Nature of Software Engineering

 The software is instruction or computer program that when executed provide desired features, function, and performance. A data structure that enables the program to adequately manipulate information and document that describe the operation and use of the program.

Characteristic of software:
There is some characteristic of software which is given below:

1. Functionality
2. Reliability
3. Usability
4. Efficiency
5. Maintainability
6. Portability

Changing Nature of Software:
Nowadays, seven broad categories of computer software present continuing challenges for software engineers .which is given below:

1. System Software:
   System software is a collection of programs which are written to service other programs. Some system software processes complex but determinate, information structures. Other system application process largely indeterminate data. Sometimes when, the system software area is characterized by the heavy interaction with computer hardware that requires scheduling, resource sharing, and sophisticated process management.
2. Application Software:
   Application software is defined as programs that solve a specific business need. Application in this area process business or technical data in a way that facilitates business operation or management technical decision making. In addition to convention data processing application, application software is used to control business function in real time.
3. Engineering and Scientific Software:
   This software is used to facilitate the engineering function and task. however modern application within the engineering and scientific area are moving away from the conventional numerical algorithms. Computer-aided design, system simulation, and other interactive applications have begun to take a real-time and even system software characteristic.
4. Embedded Software:
   Embedded software resides within the system or product and is used to implement and control feature and function for the end-user and for the system itself. Embedded software can perform the limited and esoteric function or provided significant function and control capability.
5. Product-line Software:
   Designed to provide a specific capability for use by many different customers, product line software can focus on the limited and esoteric marketplace or address the mass consumer market.
6. Web Application:
   It is a client-server computer program which the client runs on the web browser. In their simplest form, Web apps can be little more than a set of linked hypertext files that present information using text and limited graphics. However, as e-commerce and B2B application grow in importance. Web apps are evolving into a sophisticate computing environment that not only provides a standalone feature, computing function, and content to the end user.
7. Artificial Intelligence Software:
   Artificial intelligence software makes use of a nonnumerical algorithm to solve a complex problem that is not amenable to computation or straightforward analysis. Application within this area includes robotics, expert system, pattern recognition, artificial neural network, theorem proving and game playing.

Nature of Software Engineering