Difference Between Program and Process
Process:
Process is a program at the time of execution. A process is more than a program code.
It includes the program counter, the process stack, and the contents of the process register, etc.
Program:
A program is a static object that exist in a file. Whereas a process is a dynamic object, that is a program in execution. Program is a sequence of instruction in a programming language. A program is loaded into secondary storage devices.
Program vs Process:
| Parameter | ||
| Consists of | 1. Instructions in any programming language. | 1. Instructions in machine code. |
| Object | 2. Static Object | 2. Dynamic Object |
| Reside in | 3. Secondary Storage Device | 3. Main memory |
| Span of time | 4. Unlimited | 4. Limited |
| Entity | 5. Passive | 5. Active |