A software system is a system based on software forming part of a computer system (a combination of hardware and software). Major types of software system include application software, programming software and system software, although the distinction can sometimes be difficult. Examples include web browsers, content management systems, database management systems, expert systems, spreadsheets, theorem provers, window systems, wordprocessors, etc. Software systems are an active area of research for groups interested in software engineering in particular and systems engineering in general. System (from Latin systēma, in turn from Greek sustēma) is a set of entities, real or abstract, comprising a whole where each component interacts with or is related to at least one other component. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Elements of Programming Software Computer programming Programming language Computer program Software suite Integrated development environment (IDE) Application programming interface (API) Text editor Source code editor Programming tool Compiler Compiler optimization Interpreter (computing) Parsing Linker Assembler Debugger Software Development is founded on Programming Software Instruction Command Implementation Execution (computers) Software development... System software is a generic term referring to any computer software that is an essential part of the computer system. ... An example of a web browser (Internet Explorer), displaying the English Wikipedia main page. ... A CMS (Content Management System) is software used for content management. ... A database management system (DBMS) is computer software designed for the purpose of managing databases. ... An expert system, also known as a knowledge based system, is a computer program that contains some of the subject-specific knowledge of one or more human experts. ... Screenshot of a spreadsheet made with OpenOffice. ... Automated theorem proving (currently the most important subfield of automated reasoning) is the proving of mathematical theorems by a computer program. ... A windowing system (also windows system or window system) is a standard part of all modern computer graphical user interfaces, as opposed to command line interfaces. ... A word processor (also more formally known as a document preparation system) is a computer application used for the production (including composition, editing, formatting, and possibly printing) of any sort of viewable or printed material. ... Software engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software. ... Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary approach and means for enabling the realization and deployment of successful systems. ...

The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) offers a Software System Award that is "Awarded to an institution or individual(s) recognized for developing a software system that has had a lasting influence, reflected in contributions to concepts, in commercial acceptance, or both. The Software System Award carries a prize of $10,000. Financial support for the Software System Award is provided by IBM." The Association for Computing Machinery, or ACM, was founded in 1947 as the worlds first scientific and educational computing society. ... International Business Machines Corporation (known as IBM or Big Blue; NYSE: IBM) is a multinational computer technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, USA. The company is one of the few information technology companies with a continuous history dating back to the 19th century. ...

The Journal of Systems and Software covers software systems in a software engineering context.

See also

• Experimental software engineering
• System software

Experimental software engineering is a sub-domain of software engineering focusing on experiments on software systems (software products, processes, and resources). ... System software is a generic term referring to any computer software that is an essential part of the computer system. ...

External links

• ACM Software System Award
• Software Systems Engineering group, University College London, England
• Software Systems & Processes Group, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
• Software System Laboratory, Technion, Israel
• Software Systems Group, University of Passau, Germany
• Institute of Software Systems, Tampere University of Technology, Finland
• Software Systems Quality Consulting (SSQC), an SEI Partner, San Jose, USA
• Journal of Systems and Software published by Elsevier