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Application software
 
 
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Application software is any tool
Tool

A broad definition of a tool is an entity used to interface between two or more domains that facilitates more effective action of one domain upon the other....
 that functions and is operated by means of a computer
Computer

A computer is a machine that manipulates Data according to a list of Code .The first devices that resemble modern computers date to the mid-20th century , although the computer concept and various machines similar to computers existed earlier....
, with the purpose
Purpose

Purpose is the cognitive awareness in cause and Result linking for achieving a goal in a given system, whether human or machine. Its most general sense is the anticipated result which guides decision making in choosing appropriate Action within a range of strategy in the process based on varying degrees of ambiguity about the knowledge that...
 of supporting or improving the software user
User (computing)

In computing, a user is a person who uses a computer or Internet service. A user may have a user account that identifies the user by a username , screenname , or "handle", which is derived from the identical Citizen's Band radio term....
's work. In other words, it is the subclass of computer software
Computer software

Computer software, or just software is a general term used to describe a collection of computer programs, Algorithm and Software documentation that perform some tasks on a computer system....
 that employs the capabilities of a computer directly and thoroughly to a task that the user wishes to perform. This should be contrasted with system software
System software

System software is closely related to, but distinct from Operating System software. It is any computer software that provides the infrastructure over which programs can operate, i.e....
 (infrastructure) or middleware
Middleware

Middleware is computer software that connects software components or applications. The software consists of a set of enabling services that allow multiple processes running on one or more machines to interact across a network....
 (computer services/ processes integrators), which is involved in integrating a computer's various capabilities, but typically does not directly apply them in the performance of tasks that benefit the user.






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Encyclopedia


Application software is any tool
Tool

A broad definition of a tool is an entity used to interface between two or more domains that facilitates more effective action of one domain upon the other....
 that functions and is operated by means of a computer
Computer

A computer is a machine that manipulates Data according to a list of Code .The first devices that resemble modern computers date to the mid-20th century , although the computer concept and various machines similar to computers existed earlier....
, with the purpose
Purpose

Purpose is the cognitive awareness in cause and Result linking for achieving a goal in a given system, whether human or machine. Its most general sense is the anticipated result which guides decision making in choosing appropriate Action within a range of strategy in the process based on varying degrees of ambiguity about the knowledge that...
 of supporting or improving the software user
User (computing)

In computing, a user is a person who uses a computer or Internet service. A user may have a user account that identifies the user by a username , screenname , or "handle", which is derived from the identical Citizen's Band radio term....
's work. In other words, it is the subclass of computer software
Computer software

Computer software, or just software is a general term used to describe a collection of computer programs, Algorithm and Software documentation that perform some tasks on a computer system....
 that employs the capabilities of a computer directly and thoroughly to a task that the user wishes to perform. This should be contrasted with system software
System software

System software is closely related to, but distinct from Operating System software. It is any computer software that provides the infrastructure over which programs can operate, i.e....
 (infrastructure) or middleware
Middleware

Middleware is computer software that connects software components or applications. The software consists of a set of enabling services that allow multiple processes running on one or more machines to interact across a network....
 (computer services/ processes integrators), which is involved in integrating a computer's various capabilities, but typically does not directly apply them in the performance of tasks that benefit the user. In this context the term application refers to both the application software and its implementation.

A simple, if imperfect analogy
Analogy

Analogy is both the cognition process of transferring information from a particular subject to another particular subject , and a language expression corresponding to such a process....
 in the world of hardware would be the relationship of an electric light bulb (an application) to an electric power generation plant (a system). The power plant merely generates electricity, not itself of any real use until harnessed to an application like the electric light that performs a service that benefits the user.

