Applications

You can use applications built using UNIX commands, tools, and programs. Application programs carry out many different types of tasks. Some perform general functions that can be used by a variety of users in government, industry, and education. These are known as horizontal applications and include such programs as word processors, compilers, database management systems, spreadsheets, statistical analysis programs, and communications programs. Others are industry-specific and are known as vertical applications. Examples include software packages used for managing a hotel, running a bank, and operating point-of-sale terminals. UNIX application software is discussed in Chapter 26. UNIX text processing software packages are covered on the companion web site (http://books.mcgraw-hill.com/getbook.php?isbn=0072263369&template=computing).

Several classes of applications have experienced explosive growth in the past few years. The first of these involves network applications, including those that let people make use of the wide range of services available on the Internet. Chief among these are web browsers and web server applications. Another important class of applications deals with multimedia. Such applications let users create and view multimedia files, including audio, images, and video.