Different types of software

Hardware:

• This being the physical components of a computer.

Software:

• This being the programs or applications that send information or commands to the hardware.

System                                                                              

• Operating System, Things like windows or Mac that would well operate the system
• Library Programs, These provide functions commonly used by other software e.g. printing routines
• Utility Programs,  These are things like anti-virus that help the system and perform specific tasks.
• Translators, These translate machine code to things that you would use in VB (assembly code) or vice versa
• Assembler, Assembly to machine code 
• Compiler,  Compiles higher level language into machine code. This is done whole source which takes ages but only needs to be done once and end user doesn't need anything to run it.
• Interpreter, Analyses and executes line by line.Pros: can be used straight away cons: runs slow because its analysing all the time.

Application

• General, Software which can be used for many tasks like a spreadsheet e.g. excel(often bought off shop shelf)
• Special, This is software made for 1 purpose e.g. accounting software
• Bespoke, Software written by request for a certain customer.Pros: does exactly what asked for with contract cons: costly.

Generations of software

• 1st gen, Machine code, 0's and 1's
• 2nd gen, Assembly, uses human mnemonics next to machine code (making it easier to read)
• 3rd gen, Imperative High Level, a statement that needs to be compiled into several machine code statements e.g. VB
• 4th gen, Declarative, this is what you want the computer to compute  e.g. SQL