Hardware and Software:
Definition and Explanation:
Hardware:
Hardware is the term given to the machinery itself and to the various individual pieces of equipment. It refer to the physical devices of the computer system. Thus, the input, processing, control, and output devices are hardware. When the hardware is linked together to form an effective working unit we have computer installation.
Software:
It is important to note that a computer do anything own its own. It must be introduced to do a desired job. Hence it is necessary to specify a sequence of instruction that a computer must perform to solve a problem. Such a sequence of instruction written in a language that can be understood by a computer is called a computer program. It is the program that controls the activity of processing by the computer and the computer performs precisely what the program wants it to do. The term refer to the set of computer programs, procedures, and associated documents (flowcharts, DFDs, coding, and manuals, etc.) that describe the program and how they are to be used. To be precise, software means a collection of programs whose objective is to enhance the capabilities of the hardware machine. And instruction is a step or statement to do a single task. Therefore the hierarchy of software
is:
| Instructions |
| ↓ |
| Programs |
| ↓ |
| Software |
|
