application

Posted by: Margaret Rouse

WhatIs.com

Contributor(s): Don Rose

This definition is part of our Essential Guide: SaaS applications integration: Strategies and best
practices for success

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1) In information technology, an application is the use of a technology, system, or product.

2) The term application is a shorter form of application program. An application program is
a program designed to perform a specific function directly for the user or, in some cases, for
another application program. Examples of applications include word processors, database
programs, Web browsers, development tools, drawing, paint, image editing programs, and
communication programs. Applications use the services of the computer's operating system and
other supporting applications. The formal requests and means of communicating with other
programs that an application program uses is called the application program interface (API).

Application Software: Task Oriented

Application Software Type Examples

Word processing software MS Word, WordPad and Notepad
Database software Oracle, MS Access etc
Spreadsheet software Apple Numbers, Microsoft Excel
Multimedia software Real Player, Media Player

Define Application Software

Application software consists of programs designed to perform specific tasks for

users. Application software can be used as a productivity/business tool; to assist with
graphics and multimedia projects; to support home, personal, and educational
activities; and to facilitate communications. Specific application software products,
called software packages, are available from software vendors. Although application
software also is available as shareware, freeware, and public-domain software, these
usually have fewer capabilities than retail software packages.

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Understand How System Software Interacts With Application Software

System software consists of programs that control the operations of a computer and
its devices. System software serves as the interface between a user, the application
software, and the computers hardware. One type of system software is the operating
system. Before application software can be run, the operating system, which contains
instructions that coordinate the activities among computer hardware devices, must be
loaded from the hard disk into the computers memory.
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Identify The Role Of The User Interface

The user interface controls how you enter data or instructions and how information
displays on the computer screen. Many of todays software programs have a graphical
user interface. A graphical user interface (GUI) combines text, graphics, and other
visual images to make software easier to use.

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Explain How To Start A Software Application

Both the Microsoft Windows and the Apple Macintosh operating systems use the
concept of a desktop. The desktop is an on-screen work area with common graphical
elements such as icons, buttons, menus, links, windows, and dialog boxes. A
software application can be started by clicking its program name on a menu, or list
of commands. Clicking the program name instructs the operating system to transfer
the programs instructions from a storage medium into memory. Once started, the
application displays in a window on the desktop. A window is a rectangular area of
the screen that is used to show the program, data, and/or information. At the top of the
window is a title bar that contains the windows name.

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Identify The Widely Used Products And Explain The Key Features Of

productivity/business software applications

graphic design/multimedia software applications

home/personal/educational software applications

communications software applications

People use productivity software to become more effective and efficient while
performing daily activities. Word processing software allows users to create and
manipulate documents that contain text and graphics. With word processing software,
you can insert clip art into a document; change margins; find and replace text; use
a spelling checker to check spelling; place a header and footer at the top and the
bottom of a page; and vary font (character design), font size(character scale),
and font style (character appearance).

With spreadsheet software, data is organized in rows and columns, which collectively
are called a worksheet. The intersection of a row and column, called a cell, can
contain a label (text), a value (number), or a formula or function that performs
calculations on the data and displays the result.

Database software allows you to create and manage a database. A database is a

collection of data organized to allow access, retrieval, and use of that data. A query is
used to retrieve data according to specified criteria, which are restrictions the data
must meet.

Presentation graphics software is used to create presentations that communicate

ideas, messages, and other information to a group through a slide show. You can use
a clip gallery to enhance your presentation with clip art images, pictures, video clips,
and audio clips.

A personal information manager (PIM) is software that includes an appointment

calendar to schedule activities, an address book to maintain names and addresses,
and a notepad to record ideas, reminders, and important information. A
software suite is a collection of individual applications sold as a single package.

Project management software allows you to plan, schedule, track, and analyze the
progress of a project. Accounting software helps companies record and report their
financial transactions.

