A process is a process in which a program with a certain independent function runs on a data set. It is an independent unit of system process resource allocation and scheduling. Without a program, there is no process, and without a process, there is no descr iption of how it runs, so processes are both related to and different from processes.
The difference between a process and a program:
（1）a process is a dynamic concept, while a program is a static one. The program is an ordered set of instructions, without any meaning of movement, while the process is a process of execution of the program on the processor, with a life cycle, it is created dynamically, and is scheduled for execution, and dies after execution.
（2）Processes have concurrency, while programs do not.
（3）Process is the basic unit that competes for computer system resources, and is also the basic unit of processor scheduling.
（4）Several different processes can contain the same program, as long as the corresponding data set of the program is different.
（5）programs can create other processes, but the program cannot form a new program.

The process is divided into three basic states: running state, ready state, blocking state and two other states: creating state and terminating state of initializing and terminating process.