Computer program: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:52, 5 May 2004

Revision as of 08:49, 5 May 2004

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[[Computer program]] is a generic term for organized [[collection]]s of code representing [[instruction]]s executed by a [[computer]]. Software is often written first as [[source code]], and then converted to a [[binary]] format that is specific to the device on which the code will be executed.

A '''computer program''' (often simply called a '''program''') is an artifact that describes [[computation]]s, and possibly actions that are to be carried out based on the results of those computations. A computer program can be manifested in several forms:

* It can be written down on paper, like a cooking [[recipe]].

'Program' is generally considered as a separate concept/entity from '[[data]]'.

* It can be used to guide the fabrication of a piece of [[computer hardware]].

* It can be realized as [[computer software]], i.e. data stored in the memory of a [[computer]].

[[Computer software]] includes [[computer program]] and [[data]] together.

The last of these usages is the one most strongly associated with the term "computer program", and in fact the term "program" is often used as a synonym for "software". When manifested in the appropriate hardware or software, a program becomes directly ''executable''; that is, the program's embodiment can compute and act autonomously, without human intervention.

==Running a Program==

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The instructions in a computer program are in [[machine code]]; they are usually originally written in a computer [[programming language]], and translated to machine code using a computer program called a [[compiler]] or an [[Interpreter (computing)|interpreter]]. Sometimes the programming language is simply a set of abbreviations for the machine code instructions, called [[assembly language]] -- in this case, a program called an [[assembler]] is used to make the translation.

==Software==

Program is sometimes used as a synonym for "[[computer software|software]]"; although the main part of any software is programs, software also often includes resource files that contain [[data]] of some kind; these are not part of the program ''per se''.

==Neural Networks==