Software includes_________.

The correct choice highlights the components that are encompassed within the definition of software. Software is broadly defined as the collection of instructions, programs, and routines that enable a computer to perform specific tasks. This includes not only application programs that users interact with but also various routines and symbolic languages that drive functionality and facilitate communication between hardware components.

Programs are specific applications designed to carry out tasks or solve problems, while routines are sets of instructions within those programs that execute particular functionalities. Symbolic languages refer to programming languages that use symbols and syntax to create software, allowing developers to write code that can be executed by a computer.

In contrast, hardware components refer to the physical parts of a computer system and do not comprise software. While operating systems are a crucial type of software, the answer does not limit software to only operating systems. Networking protocols, on the other hand, are a set of rules that govern data communication over networks, and while they are related to software, they do not encompass the entire scope of what software includes. Thus, the choice correctly captures the essence of software as comprising a wide range of programs, routines, and symbolic languages.