Power users often use software that allows them to work with graphics and
multimedia. Computer-aided design (CAD) software assists in creating engineering,
architectural, and scientific designs. Desktop publishing (DTP) software is used to
design and produce sophisticated documents. DTP is developed specifically to
support page layout, which is the process of arranging text and graphics in a
document. Paint software is used to draw graphical images with various on-screen
tools. Image editing software provides the capability to modify existing
images. Video editing software and audio editing software can be used to
modify video and audio segments.

Multimedia authoring software is used to create electronic interactive presentations

that can include text, images, video, audio, and animation. Web page authoring
software is designed to create Web pages and to organize, manage, and maintain Web
sites.
Many software applications are designed specifically for use at home or for personal
or educational use. Integrated software combines several productivity software
applications that share a similar interface and common features into a single
package. Personal finance software is an accounting program that helps pay bills,
balance a checkbook, track income and expenses, follow investments, and evaluate
financial plans. Legal software assists in the creation of legal documents and provides
legal advice. Tax preparation software guides users through the process of filing
federal taxes. Personal DTP software helps develop conventional documents by
asking questions, presenting predefined layouts, and supplying standard text.

Photo-editing software is used to edit digital photographs. A clip art/image

gallery is a collection of clip art and photographs that can be used in all types of
documents. Home design/landscaping software assists with planning or
remodeling.Educational software teaches a particular skill and exists for about any
subject. Reference software provides valuable and thorough information for all
individuals. Entertainment software includes interactive games, videos, and other
programs designed to support a hobby or provide amusement.

One of the main reasons people use computers is to communicate and share
information. E-mail software is used to create, send, receive, forward, store, print,
and delete e-mail (electronic mail). A Web browser is a software application used to
access and view Web pages. A chat client is software that allows you to connect to
a chat room, which permits users to chat via the computer. A newsreader is a
software program used to participate in a newsgroup, which is an online area on the
Web where users conduct written discussion about a particular subject. An instant
messenger is a software program installed to use instant messaging (IM), a real-time
communications service that notifies you when one or more people are online and
then allows you to exchange messages or files. Groupware is a software application
that helps groups of people on a network work together and share information.
A videoconference is a meeting between two or more geographically separated
people who use a network or the Internet to transmit audio and video data.

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Identify Various Products Available As Web Applications

A Web application is a software application that exists on a Web site. To access the
Web application, you visit the Web site that offers the program. Some Web
applications are free; for others, you pay for use, service, support, or when a certain
action occurs. Web-based training (WBT) is a type of CBT (computer-based
training) that uses Internet technology. Many Web sites offer WBT to the general
public. An application service provider (ASP) is a third-party organization that
manages and distributes software and services on the Web.

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Describe The Learning Aids Available With Many Software Applications

Many software applications and Web sites provide learning aids. Online Help is the
electronic equivalent of a user manual. Usually integrated into an application software
package, online Help often is context-sensitive, meaning that the Help information is
related to the current task being attempted. Most online Help also provide links to
Web sites that have a FAQs page. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) supply
answers to common queries. Many books are available to help you learn to use the
features of a personal computer application package. A wizard is an automated
assistant that helps complete a task by asking questions and then performing actions
based on the answers.

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Expand Your 1. Application software 5. Software

Knowledge
2. System software 6. Web applications

3. The user interface 7. Learning aids

4. Starting an application

Here you will find additional information that will expand and enhance your
knowledge beyond that contained in your textbook. Compare this information to what
may be provided in a traditional classroom by your instructor or peers.

Application Software

Popular types of application software can be categorized by their general use:

productivity software, graphics design/multimedia software,
home/personal/educational software, and communications software. An application
can belong to more than one category. For example, an e-mail program can be
considered both productivity software and communications software.

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System Software

Many application programs are designed to run with a specific operating system.
When shopping for an application software package, buyers must make sure they have
a compatible operating system. A software package designed to be used with the
Macintosh operating system may not work with the Windows operating system. The
operating system version also is important. An application designed for Windows XP
may not work with Windows 3.1. Yet, because most operating systems are downward
compatible, software written for earlier versions of an operating system (such as
Windows 98) usually can be used with recent versions of the operating system (such
as Windows XP).

