Describe the hardware and software approaches of programming briefly.

This set of hardware will perform various functions on data depending on control signals applied to the hardware. In the original case of customized hardware, the system accepts data and produces results.

Figure (a) with general purpose hardware, the system accepts data and control signals and produces results. Thus, instead of rewiring the hardware for each new program, the programmer merely needs to supply a new set of control signals.

Figure (b) indicates two major components of the system; an instruction interpreter and a module of general-purpose arithmetic and logic functions. These two constitute the CPU. Several other components are needed to yield a functioning computer. Data and instructions must be put into the system. For this we need some sort of input module.