computer program
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
computer program \computer program\ n.
a sequence of instructions, stored in any medium, that can be
interpreted and executed by a computer; -- called most
frequently a {program}. This term is used both for the
written program (a document) and for its corresponding
electronic version stored or executed on the computer. See
{instruction}; as, Version 1.0 of the program had a serious
bug that caused the computer to crash frequently..
Syn: program, program, computer programme.
[WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
software
computer program
program
<programming> (Or "computer program", "program", "code") The
instructions executed by a computer, as opposed to the
physical device on which they run (the "{hardware}").
The term was coined by the eminent statistician, {John Tukey}.
Programs stored on {non-volatile storage} built from
{integrated circuits} (e.g. {ROM} or {PROM}) are usually
called {firmware}.
Software can be split into two main types - {system software}
and application software or {application programs}. System
software is any software required to support the production or
execution of application programs but which is not specific to
any particular application. Examples of system software would
include the {operating system}, {compilers}, editors and
sorting programs.
Examples of application programs would include an accounts
package or a {CAD} program. Other broad classes of
application software include {real-time} software, {business
software}, scientific and engineering software, {embedded
software}, personal computer software and {artificial
intelligence} software.
Software includes both {source code} written by humans and
executable {machine code} produced by {assemblers} or
{compilers}. It does not usually include the data processed
by programs unless this is in a format such as {multimedia}
which depends on the use of computers for its presentation.
This distinction becomes unclear in cases such as {spread
sheets} which can contain both instructions (formulae and
{macros}) and data. There are also various intermediate
compiled or {semi-compiled}, forms of software such as
{library} files and {byte-code}.
Some claim that {documentation} (both paper and electronic) is
also software. Others go further and define software to be
programs plus documentation though this does not correspond
with common usage.
The noun "program" describes a single, complete and
more-or-less self-contained list of instructions, often stored
in a single {file}, whereas "code" and "software" are
uncountable nouns describing some number of instructions which
may constitute one or more programs or part thereof. Most
programs, however, rely heavily on various kinds of {operating
system} software for their execution. The nounds "code" and
"software" both refer to the same thing but "code" tends to
suggest an interest in the implementation details whereas
"software" is more of a user's term.
(2002-07-21)
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
52 Moby Thesaurus words for "computer program":
ALGOL, COBOL, FORTRAN, alphabetic data, alphanumeric code,
angular data, assembler, binary digit, binary scale, binary system,
bit, bug, byte, command pulses, commands, compiler, computer code,
computer language, control signals, controlled quantity,
correcting signals, data, error, error signals, feedback pulses,
feedback signals, film data, hexadecimal system, information,
input data, input quantity, instructions, machine language,
message, multiple messages, noise, numeric data, octal system,
oscillograph data, output data, output quantity, play, polar data,
punch-card data, random data, rectangular data, reference quantity,
ruly English, signals, single messages, unorganized data,
visible-speech data
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