Application software

Application software is any computer program that is

intended for end-user use – not operating, administering
or programming the computer. An application (app,
application program, software application) is any
program that can be categorized as application
software.[1][2] Common types of applications include word
processor, media player and accounting software.

The term application software refers to all applications

collectively[3] and can be used to differentiate from system
and utility software.

Applications may be bundled with the computer and its

system software or published separately. Applications may
be proprietary or open-source.[4]

The short term app (coined in 1981 or earlier[5]) became

popular with the 2008 introduction of the iOS App Store,
to refer to applications for mobile devices such as
smartphones and tablets. Later, with introduction of the A calculator application on Windows 10
Mac App Store (in 2010) and Windows Store (in 2011), the
term was extended in popular use to include desktop
applications.

Terminology
The delineation between system software such as operating systems and application software is not
exact and is occasionally the object of controversy.[6] For example, one of the key questions in the
United States v. Microsoft Corp. antitrust trial was whether Microsoft's Internet Explorer web
browser was part of its Windows operating system or a separate piece of application software. 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 of embedded systems, the application software and the operating system software may be
indistinguishable by the user, as in the case of software used to control a VCR, DVD player, or
microwave oven. The above definitions may exclude some applications that may exist on some
computers in large organizations. For an alternative definition of an app: see Application Portfolio
Management.

When used as an adjective, application is not restricted to mean: of or on application software.[6]

For example, concepts such as application programming interface (API), application server,
application virtualization, application lifecycle management and portable application apply to all
computer programs alike, not just application software.
Killer app
Sometimes a new and popular application arises that only runs on one platform that results in
increasing the desirability of that platform. This is called a killer application or killer app, coined in
the late 1980s.[7][8] For example, VisiCalc was the first modern spreadsheet software for the Apple
II and helped sell the then-new personal computers into offices. For the BlackBerry, it was its
email software.

Platform specific naming

Some applications are available for multiple platforms while others only work on one and are thus
called, for example, a geography application for Microsoft Windows, or an Android application for
education, or, despite being relatively rare in practice, a Linux game.

Classification
There are many different and alternative ways to classify application software.

From the legal point of view, application software is mainly classified with a black-box approach,
about the rights of its end-users or subscribers (with eventual intermediate and tiered subscription
levels).

Software applications are also classified with respect to the programming language in which the
source code is written or executed, and concerning their purpose and outputs.

By property and use rights

Application software is usually distinguished into two main classes: closed source vs open source
software applications, and free or proprietary software applications.

Proprietary software is placed under the exclusive copyright, and a software license grants limited
usage rights. The open-closed principle states that software may be "open only for extension, but
not for modification". Such applications can only get add-ons from third parties.

Free and open-source software (FOSS) shall be run, distributed, sold, or extended for any purpose,
and -being open- shall be modified or reversed in the same way.

FOSS software applications released under a free license may be perpetual and also royalty-free.
Perhaps, the owner, the holder or third-party enforcer of any right (copyright, trademark, patent,
or ius in re aliena) are entitled to add exceptions, limitations, time decays or expiring dates to the
license terms of use.

Public-domain software is a type of FOSS which is royalty-free and - openly or reservedly- can be
run, distributed, modified, reversed, republished, or created in derivative works without any
copyright attribution and therefore revocation. It can even be sold, but without transferring the
public domain property to other single subjects. Public-domain SW can be released under a
(un)licensing legal statement, which enforces those terms and conditions for an indefinite duration
(for a lifetime, or forever).
By coding language
Since the development and near-universal adoption of the web, an important distinction that has
emerged, has been between web applications — written with HTML, JavaScript and other web-
native technologies and typically requiring one to be online and running a web browser — and the
more traditional native applications written in whatever languages are available for one's
particular type of computer. There has been a contentious debate in the computing community
regarding web applications replacing native applications for many purposes, especially on mobile
devices such as smartphones and tablets. Web apps have indeed greatly increased in popularity for
some uses, but the advantages of applications make them unlikely to disappear soon, if ever.
Furthermore, the two can be complementary, and even integrated.[9][10][11]

By purpose and output

Application software can also be seen as being either horizontal or vertical.[12][13] Horizontal
applications are more popular and widespread, because they are general purpose, for example
word processors or databases. Vertical applications are niche products, designed for a particular
type of industry or business, or department within an organization. Integrated suites of software
will try to handle every specific aspect possible of, for example, manufacturing or banking worker,
accounting, or customer service.