Typical examples of software applications are word processor
Word processor

A word processor is a computer Application software used for the production of any sort of printable material.Word processor may also refer to an obsolete type of stand-alone office machine, popular in the 1970s and 80s, combining the keyboard text-entry and printing functions of an electric typewriter with a dedicated computer for th...
s, spreadsheet
Spreadsheet

A spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper worksheet. It displays multiple cells that together make up a grid consisting of rows and columns, each cell containing either alphanumeric text or numeric values....
s, media players and database applications
Database management system

A database management system is computer software that manages databases. DBMSes may use any of a variety of database models, such as the network model or relational model....
.

Multiple applications bundled together as a package are sometimes referred to as an application suite. Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is a popular set of interrelated desktop applications, servers and services. Microsoft Office is collectively referred to as an office suite, for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems....
, OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org

OpenOffice.org , commonly known simply as OpenOffice, is an office application suite available for a number of different computer operating systems....
, and iWork
IWork

iWork is a office suite of applications created by Apple Inc., which contains Pages, a word processing and desktop publishing application; Keynote , a presentation package; and Numbers , a spreadsheet application....
, which bundle together a word processor, a spreadsheet, and several other discrete applications, are typical examples. The separate applications in a suite usually have a user interface
User interface

The user interface is the aggregate of means by which people—the User s—Interaction with the system—a particular machine, device, computer program or other complex tools....
 that has some commonality making it easier for the user to learn and use each application. And often they may have some capability to interact with each other in ways beneficial to the user. For example, a spreadsheet may be embedded in a word processor document even though it has been created in a separate spreadsheet application.

User-written software tailors systems to meet the user's specific needs. User-written software include spreadsheet templates, word processor macros, scientific simulations, graphics and animation scripts. Even email filters are a kind of user software. Users create this software themselves and often overlook how important it is.

In some types of embedded system
Embedded system

An embedded system is a special-purpose computer system designed to perform one or a few dedicated functions, often with real-time computing constraints....
s, the application software and the operating system software may be indistinguishable to the user, as in the case of software used to control a VCR, DVD
DVD

DVD, also known as "Digital Versatile Disc" or "Digital Video Disc,"is a popular optical disc data storage device media format. Its main uses are video and data storage....
 player or microwave oven
Microwave oven

A microwave oven, or a microwave, is a kitchen appliance that cookings or heats food by dielectric heating. This is accomplished by using microwave radiation to heat water and other dipole within the food....
.

It is important to note that this definition may exclude some applications that may exist on some computers in large organizations. For an alternative definition of an application: see Application Portfolio Management
Application Portfolio Management

IT Application Portfolio Management is a practice that has emerged in mid to large size Information Technology organizations since the mid 1990s....
.

Terminology

The exact delineation between system software such as operating system
Operating system

An operating system is an interface between hardware and applications; it is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of the limited resources of the computer....
s and application software is not precise, however, and is occasionally subject to controversy. For example, one of the key questions in the United States v. Microsoft
United States v. Microsoft

United States v. Microsoft was a set of consolidated civil actions filed against Microsoft Corporation on May 18, 1998 by the United States Department of Justice and 20 U.S....
 antitrust
Antitrust

United States antitrust law is the body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are designed to encourage competition in the marketplace....
 trial was whether Microsoft's Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer

Windows Internet Explorer , commonly abbreviated to IE, is a series of graphical user interface web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems starting in 1995....
 web browser
Web browser

A Web browser is a application software which enables a user to display and interact with text, images, videos, music, games and other information typically located on a Web page at a website on the World Wide Web or a local area network....
 was part of its Windows
Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces ....
 operating system or a separable piece of application software. As another example, the GNU/Linux naming controversy
GNU/Linux naming controversy

The GNU/Linux naming controversy is a dispute among members of the free and open source software community. It centers around how to refer to the computer operating systems commonly called "Linux", as the term advocated by the Free Software Foundation and some other proponents of free software for such systems is GNU/Linux....
 is, in part, due to disagreement about the relationship between the Linux kernel
Linux kernel

The Linux kernel is an operating system kernel used by a family of Unix-like operating systems. The term Linux distribution is used to refer to the various operating systems that run on top of the Linux Kernel....
 and the operating systems built over this kernel
Kernel (computing)

In computing, the kernel is the central component of most computer operating systems. Its responsibilities include managing the system's resources ....
.

