Web software also known as a web application is a computer program that uses web browsers like Chrome FireFox Edge Safari etc and web technology to perform tasks over the internet It’s essentially a software application that runs on a remote server and is delivered via the internet through a browser interface Unlike traditional desktop applications which are launched by your operating system web apps must be accessed through a web browser
Web applications can be as simple as a static webpage displaying text and images or as complex as a full-featured business software application supporting multiple users and performing various tasks concurrently They can be interactive sites like social media platforms online e-commerce stores online banking systems or software-as-a-service applications
Web applications are typically coded in a browser-supported language such as JavaScript and HTML as these languages rely on the browser to render the program executable Some of the applications are dynamic requiring server-side processing Others are completely static with no processing required at the server
A key aspect of web applications is that they can be accessed from anywhere and on any device with an internet connection Users can access a web application without needing to install any software on their local device making it highly convenient and space-efficient They are platform-independent meaning they should run in almost all modern browsers regardless of the operating system used
In terms of development and maintenance web applications have the advantage of a centralized single implementation hosted on a server This means updates and patches can be applied centrally without requiring users to install or update software on their own devices
Web applications often interact with databases to allow users to retrieve and store data This data exchange is usually done using server-side scripting languages like PHP Java ASPNET Ruby or Python
Overall the term ‘web software’ or ‘web application’ is a broad category encompassing a wide variety of software accessible via the internet from simple static websites to complex data-intensive business applications