ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Program status word

Hey kiddo, have you ever played a game where you keep track of points and levels? Whenever you finish a level or earn points, you keep a record of it somewhere, right? Now imagine your computer is also playing a game like that, but instead of points, it keeps track of what it is doing at any given moment using something called the program status word.

Program status word or PSW is like a score-sheet that your computer uses to keep track of many things at once. Just like you keep track of your scores, the computer keeps track of important things such as whether it is currently running a program, whether any errors or issues have come up, and where it should move next in memory.

Whenever the computer starts running an instruction or program, it checks the program status word to see if the instruction can be executed or not. Think of it like the computer checking the score-sheet to see if it is time to move onto the next level, or if there is a penalty that needs to be addressed. If there are any errors or issues, the program status word helps the computer know what to do next, whether to pause or stop running the program.

The program status word also helps the computer keep track of where the program is supposed to go next in memory. It works like a map for the computer, allowing it to travel through memory and find the right code or data it needs to execute the instruction.

In short, program status word is like a cheat sheet that the computer uses to keep track of what it is doing, where it needs to go next, and any issues or errors that might come up. It is an important part of how a computer works, much like keeping score is important when you play a game.