SOFTWARE

1. Programs contains sets of instructions for the computer
   
   
2. The collection of programs is referred to as the software.
   
   
3. Programs can be written in many computer languages.
   
   
4. The computer can only directly understand programs that are written in machine language in the form of strings of zeros and ones.
   
   
5. Programs written in machine language execute very fast. However they are machine specific and not portable. They are also difficult to write and understand and no one writes program this way any more.
   
   
6. Assembly language is slightly easier to write and understand, but they are also not portable. Programs must first be translated (complied) into machine language before it can be executed. Assembly languages are sometimes used to improve the program's speed of execution.
   
   
7. Higher-level languages such as C++, Basic, and Java, are much closer to the written English language. The written programs can be highly portable and platform independent.