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Environment in which users run application software
computer user's applications environments

In computer software, an operating environment or integrated applications environment is the environment in which users run application software. The environment consists of a user interface provided by an applications manager and usually an application programming interface (API) to the applications manager. An operating environment is not a full operating system, but is a form of middleware that rests between the OS and the application. For example, the first version of Microsoft Windows, Windows 1.0, was not a full operating system, but a GUI laid over DOS albeit with an API of its own. Similarly, the IBM U2 system operates on both Unix/Linux and Windows NT. Usually the user interface is text based or graphical, rather than a command line interface (e. g., DOS or the Unix shell), which is often the interface of the underlying operating system. In the mid 1980s, text based and graphical user interface operating environments surrounded DOS operating systems with a shell that turned the user's display into a menu oriented "desktop" for selecting and running PC applications. These operating environment systems allow users much of the convenience of integrated software without locking them into a single package.

In the mid 1980s, text based and graphical user interface operating environments such as IBM TopView, Microsoft Windows, Digital Research's GEM Desktop, GEOS and Quarterdeck Office Systems's DESQview surrounded DOS operating systems with a shell that turned the user's display into a menu oriented "desktop" for selecting and running PC applications. These programs were more than simple menu systems—as alternate operating environments they were substitutes for integrated programs such as Framework and Symphony, that allowed switching, windowing, and cut and paste operations among dedicated applications. These operating environment systems gave users much of the convenience of integrated software without locking them into a single package. Alternative operating environments made terminate and stay resident pop up utilities such as Borland Sidekick redundant. Windows provided its own version of these utilities, and placing them under central control could eliminate memory conflicts that RAM resident utilities create. In later versions, Windows evolved from an operating environment into a complete operating system with DOS as a bootloader (Windows 9x) and a complete operating system, Windows NT, was developed at the same time. All versions after Windows ME have been based on the Windows NT kernel.