<P> Computer software, or simply software, is a part of a computer system that consists of data or computer instructions, in contrast to the physical hardware from which the system is built . In computer science and software engineering, computer software is all information processed by computer systems, programs and data . Computer software includes computer programs, libraries and related non-executable data, such as online documentation or digital media . Computer hardware and software require each other and neither can be realistically used on its own . </P> <P> At the lowest level, executable code consists of machine language instructions specific to an individual processor--typically a central processing unit (CPU). A machine language consists of groups of binary values signifying processor instructions that change the state of the computer from its preceding state . For example, an instruction may change the value stored in a particular storage location in the computer--an effect that is not directly observable to the user . An instruction may also (indirectly) cause something to appear on a display of the computer system--a state change which should be visible to the user . The processor carries out the instructions in the order they are provided, unless it is instructed to "jump" to a different instruction, or is interrupted by the operating system. (By now multi-core processors are dominant, where each core can run instructions in order; then, however, each application software runs only on one core by default, but some software has been made to run on many). </P>

Applications are an example of software. what is another