The computer consists of two types of components: hardware and software. The hardware is all the physical elements that comprise the software while, by contrast, has to do with its logical components.

Basically, we talk about software to refer to all programs and procedures that the computer is able to read since they are written in machine language and therefore allows it to operate. To be specific, we can refer to a definition of the IEEE, that software is "the sum total of computer programs, procedures, rules, documentation and related data as part of the operations of a computer system."

There are different types of software: system, operating and programming. Software system is one that allows the operation of hardware, and it includes the operating system, device drivers, servers and diagnostic tools. The programming software provides the developer the necessary elements to write machine language programs and use various types of programming, such as compilers and interpreters, text editors, etc. And finally, the application software, which are used by the user to perform one or more tasks in any type of activity: office applications, educational software, databases, data files, video games, etc.

The software also takes different forms, which vary from source (which is the text created by the programmer) to the object code (this is the machine language translation of the source code that performs a compiler that can be read by computer .)

As for the creation, development and modifications can be made to the software kicks in what is known as free or proprietary software. First, free software, is one in which users are free to run, copy and modify the software. While this does not happen with the owner who is here only because these actions may make the creators or owners of the software license