Standalone program
Encyclopedia
A standalone program is a computer program
that does not load any external module, library function, or program and that is designed to boot
with the bootstrap procedure of the target processor. In early computer
s like the ENIAC
without the concept of an operating system
, standalone programs were the only way to run a computer.
Later standalone programs typically were provided for utility functions such as disk formatting
. Also, computers with very limited storage used standalone programs, i.e. most computers until the mid 1950s, and later still embedded processors.
Nowadays, standalone programs are a nearly extinct species of programs. Even the most basic processors these days have sufficient storage to allow the operating system overhead, and if this is still a problem, basic general purpose operating systems are available for that purpose. E.g. in the diskette era, apparently standalone utility programs were delivered with a basic version of DOS
fitting onto the same diskette.
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
that does not load any external module, library function, or program and that is designed to boot
Booting
In computing, booting is a process that begins when a user turns on a computer system and prepares the computer to perform its normal operations. On modern computers, this typically involves loading and starting an operating system. The boot sequence is the initial set of operations that the...
with the bootstrap procedure of the target processor. In early computer
History of computing hardware
The history of computing hardware is the record of the ongoing effort to make computer hardware faster, cheaper, and capable of storing more data....
s like the ENIAC
ENIAC
ENIAC was the first general-purpose electronic computer. It was a Turing-complete digital computer capable of being reprogrammed to solve a full range of computing problems....
without the concept of an operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
, standalone programs were the only way to run a computer.
Later standalone programs typically were provided for utility functions such as disk formatting
Disk formatting
Disk formatting is the process of preparing a hard disk drive or flexible disk medium for data storage. In some cases, the formatting operation may also create one or more new file systems...
. Also, computers with very limited storage used standalone programs, i.e. most computers until the mid 1950s, and later still embedded processors.
Nowadays, standalone programs are a nearly extinct species of programs. Even the most basic processors these days have sufficient storage to allow the operating system overhead, and if this is still a problem, basic general purpose operating systems are available for that purpose. E.g. in the diskette era, apparently standalone utility programs were delivered with a basic version of DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
fitting onto the same diskette.