Unit 6 Listen and Read:
System programming and operating systems
All programmers write executable code for computers, but what sets system programmers apart from application programmers is the purpose of the software they write. Application programming produces software that makes a computer's hardware generate something for the user, be it a spreadsheet or the graphics for a game. System programming produces software that accesses and controls the inner workings of a computer's hardware and operating system. Application programming generally involves issuing system commands to utilize the basic functions of a computer's hardware and operating system, such as storing a particular piece of data in the computer's physical memory or a file on the hard drive. These kinds of programs are not concerned with details of how the hard drive or physical memory is working. Conversely, system programmers concern themselves with the details of how an operating system and hardware components work. This allows them to build the software that defragments hard drives and checks the integrity of a computer's physical memory.