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The User Interface

The user interface plays a key role in application software. Studies have found that
GUI users generally complete tasks more accurately, work faster, are more productive,
and feel less fatigue than users of a text interface. The Macintosh operating system
the first popular GUI actually was developed from an earlier GUI-based operating
system created by Xerox.

The first version of Windows (1985) imitated the Macintoshs GUI (Apple sued
Microsoft, unsuccessfully, for copyright infringement). Although some users still feel
the Macintosh interface is superior, today some form of Windows is used on almost 90
percent of personal computers. Because of this, even competitive products often use
similar features, such as the same menu names.

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Starting An Application

To click an object on the screen, you move the pointer to the object and then press and
release a button on the mouse. Often, applications also can be started by double-
clicking the icon that represents the application.
When an application is started, the right-hand corner of the application window title
bar usually displays three buttons:

Minimize When clicked, this button reduces a window to a button on the

taskbar.

Restore When clicked, this button returns a window to its initial size.
When a window does not fill the desktop, the Restore button is replaced by a
Maximize button that, when clicked, enlarges the window so it covers the
entire desktop.

Close When clicked, this button closes the window. The Close button
removes the window from the desktop and its button from the taskbar.

A dialog box can contain option buttons, check boxes, text boxes, and command
buttons. Option buttons stipulate desired alternatives; check boxes turn specific
capabilities on or off; text boxes allow text to be entered; and command buttons
immediately perform an action, such as implementing (OK) or ignoring (Cancel) the
choices made in a dialog box. Shortcut menus can change depending on where the
pointer rests when the mouse is right-clicked. Dimmed commands on a menu or
shortcut menu are unavailable.

Some applications use automatically display a smart tag when you perform a certain
action. Clicking the smart tag displays a menu of commands related to the action.

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Software

Word processing software is used for creating, editing, formatting, saving, and
printing documents. In the modern office, word processing software has replaced the
typewriter for almost all written work. The editing capabilities of word processing
software have altered the creative process. The freedom to express yourself without
reservation, knowing you easily can revise what you have written, can improve the
quality of written work. It is good practice to save a document before printing it.
When a document is saved, it exists as a file, or named collection of data, instructions,
or information. A file name uniquely identifies each file. Restrictions on file names
once were severe; file names could be no more than eight characters long, and many
characters, including spaces, could not be used. In Windows XP, however, a file name
can have up to 255 characters, including spaces.
Some spreadsheet programs offer more than 200 internal functions. When creating a
spreadsheet, formulas and functions usually must be preceded by a special character
(such as =, +, or @) to distinguish them from labels or values. Formulas use cell
references, or addresses, of cells that contain values. When formulas are copied from
one cell to another, the cell references change to reflect the new location. This update
is called relative referencing. Another powerful capability, called goal-seek, finds
what value is needed to reach a specified goal.

While spreadsheet packages can manage data tables of a few thousand records,
database software can efficiently handle much larger data tables. In a database,
common data types include text, numeric, currency, date, memo, hyperlink, and
object. When identifying data types, numbers treated as text (such as zip codes, Social
Security numbers, or telephone numbers) sometimes are referred to as alphanumeric
data because they are not used in calculations. The results of a database query are
placed in an ANSWER table.

Although introduced years after word processing and spreadsheet software,

presentation graphics software has had almost as great an impact on business, and on
how people do business, as either of the older applications. Presentations often include
an outline with the text from each slide, audience handouts that can be distributed to
the audience, and a notes page with additional notes for the presenter. Some
presentation graphics packages offer templates for various presentations (company
meeting, financial report, marketing plan, progress report, employee orientation,
training, and so on).

