Application software, classification

Application software is the process and the 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 according to the task.

Classification of PC software

Any information system (IS) is under the control of the basic software (for example, the operating system). The application software functions in this environment and consists of:

- various software packages (SPP);

- work programs of the user of the IS.

The RFP can be considered as a further improvement of the operating system for performing specific application tasks of a specific direction. The SPP complex includes such tasks that are aimed at the realization of the user's goals. Each application software has a number of methods of data processing, forms of representation, 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 intended for solving target tasks (business application, functional subsystem).

The 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 software products that automate the development and operation of user-defined functional tasks and, in general, information systems.

They consist of such software products:

• editors text (word processors) and graphic;

• spreadsheets;

• DBMS;

• integrated packages;

• Case-technology;

• Shells of expert systems and artificial intelligence.

Application software designed to automate the creation and modification of documents and texts, illustrations and graphics data is called the editor. Editors simplify the work related to the document circulation in the firm. In terms of their functionality, they can be text, graphics and publishing systems.

The purpose of text editors is the processing of textual information, ie:

• writing to a text file;

• delete, insert, replace characters, text fragments, strings;

• spellchecking;

• support in the text of various fonts;

• Text alignment:

• preparation of tables of contents, breakdown of the text into pages;

• replacement of words and expressions in the text and search by context;

• inclusion of simple illustrations in the text;

• print the 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 shapes, move shapes and letters, create any images. Famous graphic editors are PC Paintbnish, BoiengGraf, Corel DRAW, Adobe PhotoShop.

Application software designed for processing tables is called spreadsheets. The information in the tables is stored in cells that 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 one cell, depending on the contents of the other cells. The most popular spreadsheets are Microsoft Excel, Lotus1-2-3, Ouattro Pro and others.

Information support in the organization implies 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, and also more secure and complex DBMS - Oracle, Ingres, Sybase, etc.