IB ITGS - 3. Software

accounting software

Application software for managing finances.

application software

Software which allows users to produce work, such as documents and presentations.

application suite

Collection of application programs that perform related tasks, sold together.

assistant

Step by step help system to guide a user through a task.

audio software

Application software for creating, recording, and editing sound.

automatic recalculation

Spreadsheet feature that updates results when cells are changed.

backup

Spare copy of data to be used in the event of an emergency.

browser

Software used to view web pages.

Business Software Alliance

Organisation that works to reduce illegal copying of software.

bug

Error or mistake in a program.

closed source

Software whose source code is not publicly available.

cloud computing

System whereby application software and data are stored on a remote Internet server.

command line interface

System the user controls by typing in commands.

commercial software

Software which is sold for profit.

compatibility

Idea that two systems work together and can share hardware, software, or data.

concurrent licence

Software licence that allows a specific number of copies to be used at one time.

copyright

Law protecting intellectual property from unauthorised copying.

cross-platform

Hardware or software that works on multiple operating systems.

database software

Application software for creating, recording, and finding large collections of data.

Defragmentation

Process of reducing disk fragmentation.

desktop publishing software

Application software used to lay out pages for printed publications.

device drivers

Utility software used by the operating system to communicate with peripheral devices.

DTP

Application software used to lay out pages for printed publications.

EULA

Licence agreement for software that sets out the users rights and responsibilities.

end user licence agreement

Licence agreement for software that sets out the users rights and responsibilities.

Federation Against Software Theft

Organisation that works to reduce illegal copying of software.

firewall

Hardware or software that controls access to a network.

fragmentation

Problem that occurs as files are saved on non-contiguous sectors on a disk.

free and open source software

Software whose source code is freely available and can be changed and distributed.

freeware

Software which is distributed for no cost.

frequently asked questions

List of questions and answers often found in manuals and help screens.

Full backup

Backup that copies all data from a system.

Graphical User Interface

System the user controls using a mouse to click on icons, buttons, and windows.

graphics software

Application software for creating and editing images.

GUI

System the user controls using a mouse to click on icons, buttons, and windows.

Incremental backup

Backup that copies only the changed data since the last backup.

mail merge

Automatically customising a standard letter with individual names and addresses.

MDI

Interface that presents a series of pre-defined options to the user.

Menu Driven Interface

Interface that presents a series of pre-defined options to the user.

multi-user licence

Software licence that allows a specific number of copies to be used at one time.

multimedia software

Application software for creating and editing presentations, animations, and video.

open source

Software whose source code is freely available and can be changed and distributed.

operating systems

Software that manages the computer system and controls the hardware.

platform

Refers to a particular combination of hardware and operating system.

presentation software

Application software for creating slides used for lectures, presentations, and lessons.

product activation

Process of registering software online before it can be used, to reduce illegal copies.

productivity software

Software which allows users to produce work, such as documents and presentations.

public domain

Software to which the author has waived all rights.

read me file

Help file containing latest updates and information about using a system.

restore (a backup)

Copying data from a backup copy back to the main system.

safety critical system

System whose failure could result in injury or loss of life.

serial number

Registration number needed during software installation, used to reduce illegal copies.

shareware

Software which is free to use initially, but which must be pay for if use continues.

single-user licence

Software licence that allows the use of only a single copy on a single computer.

site licence

Software licence that allows an organisation to use software on an unlimited number of computers.

source code

Instructions that make up the software, entered by the programmer using a programming language.

spreadsheet software

Application software for performing numerical calculations and analysis.

tutorials

Step by step help on using a system.

User interface

Method used to communicate with a computer system.

utility software

Software used to perform maintenance jobs such as defragmenting disks.

video editing software

Application software for creating and editing video.

voice controlled interface

Ability to operate a computer by issuing spoken commands.

web development software

Application software for creating HTML pages for web sites.

Web-based software

System whereby application software and data are stored on a remote Internet server.

wizard

Step by step help system to guide a user through a task.

word processing software

Application software for creating written documents such as letters or essays.