PIMs essentially are free style database managers. They are very popular with
people who spend much of their time in business travel. These people, often called
road warriors, find PIMs a valuable part of the arsenal they bring to their daily battles.
Like a daily planner, PIMs must be reviewed regularly to be effective.

Unlike word processing software, DTP software increases hardware requirements.

Because of its relatively low cost (an advanced DTP system can be purchased for less
than $10,000) and the speed, control, security, and flexibility offered by desktop
publishing, many companies are using DTP instead of outside printing firms for their
publishing needs.

Paint software and image editing software have had a tremendous impact on
commercial art. Commercial artists praise the capabilities offered by these
applications. At the same time, many feel these applications have led clients to
demand more, both in terms of time and expectations. As a result, some commercial
artists believe their income, actually has dropped because of graphic software.
Most software for home, personal, and educational use is relatively inexpensive. It
still pays to shop around. Prices for some software for home/personal use, such as
integrated software, can vary greatly for the same brand depending on the vendor.
Some personal finance packages can prepare reports on income and expenses, budget,
net worth, taxes, and investments.

Personal finance software wizards (automated assistants) can help to balance

accounts, prepare budgets, plan mortgages, calculate savings, and arrange retirements.
Legal software is designed to facilitate creation of standard documents; unusual
circumstances might still demand the services of a lawyer. Tax preparation software
also is best used by people in fairly common circumstances.

For some students, educational software is a welcome alternative to traditional

classes, allowing them to work privately at their own pace. Reference software articles
often include links that, when clicked, display related articles. Because referenced
material can change frequently, some reference software packages can be updated via
the World Wide Web.

Computer communications touch everyones life. Consider the ATM that knows a
bank balance even though it is located 500 miles from the bank. Many e-mail
programs allow users to send registered mail with a return receipt guaranteeing the
recipient received the message. E-mail and personal information management (PIM)
software sometimes also are considered part of groupware. Although e-mail has
assumed an important role in business messages, traditional paper letters and memos
still are used In fact, some maintain that the amount of paper correspondence has
increased.

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Web Applications

Web applications can be a better buy than packaged applications. For example, a $50
packaged antivirus program can be replaced by a Web application that costs less than
$30 annually, is updated frequently, and uses less space on a hard disk. In addition,
packaged software might include features you will never use, which increases the cost
of the package. Often, you can use the standard version of a similar Web application
for less money or even for free, and only pay more for the additional features you
want. Web applications can save businesses money with reduced installation, upgrade,
and maintenance costs. Some social analysts believe that the lower cost of Web
applications also can help close the digital divide.
For Web application vendors, benefits include easier updating and debugging (error
correcting), removal of packaging and distribution costs, and elimination of software
piracy (the illegal copying and selling of software). Despite their advantages, analysts
point out that Web applications may not be right for everyone. For some consumers,
paying a monthly fee ultimately costs more than the one-time purchase of packaged
software. Also, many households do not have the fast Internet connection needed for
certain Web applications to run smoothly. Finally, some people worry that files stored
at a Web application site can be infected with viruses. Web application vendors
believe these worries are groundless and that Web applications benefit both buyers
and sellers.

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Learning Aids

In many applications, an audible beep indicates an error, and the last entry should be
reviewed. Function key F1 often is used to activate the Help feature. Some
applications have a Help button that, when clicked, changes the mouse pointer to a
Help arrow. This arrow can be used to obtain help on a command, button, or bar by
pointing at the item and clicking. Many software developers have eliminated users
manuals in favor of extensive online Help. Computer stores occasionally carry a few
trade books, but entire aisles of computer-related books can be found in most large
book stores.

