System programmers write software that controls a computer’s hardware and operating system, while application programmers create software for users. System programmers require knowledge of operating systems and hardware components to optimize performance and use low-level languages like C or C++.
All programmers write executable computer code, but what distinguishes system programmers from application programmers is the scope of the software they write. Application programming produces software that causes a computer hardware to generate something for the user, whether it’s a spreadsheet or game graphics. System programming produces software that accesses and controls the internal workings of a computer’s hardware and operating system.
Application programming generally involves issuing system commands to use 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 types of programs aren’t concerned with the details of how your hard drive or physical memory works. In contrast, system programmers are concerned with the details of how an operating system and hardware components work. This allows them to create software that defragments hard drives and checks the integrity of a computer’s physical memory.
In addition to being able to create such tools, system programmers are usually well versed in the basic workings of operating systems. All programmers are familiar with system calls, thread management, and input/output handling, but system programming requires that the software engineer be able to manipulate these operating system mechanisms. This allows a system programmer to perform specialized installations and automate system maintenance tasks.
Knowledge of the core of an operating system is also required to maximize the performance of an application on a particular hardware configuration. For example, busy online retailers need their websites and transaction processing systems to operate as efficiently and reliably as possible. Using his knowledge of the internal mechanics of operating systems and hardware components, such as how to make a particular operating system optimize thread management or which algorithms run faster on which hardware components, a system programmer can help optimize the performance of an application.
This detailed access to the inner workings of hardware components and the operating system requires that system programming be done in a language that allows this type of low-level hardware access. Languages like Java®, Python or Ruon Rails® are what programmers call high-level languages. This means that they simplify application programming by not having the programmer deal with the minute details of managing the hardware. System programming requires exactly this kind of access, so system programmers use a low-level language like C or C++.
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