Application Software

Role of application software and its use in home and office

The system software provides all the functionality needed to control the Hardware i.e. the machine but to really get something out of the machine, we need the application software. People use computers for various purposes some maybe using it for Accounting, others for processing or number crunching or Image Processing. Whatever type the user is, or whatever purpose the user is using the computer, it’s the application software that get things done.

Some of the examples of the application software and its use in home and office can be states as follows

In Home

• Information

The home computer software are used as a source of information and this trend is very popular and effective. Multimedia CD-ROM softwares have many titles like Encyclopedia, Yellow pages, Educational tutors etc.

Similarly, Internet Browsers are used to explore the Internet, also called the Information superhighway.

• Entertainment

Games are the most popular form of Software entertainment. Many high end games are available to the home users.

Mp3 player and VCD player softwares are used to play songs and videos.

Video editing and home video softwares are other popular software in this category.

• Word Processing and Spreadsheet

Word processing Spreadsheet softwares are also used in home. Softwares provided my Microsoft, Ms Word and Ms Excel are most popular.

In Office

• Office Application and automation

These applications include Word Processing softwares, Spreadsheet softwares, printing softwares, Desktop publishing softwares etc.

• Accounting, Bookkeeping and Database (business softwares)

Accounting and Inventory management softwares fall in this category. Supply Chain Management softwares, Employ payroll management softwares etc also fall in this category.

• Graphics and Image processing

Popular examples of this type of software are Photoshop and CorelDraw

• Number Crunching softwares

Scientific and statistical softwares which involve a lot of calculations fall in this category.

Development of software

TODO: Refer to software development cycle printout.

Identifying software requirements.

Identifying software requirements is a part of software development cycle. It’s a sub part of the first phase of Software Development cycle: System analysis.

The system analyst must be aware of exactly what the user requires from a specific system. That is, management’s foals or objectives must be fully understood. For example, one company’s objectives for new design might be to establish a computerized Accounts receivable system so that a customer can walk into any branch store and have a clerk immediately determine the customer’s balance at that time based on computer records.

After reviewing the objectives of a current system with the user, the system analyst may quite possibly recommend a modification to these objectives. The analyst has specialized expertise in data processing. Consequently he may be aware of computer capabilities that can be utilized to give outstanding performance or to attain border objectives for some system. To say to management, “I can provide you with 96% of what you want for 50% of the cost” is a very persuasive argument.

To understand Software requirements one (system analyst) should:

• Study procedures or operations manuals if there is an existing system to determine how the existing system, in principle, is to function.
• Evaluate current forms and forms distribution to specify what data is required from the system and to whom the forms are distributed.
• Interview managers and operating staff – if the analyst is sensitive to the needs and fears of the user, this technique can prove to be the most important one in the data collection phase.
• Observe users as they perform their jobs to provide some insight into basic areas.
• Prepare, distribute and evaluate questionnaires to supplement information if the interviews and observations are inadequate or if more data is required.