides direct access to processor registers and memory locations.

Machine Code

The binary instruction set ($0$s and $1$s) that a computer's central processing unit understands directly without requiring translation.

Assembly Language

A low-level programming language specific to computer hardware that utilizes mnemonic instruction codes instead of binary digits.

Compiler

A language translator that converts the entire high-level source code of a program into low-level machine code all at once, producing a standalone executable file.

Interpreter

A language translator that reads, translates, and executes high-level program statements line by line, pausing execution immediately when an error occurs.

Assembler

A translator program that converts low-level assembly language mnemonics into machine code binary instructions.

Bytecode

An intermediate, platform-independent code produced by a compiler (such as for Java) that is subsequently interpreted by a virtual machine.

Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

A software suite that provides tools to aid software development, typically containing a source code editor, language translator, runtime environment, and debugger.

Prettyprinting

An IDE source code editor feature that uses color-coding for keywords, strings, and comments, along with indentation and line breaks, to improve code readability.

Dynamic Syntax Checking

An IDE feature that highlights or underlines statements that violate language rules in real-time as the programmer types.

Breakpoint

A debugging tool in an IDE that halts code execution at a chosen line so variable values and data structures can be inspected in a report window.

Single Stepping

An IDE debugging feature that executes code line by line to allow the developer to observe program flow and isolate logic errors.