In computer science
Computer science

Computer science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation, and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems....
, an application is a computer program designed to help people perform a certain type of work. An application thus differs from an operating system (which runs a computer), a utility (which performs maintenance or general-purpose chores), and a programming language
Programming language

A programming language is a machine-readable artificial language designed to express computations that can be performed by a machine, particularly a computer....
 (with which computer programs are created). Depending on the work for which it was designed, an application can manipulate text, numbers, graphics, or a combination of these elements. Some application packages offer considerable computing power by focusing on a single task, such as word processing; others, called integrated software
Integrated software

Integrated software is software for personal computers that combines the most commonly used functions of many productivity software programs into one application....
, offer somewhat less power but include several applications.

Application software classification


There are many subtypes of application software:

  • Enterprise software
    Enterprise software

    Enterprise software is software intended to solve an enterprise problem and often written using an Enterprise architecture. Due to the cost of building what is often proprietary software, only large enterprises attempt to build such enterprise software that models the entire business enterprise and is the core IT system of governing the ente...
     addresses the needs of organization processes and data flow, often in a large distributed environment. (Examples include Financial, Customer Relationship Management, and Supply Chain Management). Note that Departmental Software is a sub-type of Enterprise Software with a focus on smaller organizations or groups within a large organization. (Examples include Travel Expense Management, and IT Helpdesk)
  • Enterprise infrastructure software provides common capabilities needed to support Enterprise Software systems. (Examples include Databases, Email servers, and Network and Security Management)
  • Information worker software addresses the needs of individuals to create and manage information, often for 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 information system, and individual media editors may aid in multiple information worker tasks.
  • Content access software is software used primarily to access content without editing, but may include software that allows for content editing. Such software addresses the needs of individuals and groups to consume digital entertainment and published digital content. (Examples include Media Players, Web Browsers, Help browsers, and Games)
  • Educational software
    Educational software

    Educational software is computer software, the primary purpose of which is Teacher or Learning.HistoryEarly History, 1940s - 1970s...
     is related to content access software, but has distinct requirements for delivering evaluations (tests) and tracking progress through material. It is also related to collaboration software in that many Educational Software systems include collaborative capabilities.
  • Simulation software are computer software for simulation of physical or abstract systems for either research, training or entertainment purposes.
  • Media development software addresses the needs of individuals who generate print and electronic media
    Electronic media

    Electronic media are media that utilize electronics or electromechanical energy for the end user to access the content. This is in contrast to static media , which are most often Desktop publishing, but don't require electronics to be accessed by the end user in the printed form....
     for others to consume, most often in a commercial or educational setting. This includes Graphic Art software, Desktop Publishing software, Multimedia Development software, HTML editors, Digital Animation editors, Digital Audio and Video composition, and many others.
  • Product engineering software is used in developing hardware and software products. This includes computer aided design (CAD), computer aided engineering (CAE), computer language editing and compiling tools, Integrated Development Environments, and Application Programmer Interfaces.


Examples


Enterprise software
  • Executive dashboard


Enterprise infrastructure software
  • Business workflow
    Workflow

    A workflow is a depiction of a sequence of operations, declared as work of a person, work of a simple or complex mechanism, work of a group of persons, work of an organization of staff, or machines....
     software
  • Database management system
    Database management system

    A database management system is computer software that manages databases. DBMSes may use any of a variety of database models, such as the network model or relational model....
     (DBMS) software
  • Digital asset management
    Digital asset management

    Digital Asset Management consists of tasks and decisions surrounding ingesting, annotating, cataloguing, storage and retrieval of digital assets, such as digital photographs, animations, videos and music....
     (DAM) software
  • Document Management software
  • Geographic Information System
    Geographic Information System