There are many types of application software:[14]

An application suite consists of multiple applications bundled together. They usually have
related functions, features, and user interfaces, and may be able to interact with each other,
e.g. open each other's files. Business applications often come in suites, e.g. Microsoft Office,
LibreOffice and iWork, which bundle together a word processor, a spreadsheet, etc.; but suites
exist for other purposes, e.g. graphics or music.
Enterprise software addresses the needs of an entire organization's processes and data flows,
across several departments, often in a large distributed environment. Examples include
enterprise resource planning systems, customer relationship management (CRM) systems,
data replication engines, and supply chain management software. 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 systems for managing
networks and security.)
Application platform as a service (aPaaS) is a cloud computing service that offers development
and deployment environments for application services.
Information worker software lets users create and manage information, often for individual
projects within a department, in contrast to enterprise management. Examples include time
management, resource management, analytical, collaborative and documentation tools. Word
processors, spreadsheets, email and blog clients, personal information systems, and individual
media editors may aid in multiple information worker tasks.
Content access software is 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, and help browsers.)
Educational software is related to content access software, but has the content or features
adapted for use by educators or students. For example, it may deliver evaluations (tests), track
progress through material, or include collaborative capabilities.
Simulation software simulates physical or abstract systems for either research, training, or
entertainment purposes.
 Media development software generates print and electronic media 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.[15]
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.
Entertainment Software can refer to video games, screen savers, programs to display motion
pictures or play recorded music, and other forms of entertainment which can be experienced
through the use of a computing device.

By platform
Applications can also be classified by computing platforms such as a desktop application for a
particular operating system,[16] delivery network such as in cloud computing and Web 2.0
applications, or delivery devices such as mobile apps for mobile devices.

The operating system itself can be considered application software when performing simple
calculating, measuring, rendering, and word processing tasks not used to control hardware via a
command-line interface or graphical user interface. This does not include application software
bundled within operating systems such as a software calculator or text editor.

Information worker software

Accounting software
Data management
Contact manager
Spreadsheet
Database software
Documentation
Document automation
Word processor
Desktop publishing software
Diagramming software
Presentation software
Email
Blog software
Enterprise resource planning
Financial software
Banking software
Clearing systems
Financial accounting software
Financial software
Field service management
Workforce management software
Project management software
 Calendaring software
Employee scheduling software
Workflow software
Reservation systems

Entertainment software
Screen savers
Video games
Arcade video games
Console games
Mobile games
Personal computer games
Software art
Demo
64K intro

Educational software
Classroom management
Reference software
Sales readiness software
Survey management
Encyclopedia software

Enterprise infrastructure software

Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps)
Business workflow software
Database management system (DBMS)
Digital asset management (DAM) software
Document management software
Geographic information system (GIS)

Simulation software
Computer simulators
Scientific simulators
Social simulators
Battlefield simulators
Emergency simulators
Vehicle simulators
Flight simulators
Driving simulators
Simulation games
 Vehicle simulation games

Media development software

3D computer graphics software
Animation software
Graphic art software
Raster graphics editor
Vector graphics editor
Image organizer
Video editing software
Audio editing software
Digital audio workstation
Music sequencer
Scorewriter
HTML editor
Game development tool

Product engineering software

Hardware engineering
Computer-aided engineering
Computer-aided design (CAD)
Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
Finite element analysis

Software engineering
Compiler software
Integrated development environment
Compiler
Linker
Debugger
Version control
Game development tool
License manager

See also
Software development – Creation and maintenance of software
Mobile app – Software application designed to run on mobile devices
Web application – Application that uses a web browser as a client
Server application – Computer to access a central resource or service on a network
Super-app – Mobile application that provides multiple services including financial transactions
References
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[Link]/public/login/loggingin#withyourlibrary) required.)
2. R. Shirey (August 2007). Internet Security Glossary, Version 2 ([Link]
4949). Network Working Group. doi:10.17487/RFC4949 ([Link]
9). RFC 4949 ([Link] Informational.
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weekend long appathon" ([Link]
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tps://[Link]/article/application-package-software-promise-vs-reality-393871). Cutter
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C&pg=PP75). PC Magazine. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
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[Link]/web/20160415200141/[Link]
e/). Archived from the original ([Link]
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Web apps and native apps" ([Link]
ifference-between-web-apps-and-native-apps). Poynter. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
11. Valums, Andrew (2010-02-10). "Web apps vs desktop apps" ([Link]
0402210926/[Link] [Link]. Archived from the original ([Link]
[Link]/web-apps/) on 2013-04-02. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
12. "What Is a Horizontal Application?" ([Link]
htm).
13. "What Are Horizontal Services?" ([Link]
[Link]/index2/html/java/[Link]
ok-LiB/[Link]). Archived from the original ([Link]
va/[Link]-LiB/[Link])
on 2013-10-31.
14. "What is Application Software & Its Types | eduCBA" ([Link]
on-software-its-types/). eduCBA. 2015-12-21. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
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External links
Learning materials related to Application software at Wikiversity

Retrieved from "[Link]