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What is a Program Group?

Erin J. Hill
Erin J. Hill

A program group is a group of programs that are related in some way. This can include a group of items already installed on most computers, or a software suite featuring programs that help complete a variety of similar tasks. Groups can include office groups or designing groups, as well as pre-installed sections of a computer's main menu.

Click on the "start" menu of any Windows®-based operating system and there are multiple program group examples. For instance, the "Accessories" category has a drop down menu. On the menu there are various programs within that category, including a painting program, a calculator, and other related programs.

Man holding computer
Man holding computer

Most software applications also come in a program group. This can mean an entire package of programs that help to complete related tasks, such as office software suites, or one main program along with an uninstall program and added utilities. Designer's software may also come in program groups that include basic drawing programs, template programs, web design programs, and others.

There are many benefits to having these groups. The most obvious benefit is that programs are easier to find when they are organized into groups. Users can navigate computer systems better and with less confusion when software applications are simpler to find and more easily accessible. As long as it is understood what a program is and what it does, one can locate it quickly in its designated program group.

Another benefit relates to these groups that come as part of a package suite. Purchasing multiple programs together is generally less expensive overall than purchasing each program separately. Program group software packages often come on one disc instead of several, making the packaging and the disc easier to keep up with.

Nearly any program can easily fit into a program group. If a new program does not go into a group automatically, one may be able to create groups manually by putting programs and files into designated folders. This allows full customization and better organization in creating efficient groups.

To arrange a new program group, a user can right-click on the desktop and choose to create a new folder. The folder can be named anything, and programs can be added by clicking and dragging them into the folder. This allows any programs to be part of a group based on the user's preferences and requirements.

Discussion Comments

Markerrag

@Logicfest -- I would like to add to that a little bit. Those similar commands are even more handy when you are talking about more complex programs that are in your average office suite. If you are looking at a design suite, then you probably have a lot more commands. If you had to learn a whole new set when you switched from your magazine layout program (for example) to your photo manipulation program, that would get in the way of your getting up to speed on the suite quickly and creating.

Actually, this program group concept has taken over computers. You will find command sets that are very similar from suite to suite even when other software companies are involved. That is very convenient and helps make computers the tools for creativity that people always thought they should be. Those common command, then, lead to consistency and simplicity. Those are both good things.

Logicfest

There is another huge advantage that comes with purchasing a suite -- you have programs that achieve different things but the commands and layouts are very similar.

Take an office suite, for example. You might have a word processor, spread sheet, database and slideshow program that are part of that package. All of those programs achieve different goals, but a common control scheme and set of commands means that you can find yourself around each of those once you learn how to use at least one program in the suite. Also, data can be exchanged among those programs and that can be handy, too.

The power of the program group in this instance, then, is in having a bunch of programs that behave similarly but achieve very different things.

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