CS2304 SYSTEM SOFTWARE

OBJECTIVES&DESCRIPTION

OBJECTIVE:

To understand the relationship between system software and machine

architecture.

To know the design and implementation of assemblers

To know the design and implementation of linkers and loaders.

To have an understanding of macro processors.

To have an understanding of system software tools

DESCRIPTION:

System software is computer software designed to operate and control the computer

hardware and to provide a platform for running application software. The operating system

allows the parts of a computer to work together by performing tasks like transferring data

between memory and disks or rendering output onto a display device. It also provides a platform

to run high-level system software and application software. Utility software helps to analyze,

configure, optimize and maintain the computer. Device drivers such as computer BIOS and

device firmware provide basic functionality to operate and control the hardware connected to or

built into the computer. A user interface "allows users to interact with a computer." Since the

1980s the graphical user interface (GUI) has been perhaps the most common user interface

technology. The command-line interface is still a commonly used alternative.

The system software is installed on your computer when you install your operating

system. You can update the software by running programs such as "Windows Update" for

Windows or "Software Update" for Mac OS X. Unlike application programs, however, system

software is not meant to be run by the end user. For example, while you might use your Web

browser every day, you probably don't have much use for an assembler program (unless, of

course, you are a computer programmer).Since system software runs at the most basic level of

your computer, it is called "low-level" software. It generates the user interface and allows the

operating system to interact with the hardware. Fortunately, you don't have to worry about what

the system software is doing since it just runs in the background. It's nice to think you are

working at a "high-level" anyway. In contrast to system software, software that allows users to

do things like create text documents, play games, listen to music, or surf the web is called

application software.

CS2304 SYSTEM SOFTWARE L T P C

3 1 0 4

UNIT I INTRODUCTION 8

System software and machine architecture – The Simplified Instructional Computer (SIC) -

Machine architecture - Data and instruction formats - addressing modes - instruction sets - I/O

and programming.

UNIT II ASSEMBLERS 10

Basic assembler functions - A simple SIC assembler – Assembler algorithm and data structures -

Machine dependent assembler features - Instruction formats and addressing modes – Program

relocation - Machine independent assembler features - Literals – Symbol-defining statements –

Expressions - One pass assemblers and Multi pass assemblers - Implementation example -

MASM assembler.

UNIT III LOADERS AND LINKERS 9

Basic loader functions - Design of an Absolute Loader – A Simple Bootstrap Loader - Machine

dependent loader features - Relocation – Program Linking – Algorithm and Data Structures for

Linking Loader - Machine-independent loader features - Automatic Library Search – Loader

Options - Loader design options - Linkage Editors – Dynamic Linking – Bootstrap Loaders -

Implementation example - MSDOS linker.

UNIT IV MACRO PROCESSORS 9

Basic macro processor functions - Macro Definition and Expansion – Macro Processor

Algorithm and data structures - Machine-independent macro processor features - Concatenation

of Macro Parameters – Generation of Unique Labels – Conditional Macro Expansion – Keyword

Macro Parameters-Macro within Macro-Implementation example - MASM Macro Processor –

ANSI C Macro language.

UNIT V SYSTEM SOFTWARE TOOLS 9

Text editors-Overview of the Editing Process -User Interface –Editor Structure. -Interactive

debugging systems - Debugging functions and capabilities – Relationship with other parts of the

system – User-Interface Criteria. L: 45, T: 15, TOTAL: 60 PERIODS

TEXT BOOK

1. Leland L. Beck,“System Software – An Introduction to Systems Programming”, 3rdEdition,

Pearson Education Asia, 2006.

REFERENCES

1. D. M. Dhamdhere, “Systems Programming and Operating Systems”, Second Revised Edition,

Tata McGraw-Hill, 2000.

2. John J.Donovan “Systems Programming”, Tata McGraw-Hill Edition,2000.

3. John R. Levine, Linkers & Loaders – Harcourt India Pvt. Ltd., Morgan Kaufmann Publishers,

2000.

MICRO LESSON PLAN

WEEK HOURS TOPICS

TEXT

BOOK

I

UNIT I INTRODUCTION

1 System software (AV class) T1

2 Machine architecture(AV class) T1

3 The Simplified Instructional Computer T1

4,5 Machine architecture(AV class) T1

6 Data and instruction formats T1

II

7 Addressing modes T1

8 Instruction sets T1

9,10 I/O and programming. T1

UNIT II ASSEMBLERS

11,12 Basic assembler functions T1

III

13,14 A simple SIC assembler (AV class) T1

15,16,17 Assembler algorithm and data structures T1

18 Machine dependent assembler features T1

IV

19,20 Instruction formats and addressing modes T1

21 Program relocation T1

22 Machine independent assembler features T1

23,24 Literals – Symbol-defining statements-Expressions T1

V

25 One pass assemblers and Multi pass assemblers (AV class) T1

26,27 Implementation example - MASM assembler(AV class) T1

UNIT III LOADERS AND LINKERS

28 Basic loader functions - Design of an Absolute Loader T1

29 A Simple Bootstrap Loader - Machine dependent loader

features T1

30 Relocation – Program Linking (AV class) T1

VI

31 Algorithm and Data Structures for Linking Loader T1

32

Machine-independent loader features - Automatic Library

Search T1

33 Loader Options - Loader design options T1

34 Linkage Editors – Dynamic Linking(AV class) T1

35 Bootstrap Loaders (AV class) T1

36 Implementation example - MSDOS linker(AV class) T1

VII

UNIT IV MACRO PROCESSORS

37,38 Basic macro processor functions - Macro Definition and

Expansion T1

39,40 Macro Processor Algorithm and data structures (AV class) T1

41,42 Machine-independent macro processor features T1

VIII 43 Concatenation of Macro Parameters T1

44 Generation of Unique Labels(AV class) T1

45 Conditional Macro Expansion T1

46 Keyword Macro Parameters(AV class) T1

47 Macro within Macro-Implementation example T1

48 MASM Macro Processor – ANSI C Macro language. T1

IX

UNIT V SYSTEM SOFTWARE TOOLS

49,50 Text editors(AV class) T1

51,52 Overview of the Editing Process(AV class) T1

53 User Interface T1

54 Editor Structure(AV class) T1

X

55,56 Interactive debugging systems T1

57 Debugging functions and capabilities T1

58 Relationship with other parts of the system T1

59,60 User-Interface Criteria(AV class) T1

Prepared by,

JOSEPHINE SUTHA.V

A.P/C.S.E