IGCSE Computer Science - Software

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and definitions related to software, system types, and their functions as highlighted in the IGCSE Computer Science lecture.

Software

A set of instructions written in a programming language that performs tasks and tells a computer what to do.

System Software

Software that a computer cannot operate without; includes the operating system and utility programs.

Application Software

Software designed to perform specific tasks for users, such as word processing or web browsing.

Operating System (OS)

A type of system software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides services for computer programs.

Basic Input Output System (BIOS)

Firmware that initializes computer hardware during the booting process and provides runtime services for operating systems.

Device Driver

A type of software that enables a hardware device to communicate with the operating system.

Utility Software

System software designed to help manage and tune computer hardware, operating system, or application software by performing a specific task.

Antivirus Software

A utility program that detects, prevents, and removes malware from a computer.

Defragmentation Software

Software that reorganizes fragmented data on a hard disk drive to improve access speed.

Human-Computer Interface (HCI)

The means by which users interact with a computer system; can be command line, graphical user interface, or voice command.

Memory Management

The function of an operating system that handles the allocation and management of computer memory.

Multitasking

The ability of an operating system to allow multiple processes to run simultaneously.

Peripheral Management

The function of an operating system that manages input and output devices.

User Account Management

The management of user accounts, permissions, and data security in a computer system.

File Management

The function of organizing, storing, retrieving, naming, sharing, and securing files on a computer.

Security Management

The practice of protecting computer systems from unauthorized access and ensuring data integrity.

Interrupt

A signal to the operating system emitted by hardware or software indicating an event that needs immediate attention.

High-Level Programming Language

A programming language that is easy for humans to read and write, using abstract features that simplify coding.

Low-Level Programming Language

A programming language that provides little abstraction from a computer's instruction set architecture, closely related to machine code.

Interpreter

A type of translator that executes code line by line and stops if an error is encountered.

Compiler

A translator that converts an entire high-level programming language program into machine code before execution.

Assembler

A translator that converts assembly language into machine code.

Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

A software application that provides comprehensive facilities to programmers for software development.