    A geographic information system captures, stores, analyzes, manages, and presents data that refers to or is linked to location.In the strictest sense, the term describes any Information systems that integrates, stores, edits, analyzes, shares, and displays georeference information....
     (GIS) software


Information worker software
  • Time and Resource Management
    • Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems
    • Accounting software
      Accounting software

      Accounting software is application software that records and processes accounting transactions within functional modules such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and trial balance....
    • Task and Scheduling
      Project management software

      Project management software is a term covering many types of software, including scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management and documentation or administration systems, which are used to deal with the complexity of large projects....
    • Field service management
      Field Service Management

      Field Service Management , also known as Field Force Automation , is an attempt to optimize processes and information needed by companies who send technicians or staff "into the field" Optimization is difficult, since it involves intelligent scheduling and dispatching of multiple technicians to different locations daily, while minimizing cos...
       software
  • Data Management
    • Contact Management
      Contact manager

      Contact managers are programs that enable people to keep track of their associates and tasks. Contact managers are used by salespeople, customer service representatives, and managers....
    • Spreadsheet
      Spreadsheet

      A spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper worksheet. It displays multiple cells that together make up a grid consisting of rows and columns, each cell containing either alphanumeric text or numeric values....
    • Personal Database
      Database

      A database is a structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system. The structure is achieved by organizing the data according to a database model....
  • Documentation
    • Document Automation/Assembly
      Document automation

      Document automation goes beyond assembly of individual documents. It is the design of systems and workflow that aids in the selection of the appropriate document and the assembly of those documents using file data or case data that covers the entire suite of documents....
    • Word Processing
      Word processor

      A word processor is a computer Application software used for the production of any sort of printable material.Word processor may also refer to an obsolete type of stand-alone office machine, popular in the 1970s and 80s, combining the keyboard text-entry and printing functions of an electric typewriter with a dedicated computer for th...
    • Desktop publishing software
      Desktop publishing

      Desktop publishing combines a personal computer and WYSIWYG page layout software to create publication documents on a computer for either Publishing or small scale local Multifunction printer output and distribution....
    • Diagramming Software
      Diagramming software

      Diagramming software consists of computer programs that are used to produce graphical diagrams....
    • Presentation software
  • Analytical software
    Analytical software

    Analytical software is software that is designed specifically for...
    • Computer algebra system
      Computer algebra system

      A computer algebra system is a Application software that facilitates symbolic mathematics. The core functionality of a CAS is manipulation of mathematical expressions in symbolic form....
      s
    • Numerical computing
      Numerical analysis

      Numerical analysis is the study of algorithms for the problems of continuous mathematics .One of the earliest mathematical writings is the Babylonian tablet YBC 7289, which gives a sexagesimal numerical approximation of , the length of the diagonal in a unit square....
    • List of numerical software
  • Physics software
  • Science software
  • List of statistical software
    • Neural network software
      Neural network software

      Neural network software is used to Simulation, research, Software development and apply artificial neural networks, biological neural networks and in some cases a wider array of adaptive systems....
  • Collaborative software
    Collaborative software

    Collaborative software is software designed to help people involved in a common task achieve their goals. Collaborative software is the basis for computer supported cooperative work....
    • E-mail
      E-mail

      Electronic mail, often abbreviated as e-mail, email, E-Mail, or eMail, is any method of creating, transmitting, or storing primarily text-based human communications with digital communications systems....
    • Blog
      Blog

      A blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video....
    • Wiki or Application Wiki
  • Reservation systems
Financial Software
    • Day trading software
      Day trading software

      Day trading software is computer software intended to facilitate day trading of stocks....
    • Banking systems
    • Clearing systems
 

Content access software
  • Electronic media
    Electronic media

    Electronic media are media that utilize electronics or electromechanical energy for the end user to access the content. This is in contrast to static media , which are most often Desktop publishing, but don't require electronics to be accessed by the end user in the printed form....
     software
    • Web browser
      Web browser

