APPLICATION SOFTWARE

Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer soItware

designed to help the user to perIorm speciIic tasks. Examples include enterprise soItware,
accounting soItware, oIIice suites, graphics soItware and media players. Many application
programs deal principally with documents. Apps may be bundled with the computer and its
system soItware, or may be published separately. Some users are satisIied with the bundled apps
and need never install one. A program or group oI programs designed Ior end users.
Application soItware can be divided into two general classes: systems software and
applications software. Systems soItware consists oI low-level programs that interact with the
computer at a very basic level. This includes operating systems, compilers, and utilities Ior
managing computer resources. In contrast, applications soItware (also called end-user programs)
includes database programs, word processors, and spreadsheets. Figuratively speaking,
applications soItware sits on top oI systems soItware because it is unable to run without the
operating system and system utilities.
Application soItware is contrasted with system soItware and middleware, which manage
and integrate a computer's capabilities, but typically do not directly apply them in the
perIormance oI tasks that beneIit the user. The system soItware serves the application, which in
turn serves the user. Similar relationships apply in other Iields. For example, a shopping mall
does not provide the merchandise a shopper is seeking, but provides space and services Ior
retailers that serve the shopper. Rail tracks similarly support trains, allowing the trains to
transport passengers.
Application soItware applies the power oI a particular computing platIorm or system
soItware to a particular purpose. Some apps such as MicrosoIt OIIice are available in versions Ior
several diIIerent platIorms; others have narrower requirements and are thus called, Ior example, a
Geography application Ior Windows or an Android application Ior education or Linux gaming.
Sometimes a new and popular application arises which only runs on one platIorm, increasing the
desirability oI that platIorm. This is called a killer application.
In inIormation technology, an application is a computer program designed to help people
perIorm an activity. An application thus diIIers Irom an operating system (which runs a
computer), a utility (which perIorms maintenance or general-purpose chores), and a programming
language (with which computer programs are created). Depending on the activity Ior which it was
designed, an application can manipulate text, numbers, graphics, or a combination oI these
elements. Some application packages oIIer considerable computing power by Iocusing on a single
task, such as word processing; others, called integrated soItware, oIIer somewhat less power but
include several applications.
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User-written soItware tailors systems to meet the user's speciIic
needs. User-written soItware include spreadsheet templates, word processor macros, scientiIic
simulations, graphics and animation scripts. Even email Iilters are a kind oI user soItware. Users
create this soItware themselves and oIten overlook how important it is.
The delineation between system soItware such as operating systems and application
soItware is not exact, however, and is occasionally the object oI controversy. For example, one oI
the key questions in the United States v. MicrosoIt antitrust trial was whether MicrosoIt's Internet
Explorer web browser was part oI its Windows operating system or a separable piece oI
application soItware. As another example, the GNU/Linux naming controversy is, in part, due to
disagreement about the relationship between the Linux kernel and the operating systems built
over this kernel. In some types oI embedded systems, the application soItware and the operating
system soItware may be indistinguishable to the user, as in the case oI soItware used to control a
VCR, DVD player or microwave oven. The above deIinitions may exclude some applications that
may exist on some computers in large organizations. For an alternative deIinition oI an app: see
Application Portfolio Management.


There are many types oI application soItware:
O An application suite consists oI multiple applications bundled together. They usually
have related Iunctions, Ieatures and user interIaces, and may be able to interact with each
other, e.g. open each other's Iiles. Business applications oIten come in suites, e.g.
MicrosoIt OIIice, OpenOIIice.org and iWork, which bundle together a word processor, a
spreadsheet, etc.; but suites exist Ior other purposes, e.g. graphics or music.
O nterprise software addresses the needs oI organization processes and data Ilow, oIten in
a large distributed environment. (Examples include Iinancial systems, customer
relationship management (CRM) systems and supply-chain management soItware). Note
that Departmental SoItware is a sub-type oI enterprise soItware with a Iocus on smaller
organizations or groups within a large organization. Examples include travel expense
management and IT Helpdesk)
O nterprise infrastructure software provides common capabilities needed to support
enterprise soItware systems. (Examples include databases, email servers, and systems Ior
managing networks and security.)
O nformation worker software addresses the needs oI individuals to create and manage
inIormation, oIten Ior individual projects within a department, in contrast to enterprise
management. Examples include time management, resource management, documentation
tools, analytical, and collaborative. Word processors, spreadsheets, email and blog clients,
personal inIormation system, and individual media editors may aid in multiple
inIormation worker tasks.
O ontent access software is soItware used primarily to access content without editing, but
may include soItware that allows Ior content editing. Such soItware addresses the needs
oI individuals and groups to consume digital entertainment and published digital content.
(Examples include Media Players, Web Browsers, Help browsers and Games)
O ducational software is related to content access soItware, but has the content and/or
Ieatures adapted Ior use in by educators or students. For example, it may deliver
evaluations (tests), track progress through material, or include collaborative capabilities.
O $imulation software are computer soItware Ior simulation oI physical or abstract systems
Ior either research, training or entertainment purposes.
O Media development software addresses the needs oI individuals who generate print and
electronic media Ior others to consume, most oIten in a commercial or educational
setting. This includes graphic-art soItware, desktop publishing soItware, multimedia
development soItware, HTML editors, digital-animation editors, digital audio and video
composition, and many others.
O Mobile applications (mobile apps) run on hand-held devices such as smart phones, tablet
computers, portable media players, personal digital assistants and enterprise digital
assistants : see mobile application development.
O Product engineering software is used in developing hardware and soItware products. This
includes computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided engineering (CAE), computer
language editing and compiling tools, integrated development environments, and
application programmer interIaces.
O A command-line interIace is one in which you type in commands to make the computer
do something. You have to know the commands and what they do, and type them
correctly. DOS and Unix are examples oI command-driven interIaces.
O A graphical user interIace (GUI) is one in which you select command choices Irom
various menus, buttons and icons using a mouse. It is a user-Iriendly interIace. MicrosoIt
Windows and Mac OS are both graphical user interIaces.
O A third party server side application that the user may choose to install in his or her
account on a social media site or other Web 2.0 web site, Ior example a Iacebook app.
O Applications can also be classiIied by computing platIorm.