An application, application program, or application software is a package of computer software that performs a specific function for an end user or other application. The application can be independent or represent a group of programs.
How do applications work?
Applications use the OS, computer, and other auxiliary programs, usually system software, to work. Application programs request services from other technologies and interact with them through the Application Programming Interface (API).
Applications use system software to access hardware resources such as memory, storage, and various utilities. For example, to store and manage files, the application uses system software to access the file system.
System programs control the operation of the computer in the background, while applications interact directly with the user.
What kind of applications are there?
Application programs can vary in many ways: the method of their creation, the platform, the target market, open or proprietary source code. There are several classifications of applications.
General purpose software:
- text editors and processors,
- web browsers,
- graphic editors,
- presentation editors,
- programs for viewing files of different formats,
- spreadsheets.
Special purpose applications:
- video and audio editors,
- speech synthesis programs,
- translators,
- electronic dictionaries, reference books and encyclopedias,
- publishing systems,
- DBMS.
Professional Applications:
- CRM systems,
- applications for tax and accounting,
- BI-systems,
- document management automation programs,
- GIS,
- computer-aided design systems,
- Software for creating computer graphics,
- billing systems.