An '''application''' is a collection of [program%|%programs] and/or
[library%|%libraries] that are intended to provide a complete toolset for a
certain activity, i.e., document or image editing.  Application suites are even
more broad in scope, attempting to provide complete solution for a broader and
more general activity, such as office operations or film production.


** The Trouble with Applications **

[Richard Suchenwirth] 2007-05-12:  I'm a bit puzzled why some people are so
much concerned with "applications". In my younger days, I think they were just
called "programs"; these days, and done in [Tcl]/[Tk], shouldn't one just call
them "scripts"?

I know there are some monstrous "applications" out in the world, e.g. [Microsoft Word]
comes to mind - a plethora of bells and whistles, that need their own training
classes.

But comparing what users want and what they get, one cannot really call it a
1:1 mapping.

In new situations (like in research & development), chances are even less that
there is one "application" that covers the specific needs. So when I need a
"program", I rather tailor-make it to suit my needs, rather than download
various "applications" to evaluate, and typically find out they offer too much
(of what I don't need) and too little (of what I need) at the same time. 

I much rather use powerful [package]s (e.g. [tdom] for XML, [Img] for image
converters) and glue them together to do just what I want. And I don't call the
outcome "applications" - just "scripts". :^)

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