Flashcards · 9618 · AS Topic 5

System Software (AS Level) flashcards

8 cards on AS Topic 5, subtopics 5.1 to 5.2. Pick a subtopic or study them all.

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Why does a computer need an operating system?: It provides an interface between the user and the hardware, and manages the hardware and resources so that application software can run.
What are the key management tasks of an operating system?: Memory management, file management, security management, hardware (peripheral) management, process management, and providing a user interface.
What are utility programs? Give examples.: System software that helps maintain the computer, e.g. disk formatter, virus checker, defragmenter, disk contents analysis and repair, file compression, back-up software.
What is a program library and what is a DLL?: A library is a collection of pre-written, tested routines a program can use. A dynamic link library (DLL) is linked when the program runs, so one copy can be shared by several programs and the file sizes stay smaller.

What is the difference between a compiler and an interpreter?: A compiler translates the whole source program into an executable file before it runs. An interpreter translates and executes one statement at a time, every time the program runs.
Why is an interpreter useful during program development?: It stops at the first error it meets and reports it, so the error can be fixed and the program re-run straight away from that point.
Why does Java use partial compilation and interpretation?: Source code is compiled to intermediate bytecode, which is then interpreted (by the Java Virtual Machine) on any platform, so the same compiled code runs on different hardware.
What features does a typical IDE provide?: Coding aids (context-sensitive prompts, auto-completion), initial error detection (dynamic syntax checks), presentation aids (prettyprint, expand and collapse code blocks) and debugging tools (single stepping, breakpoints, report window for variables).