What is utility software

Utility software consists of programs which are frequently used to carry out routine jobs like sorting, merging, and core dump/list, programmed debugging etc, and are normally provided by the manufactures to make the machine work gainfully.
Certain jobs are performed by every computer and it is a tedious task to write separately for each installation and there will be enormous waste of programmer’s time. Software houses recognized this problem and have produces, wide range of programs to perform these routine jobs, with sufficient inbuilt flexibility to handle all user requirements.
Utility programs are general in nature. Parameters can be used to make them specific to a particular application.
The main types of utility software available are:

  1. File conversion: Transferring file data from one medium to another.
  2. File copying: Copying records, files, related files from one storage medium to another storage medium.
  3. Memory dumping: Copying the contents of main store on to output device. Whenever an error occurs or at a check point/restart during the running of an application program, the check point/restart program dumps main store contents at periodic intervals and of something goes wrong the application program can be restarted at the last check point.
  4. File organization: when a disc file becomes too unwieldy to use, for instance if the over flow areas are almost full, it has to be reorganized in to its original format.
  5. File maintenance: Enables the user to create, delete and rename records, amend standing data etc.
  6. Debugging: Provides for outline program testing and error correction during program development.
  7. Sorting/Merging: Enables records to be reorganized into desired key field sequence. The parameters of a sort program which are to be supplied for each application are:
  • The key field size and position.
  • Number and size of records.
  • Number of tape or disc units available for the sort.
  • The desired key field sequence.

    • The sort is carried out by sorting small groups of records into the desired sequence in main storage and writing each group on to backing storage, and then merging the strings in to larger ones in main storage, and so on, until the file is stored.