Application software is the process and end result of creating programs designed to perform certain tasks (applications) that meet the interests of the user. According to its functional purpose, it can be classified depending on the task.
PC software classification
Any information system (IS) is under control of the basic software (for example, an operating system). Application software operates in this environment and consists of:
- various application software packages (RFPs);
- work programs of the user IP.
RFP can be considered as a further improvement of the operating system to perform certain applied tasks of a particular direction. The PPP complex includes tasks that are aimed at realizing the goals of the user. Each application software has a number of data processing methods, forms of their presentation, completeness of diagnostics, which allows the user to choose an option suitable for specific purposes.
A package of applications is called a set of programs that are designed to solve targets (business application, functional subsystem).
Application software is of the following types:
- universal (general purpose);
- method-oriented;
- problem-oriented;
- Software for the administration of computing processes of the organization.
Universal application programs are general-purpose software products that automate the development and operation of user-defined functional tasks and information systems in general.
They consist of such software products :
• editors of text (word processors) and graphic;
• spreadsheets;
• DBMS;
• integrated packages;
• Case-technologies;
• shells of expert systems and artificial intelligence.
Application software designed to automate the creation and editing of documents and texts, illustrations and graphic data is called an editor. Editors simplify work related to document management in the company. According to their functionality, they can be text, graphic and publishing systems.
The purpose of text editors is the processing of text information, i.e.:
• write to a text file;
• removal, insertion, replacement of characters, text fragments, lines;
• spellchecking;
• support in the text of various fonts;
• text alignment:
• preparation of tables of contents, pagination of text;
• replacement of words and expressions in the text and search by context;
• inclusion in the text of simple illustrations;
• printout of text.
The most common text editors include Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, ChiWriter, and others.
The purpose of graphic editors is the processing of graphic documents, in particular, diagrams, illustrations, drawings, tables. The editor allows you to control the size of fonts and figures, moving figures and letters, creating any images. Well-known graphic editors are PC Paintbnish, BoiengGraf, Corel DRAW, AdobePhotoshop.
Application software designed for processing tables is called spreadsheets. Information in tables is stored in cells, which are the intersection of columns and rows. A cell can contain a number, a symbol, and a formula that determines the dependence of the values of some cells depending on the contents of others. The most popular spreadsheets are Microsoft Excel, Lotus1-2-3, Ouattro Pro and others.
Information support in the organization involves the use of database management systems, which include the database itself and the management of information stored in it.
The most common are Microsoft Access, MicrosoftFoxPro, as well as more secure and complex DBMSs - Oracle, Ingres, Sybase, etc.