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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. An application can stand alone or be a group of programs.

How do applications work?

Applications use the OS, computer, and other supporting programs, usually system software, to operate. Application programs request services from other technologies and interact with them through an 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, an 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 are applications?”

Application programs can differ in many ways: the way they are created, 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 and encyclopedias,
• publishing systems,
• DBMSs.

Professional applications:

• CRM-systems,
• tax and accounting applications,
• BI-systems,
• Document automation programs,
• GIS,
• Systems of computer-aided design,
• software for creating computer graphics,
• billing systems.