Applications software can be grouped into two categories: general-purpose and custom applications. User applications are sometimes designated as horizontal and vertical:
Horizontal applications are targeted for a broad base of users and are available in one form or another on most computer systems (e.g., spreadsheets, word processing or graphics processing, or more business-intensive applications such as accounting or human resource packages).
Vertical applications are programs written and customized for automating the activities specific to a business or industry and are targeted for a narrow range of users (e.g., vehicle leasing or standardized credit history maintenance).
A custom application requires the expertise of an applications programmer who understands the needs of the business, because an application written for a rental car agency might be very different from one written for a credit union. An application might also be customized for a particular company. These end-user applications may be developed and distributed in many ways, ranging from a traditional network of dealers to Web-based virtual companies.
The application itself can be quite complex, involving hundreds or thousands of programs and files in one or more accounts. mvBase (which runs on a Windows system) is particularly rich in the number of vertical applications available for it, and is noted for the ease with which these applications can be customized for end users.
But the end user is often far more acquainted with the details of an application than the computer system itself. For instance, he or she may only have access to an order-entry menu, and see only a small part of the application. So, as far as the user is concerned, the system is for all intents and purposes hidden from view.
With its support for access by many different types of mvBase clients. mvBase supports the use of Windows applications outside the MultiValue environment such as
C/C++ programs, Visual Basic programs and programs using third party object-oriented extensions such as Coyote's Transverse or Liberty's OleDB.
See Also
MultiValue Environment Overview