user1499: Most programs follow this route: They have a Serial.begin() for the serial connection between PC and Arduino (the serial monitor) and they use SoftwareSerial for a device.
Can you go the other way around? Can you use SoftwareSerial for the communication between PC and Arduino, and Serial for a device?

user497: Yes you can. If you use a USB FTDI type cable to connect your computer to the SoftwareSerial pins, you can use a terminal emulator program (HyperTerm, putty, etc) to communicate with the Arduino.

user1585: Short answer: no.
Pins 0 and 1 an an Uno are directly wired to the PC communication chip. You could make a board that was wired differently and connected SoftwareSerial to the PC, but you would have to switch it back to pins 0 and 1 when uploading to the arduino somehow. 
On an arduino leonardo "Serial" for communicating with PC over USB is different from "Serial1", which is connected to pins 0 and 1 on the board. You can use both simultaneously, so if you really need to use hardware serial and PC comms at the same time, I recommend you buy a leonardo. 

1499: <p>Most programs follow this route: They have a <code>Serial.begin()</code> for the serial connection between PC and Arduino (the serial monitor) and they use SoftwareSerial for a device.</p>

<p>Can you go the other way around? Can you use SoftwareSerial for the communication between PC and Arduino, and Serial for a device?</p>
 497: <p>Yes you can. If you use a USB FTDI type cable to connect your computer to the SoftwareSerial pins, you can use a terminal emulator program (HyperTerm, putty, etc) to communicate with the Arduino.</p>
 1585: <p>Short answer: no.</p>

<p>Pins 0 and 1 an an Uno are directly wired to the PC communication chip. You could make a board that was wired differently and connected SoftwareSerial to the PC, but you would have to switch it back to pins 0 and 1 when uploading to the arduino somehow. </p>

<p>On an arduino leonardo "Serial" for communicating with PC over USB is different from "Serial1", which is connected to pins 0 and 1 on the board. You can use both simultaneously, so if you really need to use hardware serial and PC comms at the same time, I recommend you buy a leonardo. </p>
