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(C) Device Driver
Application & User
A device driver is a system software that acts like
an interface between the device and the user or Operating System
the operating system. All computer accessories
Device Drivers
like printers, scanners, web cameras, etc., come
with their own driver software. This driver
software helps the operating system and other
application software to communicate with
those devices for optimal use.
Fig. 1.22: Device Drivers
(D) Language Processors

We know that computer understands instructions in machine code, i.e., in the form of
0s and 1s. It is difficult for us to write a computer program directly in machine code.
Programs are written mostly in high-level languages, i.e., BASIC, C++, Python, etc. A program
written in any high-level programming language (or written in assembly language) is called
the Source Program or Source Code.

The source code cannot be executed directly by the computer. It must be converted into
machine language to be executed. The program translated into machine code is known
as Object Program or Object Code. The special translator system software that is used to
translate the program written in high-level language (or Assembly language) into machine
code is called language processor or translator program. Language processors can be
of any of the following three types—Assembler, Compiler and Interpreter.
1.12.2 Application Software

Application software are bought by the user to perform
Supplement – Informatics Practices with Python–XI
specific applications or tasks, for example, making a
document or making a presentation or handling inventory
or managing the employee database.
Application software are classified into three types—General
Purpose Application Software, Customized Application
Software and Proprietary or Free and Open Source Software.
(A) General Purpose (Generic) Application Software

These application software are made for the common users for day-to-day applications and uses.
They are also referred to as Office Tools. The users may use them in the manner they want.
Some of the popular types of general purpose application software are discussed below:
 Word Processor: Word processor is a general purpose application software used to
create, edit and format documents. We can use different types of fonts of various
sizes, underline or make bold a certain part of the text. We can add clipart and
other graphics into the document. Popular examples of word processing software
are writer (Open Office) and Microsoft Word.
Word processing software have various uses from writing a simple document to
designing special art effects. Since we can attach images and different shapes and
use different colours, even a poster can be designed using word processing software.
Features like mail merge, macro have further enhanced the word processing software
and made it very useful.

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