For some applications, other learning aids, such as tutorials or keyboard templates, are
available. Tutorials are step-by-step instructions using real examples that show how to
use an application. Tutorials can be printed, software-based, or Internet-based.
Keyboard templates (plastic sheets that fit around a portion of the keyboard) illustrate
the keyboard commands for various tasks. Wizards can be used to help create
memorandums, meeting agendas, fax cover sheets, flyers, letters, resumes, charts,
forms, reports, awards, pleadings, calendars, postcards, envelopes, mailing labels,
newsletters, and Web pages. Some applications also offer document templates, which
are special documents that provide basic tools for shaping a final document. The
availability of learning aids and support tools is an important consideration in
selecting an application package.
Session
A session begins when a user logs in to or accesses a particular
computer, program or web page and ends when the user logs out of or
shuts down the computer, closes the program or web page. A session
can temporarily store information related to the activities of the user
while connected. A session cookie is used in web pages for storing
information in case the user leaves the web page or closes down their
Internet browser. For example, this is one way a website can
remember what is in your shopping cart if you leave and come back.

In computer programming, session variables are used to store temporary

information, sometimes to use for retrieving and viewing data on multiple
web pages. Websites requiring a username and password use session
variables to help transfer data between web pages, but only while the user is
logged into the computer.

Sessions are stored on the server, which means clients do not have access to the
information you store about them. Session data, being stored on your server, does not
need to be transmitted in full with each page; clients just need to send an ID and the
data is loaded from the server.
On the other hand, Cookies are stored on the client. They can be made durable for a
long time and would allow you to work more smoothly when you have a cluster of web
servers. However unlike Sessions, data stored in Cookies is transmitted in full with
each page request.
Avoid storing data in cookies
it can be seen, read and manipulated by the end user, or intercepted by those
with nefarious intent. You can't trust any data in cookies, except for the
"session_id".
It increases your bandwidth, if you add 1k of data per page request per user,
that might increase your bandwith by 10-15%. This is perhaps not costly from a $$
perspective, but it could be from a performance perspective. It effectively would
decrease your bandwidth on a per server by 10-15%, ie It might cause you to need
more servers.
What you can store in session data depends on the amount of data and number of
users you have. no_of_users*size_of_session_data must be less than free memory
available on your server.
Ex.

Few examples how I understood cookies..

example 1. Problem statement: an online shopping cart, say you added 5 items in the basket but you
did not buy them. Tomorrow when you come back and continue shopping your old basket with 5
selected items is required. There are couple of solutions for this problem
i. Save all the selected items in the DB and retrieve when you re-login
ii. Save all this content in the cookie in form of text and make it readily available
Say for something like this which is not the data I should secure, I would rather share the
responsibility of this request at both the client and the server. I save the data in cookie and retrieve
whenever required. I use session when the state should be only maintained until the user quits the
current session. Additionally, the cookie can be disabled from the client end, but the server needs
some information that needs to be transferred or retrieved like when cookie is available, so show to
proceed? There comes the URL rewriting.
Commercial sites/forums etc.. which doesn't require much of information security uses cookies for
storing user authentication data as well.
example 2. Few search engines and few other sites use cookies for better/intelligent marketing
purpose. Like if I search for search for online cameras, this information can be stored in cookie and
next time when I am searching something else, I recieve ads related to cameras since that is one of
my interest. Well this good for me since its like a short cut for me, its good for the provider since
makes some good business

example 3. The best one I experienced. Few months back I booked a bus ticket online (it doesn't
have any login). Last week I again opened the same site for booking tickets, the source and
destination are pre-populated. Then I looked into the cookie and got the picture, it made my job
easier though

The formal presentation of information is divided into two broad

categories: Presentation Skills and Personal Presentation.

These two aspects are interwoven and can be described as the

preparation, presentation and practice of verbal and non-verbal
communication.

This article describes what a presentation is and defines some of

the key terms associated with presentation skills.
Many people feel terrified when asked to make their first public talk. Some of
these initial fears can be reduced by good preparation that also lays the
groundwork for making an effective presentation.

A Presentation Is...
A presentation is a means of communication that can be adapted to various
speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or
briefing a team.

A presentation can also be used as a broad term that encompasses other speaking
engagements such as making a speech at a wedding, or getting a point across in a video
conference.

