Editing Presentation program (section)

{{Short description|Software package used to display information in the form of a slide show}}
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{{more citations needed|date=May 2013}}
{{original research|date=September 2008}}
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[[File:LibreOffice 7.2.4.1 Impress screenshot.png|thumb|[[LibreOffice]] Impress, one of the most popular [[free and open-source]] presentation programs]]
In [[computing]], a '''presentation program''' (also called '''presentation software''') is a [[software]] package used to display information in the form of a [[slide show]]. It has three major functions:<ref>{{cite web|url= http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/presentation-software-presentation-graphics|title= presentation software (presentation graphics)|last= Rouse|first= Margaret|date= March 2011|publisher= WhatIs.com|access-date= 25 May 2013}}</ref>

* an [[Text editor|editor]] that allows text to be inserted and [[Formatted text|formatted]]
* a method for inserting and manipulating [[Computer graphics|graphic images]] and [[media clip]]s
* a slide-show system to display the content

Presentation software can be viewed{{by whom|date=September 2020}} as enabling a functionally-specific category of [[electronic media]], with its own distinct culture and practices as compared to traditional presentation media (such as [[blackboard]]s, [[whiteboard]]s and [[flip chart]]s).

[[Presentation]]s in this mode of delivery have become pervasive in many aspects of [[business communication]], especially in [[business plan]]ning, as well as in [[academic conference|academic-conference]] and [[professional conference]] settings, and in the [[knowledge economy]] generally, where ideas are a primary work [[output (economics)|output]]. Presentations may also feature prominently in political settings, especially in [[workplace politics]], where persuasion is a central determinant of group outcomes.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

Most modern meeting-rooms and [[conference hall]]s are configured to include presentation electronics, such as [[projector]]s suitable for displaying [[presentation slide]]s, often driven by the presenter's own [[laptop]], under direct control of the presentation program used to develop the presentation. Often a presenter will present a lecture using the slides as a visual aid both for the presenter (to track the lecture's coverage) and for the audience (especially when an audience member mishears or misunderstands the verbal component).

Generally in presentations, the visual material is considered{{by whom|date=September 2020}} supplemental to a strong aural presentation that accompanies the slide show, but in many cases, such as [[statistical graphics]], it can be difficult to convey essential information other than by visual means; additionally, a well-designed [[infographic]] can be extremely effective in a way that words are not. Endemic over-reliance on slides with low [[information design|information density]] and with a poor accompanying lecture has given presentation software a negative reputation as sometimes functioning as a crutch for the poorly informed or the poorly prepared.