Software is a computer program \u2013 a structured compilation of commands computers and other hardware understand and act on because they are written in computer programming languages consisting of binary code. Software is developed to complete a specific task like automating a previously manual process to make it more efficient, organizing and processing information (data) in a certain way, or providing entertainment, like a video game.<\/p>\n
<\/span>The software has a front end and a back end<\/h2>\nMost software has a front end and a back end. The front end is the part users see and interact with. It is considered the \u2018presentation layer. The back end is the plumbing behind the scenes that supports the front end and allows it to work the way it does. It is the \u2018data access layer\u2019 or \u2018infrastructure layer\u2019.<\/p>\n
Front-end and back-end development involve different skill sets and technologies and software developers are usually classified as front-end, back end or full-stack developers. Full-stack developers have the skills and experience to work on both the front and back ends of software being developed.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the difference between software development and software engineering?<\/h2>\n
The terms software development and software engineering are often used interchangeably. But is there a difference? Some might argue differently but, technically, there isn\u2019t any officially defined difference.<\/p>\n
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines software engineering as:<\/p>\n
\u201cA branch of computer science that deals with the design, implementation, and maintenance of complex computer programs.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nBut the dictionary does not define software development, suggesting software engineering instead.<\/p>\n
The Cambridge dictionary defines both software development and software engineering in the same way:<\/p>\n
\u201cthe activity of creating computer programs\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/span>Is there a difference between software development and computer programming or coding?<\/h3>\nComputer programming and coding are other terms sometimes practically used as similes for software development. The distinction that could be made is software development refers specifically to the end-to-end process of creating a software product. Computer programming and coding is part of that process. A good analogy would be the distinction between \u2018writing\u2019 and \u2018writing a book\u2019.<\/p>\n
<\/span>The different types of software<\/h2>\nThere are many different types of software and the broad category can be broken down into different groupings, like use cases or technical qualities. At a macro level we can break software down into four main groups:<\/p>\n
\n- Application software<\/li>\n
- Utility software<\/li>\n
- System software<\/li>\n
- Embedded software<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
<\/span>Application software<\/h3>\nApplication software is the most familiar category and refers to software that runs on a computer or mobile device. A computer game, Microsoft Office, accountancy software, Slack, Skype, Google Maps, or a web browser like Chrome are all examples of application software.<\/p>\n
Application software can be native \u2013 designed to run on either a particular operating system like Windows or macOS (desktop and laptop) and Android or iOS (mobile devices).<\/p>\n
Or it can be cross-platform. Cross-platform application software runs on web browsers and the process of creating it is\u00a0web development. Some cross-platform applications, usually mobile apps, are referred to as \u2018hybrid\u2019 because they run on a browser but are deployed in a native container. The approach gives cross-platform apps a \u2018native\u2019 feel and can allow for better integration with the device\u2019s hardware.<\/p>\n
Application software is usually designed to help its users complete a particular task, including entertainment. The four main sub-categories of application software are:<\/p>\n
<\/span>Custom software<\/h4>\nCustom software\u00a0is developed as a tailor-made solution to the needs of a particular user. For example, a solar plant operator might want to develop software that will track and record yields across its installations. It has to be custom developed to the unique requirements of the specific conditions and commercial priorities.<\/p>\n
Custom software is usually developed to provide a competitive advantage in a way a one-size-fits-all commercial software can\u2019t.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Commercial software<\/h4>\nCommercial software is developed as a solution to a particular market or consumer need and designed to be resold to a theoretically unlimited number of users with the same need. Video games are a good example of commercial software, as are mobile apps and SaaS products like accountancy or booking software designed for restaurants, hotels, or sports facilities.<\/p>\n
