What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Database vs Software - What's the difference?

database | software |

As nouns the difference between database and software

is that database is (computing) a collection of (usually) organized information in a regular structure, usually but not necessarily in a machine-readable format accessible by a computer while software is software.

As a verb database

is to enter data into a database.

database

Alternative forms

* (older) data base, data-base

Noun

(en noun)
  • (computing) A collection of (usually) organized information in a regular structure, usually but not necessarily in a machine-readable format accessible by a computer.
  • (computing) A set of tables in a database(1).
  • (computing) A software program for storing, retrieving and manipulating a database(1).
  • (computing) A combination of (1) and (2).
  • Synonyms

    * (collection of organized information) databank * (computer software) database management system

    Verb

    (databas)
  • To enter data into a database
  • ----

    software

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • (computing) Encoded computer instructions, usually modifiable (unless stored in some form of unalterable memory such as ROM). Compare hardware.
  • * 1958 , John W. Tukey, "The Teaching of Concrete Mathematics" in The American Mathematical Monthly , vol. 65, no. 1 (Jan. 1958), pp 1-9:
  • The "software " comprising the carefully planned interpretive routines, compilers, and other aspects of automative programming are at least as important to the modern electronic calculator as its "hardware" of tubes, transistors, wires, tapes and the like.
  • * 1995 , Paul Niquette, Softword: Provenance for the Word ‘Software’ :
  • As originally conceived, the word "software " was merely an obvious way to distinguish a program from the computer itself. A program comprised sequences of changeable instructions each having the power to command the behavior of the permanently crafted machinery, the "hardware."

    Usage notes

    Software'' is a mass noun (''some software'', ''a piece of software''). By non-native speakers it is sometimes erroneously treated as a countable noun (''a software'', ''some softwares ).

    Hyponyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * * * * * * * *

    See also

    * application * assembly * assembler * bug * code * coding * compilation * compiler * debugging * interpreter * linking * linker * open source * patch * programming * script * utilities * warez

    References

    ----