To be effective, step-by-step preparation and the method and means of presenting the
information should be carefully considered.

A presentation requires you to get a message across to the listeners and will often contain a
'persuasive' element. It may, for example, be a talk about the positive work of your organisation,
what you could offer an employer, or why you should receive additional funding for a project.

The Key Elements of a Presentation

Making a presentation is a way of communicating your thoughts and ideas to
an audience and many of our articles on communication are also relevant
here, see: What is Communication? for more.

Consider the following key components of a presentation:

 Context
Ask yourself the following questions to develop a full understanding of the
context of the presentation.

When and where will you deliver your presentation?

There is a world of difference between a small room with natural light and an informal setting, and a
huge lecture room, lit with stage lights. The two require quite different presentations, and different
techniques.

Will it be in a setting you are familiar with, or somewhere new?

If somewhere new, it would be worth trying to visit it in advance, or at least arriving early, to
familiarise yourself with the room.

Will the presentation be within a formal or less formal setting?

A work setting will, more or less by definition, be more formal, but there are also various degrees of
formality within that.

Will the presentation be to a small group or a large crowd?

Are you already familiar with the audience?

With a new audience, you will have to build rapport quickly and effectively, to get them on your side.

What equipment and technology will be available to you, and what will you be
expected to use?

In particular, you will need to ask about microphones and whether you will be expected to stand in
one place, or move around.

What is the audience expecting to learn from you and your presentation?

Check how you will be billed to give you clues as to what information needs to be included in your
presentation.

All these aspects will change the presentation. For more on this, see our page
on Deciding the Presentation Method.
A presentation program is a software package used to display information in the form of a slide
show. It has 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. [1]

A presentation program is supposed to help both the speaker with an easier access to his ideas and
the participants with visual information which complements the talk. There are many different types
of presentations including professional (work-related), education, entertainment, and for general
communication. Presentation programs can either supplement or replace the use of older visualaid
technology, such as pamphlets, handouts, chalkboards, flip charts, posters, slides and overhead
transparencies. Text, graphics, movies, and other objects are positioned on individual pages or
"slides" or "foils". The "slide" analogy is a reference to the slide projector, a device that has become
somewhat obsolete due to the use of presentation software. Slides can be printed, or (more usually)
displayed on-screen and navigated through at the command of the presenter. The slides can also be
saved as images of any image file formats for any future reference. [2]Transitions between slides can
be animated in a variety of ways, as can the emergence of elements on a slide itself. Typically a
presentation has many constraints and the most important being the limited time to present
consistent information.
Many presentation programs come with pre-designed images (clip art) and/or have the ability to
import graphic images, such as Visio and Edraw Max. Some tools also have the ability to search and
import images from Flickr or Google directly from the tool. Custom graphics can also be created in
other programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator and then exported. The concept
of clip art originated with the image library that came as a complement with VCN ExecuVision,
beginning in 1983.
With the growth of digital photography and video, many programs that handle these types of media
also include presentation functions for displaying them in a similar "slide show" format. For example,
Apple's iPhoto allows groups of digital photos to be displayed in a slide show with options such as
selecting transitions, choosing whether or not the show stops at the end or continues to loop, and
including music to accompany the photos.
Similar to programming extensions for an operating system or web browser, "add ons" or plugins for
presentation programs can be used to enhance their capabilities. For example, it would be useful to
export a PowerPoint presentation as a Flash animation or PDF document. This would make delivery
through removable media or sharing over the Internet easier. Since PDF files are designed to be
shared regardless of platform and most web browsers already have the plugin to view Flash files,
these formats would allow presentations to be more widely accessible. [3]
Certain presentation programs also offer an interactive integrated hardware element designed to
engage an audience (e.g. audience response systems, second screen applications) or facilitate
presentations across different geographical locations through the internet (e.g. web conferencing).
[4]
Other integrated hardware devices ease the job of a live presenter such as laser
pointers and interactive whiteboards.