Sometimes commercial software is also designed to be customizable to specific customer needs. Hybrid customizable commercial software usually offers a standard version of the product designed to fit the most general needs. Customers who want to customize that to their requirements then pay for the additional development work in addition to the usual license fee. Salesforce is one of the best-known examples of commercial software that can be customized.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Open-source application software<\/h4>\nOpen source software is developed and released by the copyright holder under a license that gives users the right to use, analyze, customize, develop on, and distribute it to anyone for any purpose. The source code of open-source software is often developed collaboratively by a public community of developers.<\/p>\n
Improvements suggested by the open source community are integrated into the software by consensus decision. WordPress, the Mozilla Firefox browser, and VLC Media are all popular examples of open-source application software. Other kinds of software, like operating systems and programming languages, frameworks, and software development tools can also be open source.<\/p>\n
The term open source was introduced by\u00a0The Open Source Initiative\u00a0(OSI) in the late 1990s.<\/p>\n
\u2018Free source\u2019 is a term sometimes used for open-source software distributed for free without a license fee.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Cloud-native software<\/h4>\nCloud-native software development means building software in a way that is specifically customized to run on a cloud computing infrastructure, including public, private, and hybrid clouds.<\/p>\n
Cloud-native apps consist of<\/a>\u00a0\u201ca collection of small, independent, and loosely coupled services\u201d<\/em>, referred to as\u00a0microservices.<\/p>\nCloud-native software can either be developed as \u2018cloud agnostic\u2019, which means it can run on any kind of cloud, public or private, with minimum reconfiguration or as native to a particular cloud computing platform like AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).<\/p>\n
<\/span>System software<\/h3>\nSystem software is an umbrella term for software designed to start and run computer hardware and allow application software to run on it. It acts as a facilitator for the optimal interaction between hardware and application software running on it.<\/p>\n
There are several different categories of system software:<\/p>\n
<\/span>Operating system (OS)<\/h4>\nA device\u2019s operating system is probably the kind of system software we are most familiar with. It is a kind of software application that sits between a computer\u2019s hardware and the application software that is installed on it. Applications then make use of the hardware by sending requests for particular services, like processing or visual representation, go through the OS, communicating with it by API.<\/p>\n
Users of the device an OS is installed use it to communicate with the hardware without having to know a programming language. For example, when you turn off your laptop\u2019s power by selecting \u2018shut down\u2019 via Windows or macOS.<\/p>\n
The operating systems we are most familiar with (Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS) as users of mainstream tech like laptops, smartphones, and tablets use a graphical UI (GUI) user interface. Linux, popular with software developers, has a command-line interface (CLI), which means you don\u2019t tap a button with a cursor but type in a command.<\/p>\n
The most common operating systems in 2021 (used by almost\u00a092%<\/a>\u00a0of all devices) are:<\/p>\n\n- Windows<\/li>\n
- macOS<\/li>\n
- Linux<\/li>\n
- Android<\/li>\n
- iOS<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span>Utility Software<\/h4>\nUtility software is also designed to perform particular tasks but in the background and related to hardware performance and security. Examples of utility software are antivirus programs, hard disk optimization tools, and device backup.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Drivers<\/h4>\nDevice drivers are a kind of software extension, or component, that facilitates communication between an operating system and a device. If an application needs to access data from the device it is running on the driver communicates that request to the hardware, which then returns the requested data to the operating system which, in turn, passes it over to the application.<\/p>\n
![\"Diagram](\"https:\/\/kruschecompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Diagram-of-how-driver-software-extensions-site-between-a-device-and-operating-system.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Source:<\/strong>\u00a0Microsoft<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/span>Middleware<\/h4>\nMiddleware is a category of software that augments the services and capabilities the operating system provides and is often used to handle things like API management, data management, authentication, messaging, and more advanced application services.<\/p>\n
RedHat\u00a0defines<\/a> the role of middleware succinctly:<\/p>\n\u201cMiddleware helps developers build applications more efficiently. It acts like the connective tissue between applications, data, and users\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\nMiddleware has become increasingly important with the rise of the DevOps software development methodology and cloud-native development because it helps manage the complexity of applications deployed across hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures.<\/p>\n
