How Software Works: Code, Software, and Hardware

Main Ideas / Concepts

• Three fundamental tech principles: code, software, and hardware.

Code

• Code is lines of instructions for a computer.
• It is typically stored in files (unlike Word documents, which are meant to be read by humans).
• Code is written for hardware, not for humans.

Hardware

• At its core, a computer includes a key component: a single chip called the Central Processing Unit (CPU).
• Hardware is usually housed in a computer, along with components needed for external communication.
• Technologists may refer to hardware collectively as a “machine.”

Software (Two Meanings)

1. Software as code

   • Code is written by developers (often on developer laptops).
   • Code is stored in a repository.
   • In this sense, “software” can mean the code stored in the repository.

2. Software as code running

   • Code becomes useful when it is executed on a machine (hardware).
   • When running, the machine is said to be executing the instructions.
   • The code is written in human-readable programming languages.
   • On hardware, instructions become zeros and ones:
     • These are electrical signals flowing through circuits.
     • They produce outcomes such as adding numbers or making a payment.

Building Software Requires Teams

• Creating working software involves collaboration among:
  • designers
  • developers
  • business representatives
• The goal is to ensure the software has the correct features.

Core Relationship

• The basic model is: developers write code, and machines (hardware) run it.
• The exact details of which code and which hardware are used depend on the use case for the software being built.

Methodology / Steps (As Implied by the Talk)

1. Developers write code using a human-readable programming language.
2. The code is stored in a repository (where “software” may refer to the stored codebase).
3. The code is run on hardware (a machine).
4. During execution, the machine uses electrical signals represented by 0s and 1s to perform logical operations.
5. Teams collaborate (designers, developers, business representatives) to deliver software with the right features.

Speakers / Sources Featured

• No individual speakers are identified in the provided subtitles.