      A Web browser is a application software which enables a user to display and interact with text, images, videos, music, games and other information typically located on a Web page at a website on the World Wide Web or a local area network....
    • Media players
    • Hybrid editor players
      Presentation program

      A presentation program is a computer software package used to display information, normally in the form of a slide show. It typically includes three major functions: an editor that allows text to be inserted and formatted, a method for inserting and manipulating graphic images and a slide-show system to display the content....
    • Entertainment software
      • Digital pet
        Digital pet

        A digital pet , is a type of artificial human companion. They are usually kept for companionship or enjoyment. People may keep a digital pet in lieu of a real pet....
        s
      • Screen savers
      • Computer and Video Games
        • Arcade
          Arcade game

          An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, typically installed in businesses such as restaurants, public houses, video arcades, and Family Entertainment Centers....
        • Emulators
          Emulator

          An emulator duplicates the functions of one system using a different system, so that the second system behaves like the first system. This focus on exact reproduction of external behavior is in contrast to some other forms of computer simulation, which can concern an abstract model of the system being simulated....
           for console games
        • Handheld Game Consoles
          Handheld game console

          A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable device with a built-in screen, games controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place....
           Games
        • Video Game Console
          Video game console

          A video game console is an game development that produces a video signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game. The term "video game console" is used to distinguish a machine designed for consumers to buy and use solely for playing video games from a personal computer, which has many other functions, or arcade machi...
           Games
        • Wireless
          Wireless

          Wireless communication is the transfer of information over a distance without the use of electrical conductors or "wires". The distances involved may be short or long ....
           or Mobile Phone
          Mobile phone

          A mobile phone is a long-range, electronic device used for mobile voice or data communication over a network of specialized base stations known as cell sites....
           Games


Educational software
  • Classroom Management
  • Edutainment Software
    Edutainment

    Edutainment is a form of entertainment designed to Education as well as to amuse. Edutainment typically seeks to instruct or Socialization its audience by embedding lessons in some familiar form of entertainment: television programs, Video game, films, music, websites, multimedia software, etc....
  • Learning/Training Management Software
    Learning management system

    A learning management system is software for delivering, tracking and managing training. LMSs range from systems for managing training records to software for distributing courses over the Internet and offering features for online collaboration....
  • Reference software
    Reference software

    Reference software is software which emulates and expands upon print reference forms including the dictionary, translation dictionary, encyclopedia, thesaurus, and atlas....
  • Sales Readiness Software
  • Survey Management


Simulation software
  • Computer simulator
    Computer simulator

    In computer science, a simulator is a software program to model a real-life situation on a computer so that it can be studied to see how the system behaves....
    s
    • Scientific simulator
      Computational science

      Computational science is the field of study concerned with constructing mathematical models and numerical solution techniques and using computers to analyse and solve scientific, social science and engineering problems....
      s
    • Social simulators
    • Battlefield simulator
      Military simulation

      Military simulations, also known informally as military exercise, are simulations in which theories of warfare can be tested and refined without the need for actual hostilities....
      s
    • Emergency simulators
    • Vehicle simulators
      • Flight simulator
        Flight simulator

        A flight simulator is a system that tries to copy, or simulation, the experience of flight an aircraft. It is as realistic as possible. The different types of flight simulator range from video games up to full-size cockpit replicas mounted on hydraulic actuators, controlled by state of the art computer technology....
        s
      • Driving simulator
        Driving simulator

        Driving Simulators are used for entertainment as well as in training of driver's education courses taught in educational institutions and private businesses....
        s
    • Simulation games
      • Vehicle simulation game
        Vehicle simulation game

        Vehicle simulation games are a genre of video games which attempt to provide the player with a realistic interpretation of operating various kinds of vehicles....
        s
 