As part of a DevOps approach to application software development, middleware is used to ensure software developed in one environment works in the same way when run in another.<\/p>\n
Windowing systems<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0operating system shells<\/a>\u00a0are also examples of narrower system software categories.<\/p>\n<\/span>Embedded software<\/h3>\nEmbedded software (also referred to as\u00a0firmware<\/em>) is a kind of software designed to run on hardware that wouldn\u2019t normally be defined as a computer. For example, the software in a car or a robot vacuum cleaner is an example of embedded software. As is a software developed for robotics like those used to automate production lines or IoT (internet of things) devices like smart doorbells or virtual assistants (Alexa, Apple HomePod, Google Assistant, etc.).<\/p>\n
But the dictionary does not define software development, suggesting software engineering instead.<\/p>\n
The Cambridge dictionary defines both software development and software engineering in the same way:<\/p>\n
\u201cthe activity of creating computer programs\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Computer programming and coding are other terms sometimes practically used as similes for software development. The distinction that could be made is software development refers specifically to the end-to-end process of creating a software product. Computer programming and coding is part of that process. A good analogy would be the distinction between \u2018writing\u2019 and \u2018writing a book\u2019.<\/p>\n There are many different types of software and the broad category can be broken down into different groupings, like use cases or technical qualities. At a macro level we can break software down into four main groups:<\/p>\n Application software is the most familiar category and refers to software that runs on a computer or mobile device. A computer game, Microsoft Office, accountancy software, Slack, Skype, Google Maps, or a web browser like Chrome are all examples of application software.<\/p>\n Application software can be native \u2013 designed to run on either a particular operating system like Windows or macOS (desktop and laptop) and Android or iOS (mobile devices).<\/p>\n Or it can be cross-platform. Cross-platform application software runs on web browsers and the process of creating it is\u00a0web development. Some cross-platform applications, usually mobile apps, are referred to as \u2018hybrid\u2019 because they run on a browser but are deployed in a native container. The approach gives cross-platform apps a \u2018native\u2019 feel and can allow for better integration with the device\u2019s hardware.<\/p>\n Application software is usually designed to help its users complete a particular task, including entertainment. The four main sub-categories of application software are:<\/p>\n Custom software\u00a0is developed as a tailor-made solution to the needs of a particular user. For example, a solar plant operator might want to develop software that will track and record yields across its installations. It has to be custom developed to the unique requirements of the specific conditions and commercial priorities.<\/p>\n Custom software is usually developed to provide a competitive advantage in a way a one-size-fits-all commercial software can\u2019t.<\/p>\n Commercial software is developed as a solution to a particular market or consumer need and designed to be resold to a theoretically unlimited number of users with the same need. Video games are a good example of commercial software, as are mobile apps and SaaS products like accountancy or booking software designed for restaurants, hotels, or sports facilities.<\/p>\n Sometimes commercial software is also designed to be customizable to specific customer needs. Hybrid customizable commercial software usually offers a standard version of the product designed to fit the most general needs. Customers who want to customize that to their requirements then pay for the additional development work in addition to the usual license fee. Salesforce is one of the best-known examples of commercial software that can be customized.<\/p>\n Open source software is developed and released by the copyright holder under a license that gives users the right to use, analyze, customize, develop on, and distribute it to anyone for any purpose. The source code of open-source software is often developed collaboratively by a public community of developers.<\/p>\n Improvements suggested by the open source community are integrated into the software by consensus decision. WordPress, the Mozilla Firefox browser, and VLC Media are all popular examples of open-source application software. Other kinds of software, like operating systems and programming languages, frameworks, and software development tools can also be open source.<\/p>\n The term open source was introduced by\u00a0The Open Source Initiative\u00a0(OSI) in the late 1990s.<\/p>\n \u2018Free source\u2019 is a term sometimes used for open-source software distributed for free without a license fee.