What is Software?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Software is a general term for any non-physical component of a computing system<\/a>. Essentially, software provides instructions that tell the computer’<\/a>s physical components (hardware<\/a>) what to do and how to do it.<\/p>\n

Software is written in human-readable source code<\/a>, which is translated into binary machine code<\/a>. The machine code, which consists of 0s and 1s is what the hardware components understand and execute.<\/p>\n

Software can be proprietary<\/a> or open source<\/a> (OSS). Proprietary software<\/strong> is owned and controlled by an individual or company. Open source software<\/strong> is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute.<\/p>\n

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Key Takeaways<\/span><\/h2>\n

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• Software consists of instructions that tell computer hardware what to do and how to do it.<\/li>\n
• Software can be proprietary or open source.<\/li>\n
• The software development life cycle is iterative and continuous.<\/li>\n
• Software development success depends on meeting user needs and expectations.<\/li>\n
• The role of software is constantly evolving, driven by advancements in technology and changing user needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

  Brief History of Software<\/span><\/h2>\n

  The concept of using human-written instructions to make hardware do something specific can be traced back to the early 19th century and the development of the Jacquard loom<\/a>.<\/p>\n

  The Jacquard loom used punched cards<\/a> to control the weaving patterns. The presence or absence of holes on the cards effectively created binary code<\/a> instructions.<\/p>\n

  The Jacquard loom’s punched card system inspired Ada Lovelace<\/a>, who is credited with being the first programmer<\/a>, and directly inspired later developments in software development.<\/p>\n

  The timeline below covers significant milestones in the history of digital<\/a> software.<\/p>\n

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