The term feature means the same for software as it does for any kind of system. For example, the British Royal Navy's
HMS Dreadnought (1906) was considered an important milestone in naval technology because of its advanced features that did not exist in
pre-dreadnought battleships. Feature also applies to computer
hardware. In the early history of computers, devices such as
Digital Equipment Corporation's
PDP-7 minicomputer (created in 1964) was noted for having a wealth of features, such as being the first version of the PDP minicomputer series to use
wire wrap, as well as being the first to use the proprietary DEC
Flip-Chip module which was invented in the same year. Feature also applies to concepts such as a programming language. The
Python programming language is well-known for its feature of using
whitespace characters (spaces and tabs) instead of
curly braces to indicate different blocks of code. Another similar high-level, object oriented programming language,
Ruby, is noteworthy for using the symbols "@" and "$" to highlight different variable scopes, which the developers claim improves code readability. Its developers also claim that one of its important features is a high amount of flexibility. The
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) defines feature in the (obsolete) standard for software test documentation
IEEE 829 as a "distinguishing characteristic of a software item (e.g., performance, portability, or functionality)". Although feature is typically used for a positive aspect of a software system, a
software bug is also a feature but with negative value. == Examples ==