Alexander Kapps <alex.ka...@web.de> writes: > On 17.11.2010 19:38, Boštjan Mejak wrote: > > What is the difference between a program, an application, and > > software?
Alexander's guide is good. Some notes from a native speaker of English: > Program: A sequence of one or more instructions (even 'print "hello"' > is a valid Python program) Some like to sub-divide “script” as a type of program; I don't see the point, and refer to such things as programs. > Application: Usually a large(er), complex program An application might also be several programs working together, along with the non-program software they use to do their jobs: e.g. “LibreOffice is an application consisting of many programs, data sets, libraries, images, document templates, and other software”. > Software: The parts of a computer that you *can't* kick. It's worth noting a common error of non-native English users: “software” is an uncountable noun, like “hardware”. This is unlike “program” and “application”, both of which are countable. So it makes no more sense to speak of “a software” than “a clothing”; both are wrong. If you want to refer to countable items, “a software work” is acceptable if you want to refer generically to a work of digitally-stored information. Otherwise be more precise: a software work might be “a document”, “an image”, “an audio recording”, “a program”, “a database”, et cetera. Hope that helps. -- \ “It's my belief we developed language because of our deep inner | `\ need to complain.” —Jane Wagner, via Lily Tomlin | _o__) | Ben Finney -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list