What is a utility program?

Answer 1

A utility program is a computer program that performed what are normally considered simple user or system tasks. Utility programs normally accomplish data or system functions such as copying data from one place to another, compare data files, sort a file, modify a file such as add/change/delete records based on some criteria, perform some function on a device such as format a drive or manipulate a tape.

Utility programs were usually run as batch programs on older batch computers. Today many of these functions are done by manipulating window icons with a mouse or touchscreen, automatically invoking the utility software.

Although the tasks performed seemed simple, they usually had to deal with many situations. For example, copying a file had to consider the possibility that the source and destination may be different enough that some sort of translation was required either between ascii and ebcdic character encoding or record format conversion.