System Software

Option 1 is the correct answer.

The lexical analyzer (or scanner) reads the source code as a stream of characters and groups them into meaningful sequences called tokens.

The loader is a system software that places programs into memory and prepares them for execution. It must reside in the main memory to perform its function of loading other programs.

An incremental compiler is designed to recompile only the parts of the source code that have been modified, which saves time during the development cycle.

Main memory is organized into addressable units called words. Data transfer between the CPU and memory typically occurs in these word-sized chunks.

Addressing modes define how the operand of an instruction is specified. Efficient use of these modes allows complex operations to be performed with fewer instructions.

Syntax analysis (parsing) deals with the structure of the language defined by a grammar, which is independent of the specific machine architecture on which the code will run.

Turnaround time is defined as the total time elapsed from the moment a job is submitted to the system until its completion.

Direct addressing mode specifies the memory address directly in the instruction. Indexing is a technique where an index register is added to a base address, and direct addressing is often used to specify the base or the offset in such schemes.

A linker is responsible for taking object files and resolving references to external symbols, combining them into a single executable. Other components like loaders, compilers, and assemblers perform different stages of the translation process.

In a two-pass assembler, the first pass is used to build the symbol table, while the second pass uses the symbol table to generate the actual machine code (object code).

Direct Memory Access (DMA) allows hardware subsystems to access main system memory independently of the central processing unit, making it the most efficient way to transfer large blocks of data.

The translator (compiler or assembler) generates the object file, which includes the relocation information and external symbol references required by the linker to create the final executable.

Preemptive scheduling allows the operating system to interrupt a currently running process to allocate the CPU to another process, effectively suspending the first one.

A page map table (or page table) is a data structure used by the virtual memory system to map virtual addresses to physical memory addresses.

An incremental backup only copies files that have been created or modified since the last backup, which saves time and storage space compared to full backups.

Nassi-Shneiderman diagrams are structured programming tools that represent logic without the need for GOTO statements, enforcing structured control flow.

On a magnetic disk, tracks are the concentric circles, and these tracks are further divided into smaller segments called sectors for data storage.

Swapping is the process of moving entire processes between main memory and secondary storage (disk) to manage memory availability.

Module strength (also known as cohesion) measures how closely related the internal functions of a module are, which is a key metric for evaluating modular design quality.

The principle of locality of reference states that programs tend to access a relatively small portion of their address space at any instant, which is the fundamental reason cache memory is effective.

In absolute (or direct) addressing mode, the instruction contains the actual memory address of the operand.

Compilers are designed to detect syntax errors, which are violations of the language's grammatical rules. Semantic and logical errors are often harder to detect at compile time.

The operation code (opcode) is the portion of a machine instruction that specifies the operation to be performed by the CPU.

A critical section is a segment of code that accesses shared resources and must be executed as an atomic action to prevent race conditions.

The modular approach involves breaking a large system into smaller, manageable units or modules to simplify the development process.

Multitasking is the capability of an operating system to allow multiple processes to share the CPU, giving the appearance of simultaneous execution.

Data integrity refers to the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of data throughout its lifecycle in a database.

The worst-fit strategy allocates the largest available hole to a process, which is the opposite of best-fit.

A spooler (simultaneous peripheral operations on-line) manages a queue of jobs to be processed by a device, such as a printer.

Disks are generally slower than main memory (RAM) due to mechanical seek times and rotational latency. While disks are non-volatile and have larger capacities, the statement that they are faster is false.

In computing, memory or data that is no longer needed or is invalid is commonly referred to as garbage. This term is frequently used in the context of garbage collection, which is the process of reclaiming such memory.

A process initiates a block state transition when it requests an I/O operation or waits for an event that cannot be satisfied immediately. This is a voluntary action taken by the process.

Real-time software is specifically designed to monitor, analyze, and control real-world events as they happen, requiring strict timing constraints to ensure correct operation.

OS/2 was a joint development effort between IBM and Microsoft, initially intended to replace DOS for the PS/2 line of computers.

Job Control Language (JCL) is used in mainframe environments to instruct the operating system on how to run a job, including specifying resources like specific printer forms.

Round Robin is a preemptive scheduling algorithm because the operating system interrupts a process after its time slice expires to allow other processes to run.

A defining characteristic of a real-time system is its ability to process information and respond to inputs within a strictly defined time constraint, effectively minimizing or eliminating processing delay.

Top-down development involves designing and implementing the high-level control modules first, then progressively adding lower-level functional modules.

A spooler is a system process that manages the queue of jobs for a peripheral device like a printer; it is generally considered a system service or daemon rather than a user-facing utility program.

MS-DOS historically used write-through caching for its file system to ensure data integrity in case of sudden power loss or disk removal.

The working set model defines a subset of a process's pages that are actively used. The working set policy replaces pages that fall outside this set, helping to prevent thrashing.

Thrashing occurs when a system spends more time swapping pages than executing instructions. This is heavily influenced by the program structure (e.g., locality of reference), as poor structure leads to frequent page faults.

Shareware is software that is distributed for free on a trial basis, with the expectation that users will pay a fee if they continue to use it.