Difference between process and program with example

Skip to content. What is Program in OS? What is Process? The process has a shorter and minimal lifespan whereas program has a longer lifespan. Process contains many resources like a memory address, disk, printer while Program needs memory space on the disk to store all instructions. When we distinguish between process and program, Process is a dynamic or active entity whereas Program is a passive or static entity.

To differentiate program and process, Process has considerable overhead whereas Program has no significant overhead cost. What is the Difference between Program and Process? Here is the main difference between Process and Program:. Report a Bug. Control System. Data Mining. Data Warehouse. Javatpoint Services JavaTpoint offers too many high quality services.

What is Process? Features of the Process There are various features of the process. Some of them are as follows: Each process contains a definite set of data linked to it. For example, its parent's name, the address of the allotted memory space, and security properties such as ownership credentials and rights. A process contains a limited lifetime, i. Processes are allotted system resources. Network ports and file descriptors are two examples. It is an active entity. It contains high resources.

Each process may produce child processes. Furthermore, they may die or be killed. What is the program?

Features of the program There are various features of the program. Some of the features of the program are as follows: A single user may execute various programs. The operating system is responsible for providing main memory for the storage of all program instructions. It is a passive entity. It is simply a file containing a set of instructions that have yet to be executed. It doesn't have a control block.

It is stored in the system's secondary memory. Various processes may be connected to a single program. For instance, a browser may contain various tabs open simultaneously. Main differences between the Process and Program Here, you will learn the main differences between the process and program. Some of the main differences are as follows: The process and program are both related terms to each other, and the lifespan of the program is longer compared to the process.

A program is a collection of sequential and ordered operations that should be executed. In contrast, a process is an example of a program being executed. In the process, the resources need is much higher. In contrast, a program only needs storage memory. A program is passive in nature because it does nothing until it is executed, while a process is dynamic or active because it is an instance of executing a program and performing a specific action.

A program may be related to several processes. A program is just a script stored on disk or seem to as the previous stage of the process.

On the contrary, the process is an event of a program in execution. They use very clear and natural English, Anybody can understand this topic. It has simplified learning. Your email address will not be published. Key Differences Between Program and Process A program is a definite group of ordered operations that are to be performed. On the other hand, an instance of a program being executed is a process. The nature of the program is passive as it does nothing until it gets executed whereas a process is dynamic or active in nature as it is an instance of executing program and perform the specific action.

A program has a longer lifespan because it is stored in the memory until it is not manually deleted while a process has a shorter and limited lifespan because it gets terminated after the completion of the task. In contrast, a program just requires memory for storage. Comments Nice. Cleared my blurry perception of process and program.