1.2 WHAT IS SOFTWARE ?

 A computer system consists of two parts – hardware and software. The first part, computer hardware, refers to all the visible components of the computer system: keyboard, monitor, hard disc, printer, scanner, processing unit, memory, electrical connections, etc. It does all of the physical work a computer is known for. The second part is a set of simple and step-by-step sequence of instructions that tell the hardware what to do and how to do it. This organized set of instructions written in a defined order and to accomplish a specific task is called computer software or computer program. Hence, a computer software provides intelligence to the hardware, which otherwise is just a collection of circuits and pieces of plastic and metal. 

A computer programmer writes the software that gives a computer the ability to solve any business or scientific problem.

You already know that the computer hardware is essentially a piece of complex electronics that understands only 1‘s and 0‘s – electrical ―on‖ or ―off‖ conditions. Hence, the instructions to perform a task must be written in a series of binary 1‘s and 0‘s. But, although this binary format, called the machine code makes perfect sense to a machine, it is incomprehensible to a computer programmer who writes the program. So a programmer codes the program in the English like programming language which is easier to understand. This program is then translated into machine code by another computer program. This translated program, called the software is eventually executed to achieve the desired goal.