Media development software
  • Image organizer
    Image organizer

    An image organizer or image management application is application software focused on organizing digital images. Image organizers represent one kind of desktop organizer software applications....
  • Media content creating/editing
    • 3D computer graphics software
      3D computer graphics software

      3D computer graphics software refers to programs used to create 3D computer graphics computer-generated imagery. There are typically many stages in the "Pipeline " that studios use to create 3D objects for film and games, and this article only covers some of the software used....
    • Animation software
    • Graphic art software
    • Image editing software
      Image editing

      Image editing encompasses the processes of altering s, whether they be Digital photographys, traditional Photographic processings, or illustrations....
      • Raster graphics editor
        Raster graphics editor

        A raster graphics editor is a computer program that allows users to computer painting and edit pictures interactively on the computer screen and save them in one of many popular ?bitmap? or ?raster graphics? graphics file formats such as JPEG, Portable Network Graphics, Graphics Interchange Format and Tagged Image File Format....
      • Vector graphics editor
        Vector graphics editor

        A vector graphics editor is a computer program that allows users to compose and edit vector graphics s interactively on a computer. and save them in one of many popular vector graphics formats, such as Encapsulated PostScript, Portable Document Format, Windows Metafile, Scalable Vector Graphics, or Vector Markup Language....
    • Video editing software
      Video editing software

      Video editing software is application software which handles the editing of digital video sequences on a computer. In the simplest case the video is stored as JPEG image files in a directory....
    • Sound editing software
      Digital audio workstation

      A digital audio workstation is an electronic system designed to sound recording, sound editing and play back digital audio. A key feature of DAWs is the ability to freely manipulate recorded sounds....
      • Digital audio editor
        Digital audio editor

        A digital audio editor is a application software for audio editing, i.e. manipulating digital audio. Digital audio editors are the main software component of a digital audio workstation....
    • Music sequencer
      Music sequencer

      A music sequencer is software or hardware designed to create and manage computer-generated music.Originally, music sequencers did not include the ability to record audio....
      • Scorewriter
        Scorewriter

        A scorewriter, or music notation program, is software used to automate the task of writing and Music engraving sheet music. A scorewriter is to music notation what a word processor is to written text....
    • Hypermedia editing software
      Hypermedia

      Hypermedia is used as a logical extension of the term hypertext in which graphics, audio, video, plain text and hyperlinks intertwine to create a generally non-linear medium of information....
      • Web Development Software
        HTML editor

        An HTML editor is a application software for creating web pages. Although the HTML markup of a web page can be written with any text editor, specialized HTML editors can offer convenience and added functionality....


Product engineering software
  • Hardware Engineering
    Engineering

    Engineering is the discipline and profession of applying Technology and science knowledge and utilizing natural laws and physical resources in order to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and process that safely realize a desired objective and meet specified criteria....
    • Computer-aided engineering
      Computer-aided engineering

      File:Plasticity.jpgComputer-aided engineering is the use of information technology to support engineers in tasks such as analysis, Computer simulation, design, manufacture, planning, diagnosis, and repair....
    • Computer-aided design (CAD)
    • NEi Nastran
      NEi Nastran

      NEi Nastran is an engineering software product of NEi Software A PC-based version of NASA's Structural Analysis program, the software is an FEA tool used by various industry groups to simulate and analyze linear and nonlinear stress, dynamics, and heat transfer characteristics of structures and mechanical components....
       Finite Element Analysis
  • Software Engineering
    Software engineering

    Software engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, and the study of these approaches....
    • Computer Language Editor
    • Compiler Software
      Compiler

      A compiler is a computer program that transforms source code written in a programming language into another computer language . The most common reason for wanting to transform source code is to create an executable program....
    • Integrated Development Environments
  • Game creation software
  • Debuggers
  • Program testing tools


See also

  • Software system
    Software system

    A software system is a system based on software forming part of a computer system . The term software system is often used as a synonym of computer program or software....
    s