<\/p>\n Cloud-native software development means building software in a way that is specifically customized to run on a cloud computing infrastructure, including public, private, and hybrid clouds.<\/p>\n Cloud-native apps consist of<\/a>\u00a0\u201ca collection of small, independent, and loosely coupled services\u201d<\/em>, referred to as\u00a0microservices.<\/p>\n Cloud-native software can either be developed as \u2018cloud agnostic\u2019, which means it can run on any kind of cloud, public or private, with minimum reconfiguration or as native to a particular cloud computing platform like AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).<\/p>\n System software is an umbrella term for software designed to start and run computer hardware and allow application software to run on it. It acts as a facilitator for the optimal interaction between hardware and application software running on it.<\/p>\n There are several different categories of system software:<\/p>\n A device\u2019s operating system is probably the kind of system software we are most familiar with. It is a kind of software application that sits between a computer\u2019s hardware and the application software that is installed on it. Applications then make use of the hardware by sending requests for particular services, like processing or visual representation, go through the OS, communicating with it by API.<\/p>\n Users of the device an OS is installed use it to communicate with the hardware without having to know a programming language. For example, when you turn off your laptop\u2019s power by selecting \u2018shut down\u2019 via Windows or macOS.<\/p>\n The operating systems we are most familiar with (Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS) as users of mainstream tech like laptops, smartphones, and tablets use a graphical UI (GUI) user interface. Linux, popular with software developers, has a command-line interface (CLI), which means you don\u2019t tap a button with a cursor but type in a command.<\/p>\n The most common operating systems in 2021 (used by almost\u00a092%<\/a>\u00a0of all devices) are:<\/p>\n Utility software is also designed to perform particular tasks but in the background and related to hardware performance and security. Examples of utility software are antivirus programs, hard disk optimization tools, and device backup.<\/p>\n Device drivers are a kind of software extension, or component, that facilitates communication between an operating system and a device. If an application needs to access data from the device it is running on the driver communicates that request to the hardware, which then returns the requested data to the operating system which, in turn, passes it over to the application.<\/p>\n Source:<\/strong>\u00a0Microsoft<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Middleware is a category of software that augments the services and capabilities the operating system provides and is often used to handle things like API management, data management, authentication, messaging, and more advanced application services.<\/p>\n RedHat\u00a0defines<\/a> the role of middleware succinctly:<\/p>\n \u201cMiddleware helps developers build applications more efficiently. It acts like the connective tissue between applications, data, and users\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n Middleware has become increasingly important with the rise of the DevOps software development methodology and cloud-native development because it helps manage the complexity of applications deployed across hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures.<\/p>\n As part of a DevOps approach to application software development, middleware is used to ensure software developed in one environment works in the same way when run in another.<\/p>\n Windowing systems<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0operating system shells<\/a>\u00a0are also examples of narrower system software categories.<\/p>\n Embedded software (also referred to as\u00a0firmware<\/em>) is a kind of software designed to run on hardware that wouldn\u2019t normally be defined as a computer. For example, the software in a car or a robot vacuum cleaner is an example of embedded software. As is a software developed for robotics like those used to automate production lines or IoT (internet of things) devices like smart doorbells or virtual assistants (Alexa, Apple HomePod, Google Assistant, etc.).<\/p>\n<\/span>Is there a difference between software development and computer programming or coding?<\/h3>\n
<\/span>The different types of software<\/h2>\n
\n
<\/span>Application software<\/h3>\n
<\/span>Custom software<\/h4>\n
<\/span>Commercial software<\/h4>\n
<\/span>Open-source application software<\/h4>\n
<\/span>Cloud-native software<\/h4>\n
<\/span>System software<\/h3>\n
<\/span>Operating system (OS)<\/h4>\n
\n
<\/span>Utility Software<\/h4>\n
<\/span>Drivers<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n<\/span>Middleware<\/h4>\n
<\/span>Embedded software<\/h3>\n
![\"Phases](\"https:\/\/kruschecompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Phases-of-the-software-development-life-cycle-infographic-1-1.png\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n