Software programs are usually one of two types: applications programs or systems programs.
An applications program is a specialized program which allows a computer to be used for a specific application. An applications package is an applications program or set of programs together with all the documentation for its use (see for documentation).
1 A payroll program. As this is a common requirement for a firm, there are many payroll programs to choose from.
2 A program to produce graphs of experimental results for a research biologist. This is a more specialized type of program and may have to be specially written.
A systems program is one of the programs which controls the performance of a computer system or provides commonly used facilities. Systems software is frequently supplied by the computer manufacturer.
1 A compiler
2 A trace program
3 The operating system of a computer.
A utility program is a systems program which performs one, usually simple, task.
1 A program to transfer data files from a magnetic tape to a disc.
2 A program to transfer the contents of a VDU screen to a printer (often called a screendump).
3 A program to sort a file so that the keys are in numerical order.
4 A program to merge two files into one large file.
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