Rastor graphics are also called Bitmap graphics, and are generally used with better results in photography. The pixillated form of Rastor graphics is more beneficial to subtle shading as opposed to the straight sharp lines of the Vector graphics.
There are two fundamentally different types of graphics image - Vector images and Bitmap images. Vector images are made up of lines, polygons etc. Bitmap images are made up of pixels of color. The type of package used depends on the type of image you're trying to work with. Whilst there is some overlap between the two, ie you can create some vector artwork in photoshop and you can do some minimal bitmap work in illustrator, in essence illustrator is a vector graphics package where you draw your image with lines etc. Photoshop is a fully featured bitmap editing package
For Vector it's .png .tif/.tiff .gif For Bitmap it's .bmp .jpg/.jpeg .gif
Both are graphics both are editable both are software
Since raster (bitmap) software are made to manipulate and improve photos, not create graphics, I will mention a few vector programs. The most common are Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW. A free open-source one is Inkscape, for instance. These are used to create vector-based graphics (ones that can be resized without losing quality). All this is pertaining to 2D graphics, as an element of graphic design.
A vector font is a type of font that is described in terms of vector graphics, which means that the font can be scaled to any size without losing quality. This is in contrast to bitmap fonts, which are made up of a grid of individual pixels and can become pixelated when scaled up. Vector fonts are commonly used in graphic design and on websites to ensure sharp text display at any size.
Windows Metafile Windows Metafile (WMF) is a graphics file format on Microsoft Windows systems, originally designed in the early 1990s. Windows Metafiles are intended to be portable between applications and may contain both vector and bitmap components. In contrast to raster formats such as JPEG and GIF which are used to store bitmap graphics such as photographs, scans and graphics, Windows Metafiles generally are used to store line-art, illustrations and content created in drawing or presentation applications. Most Windows clipart is in the WMF format.
Vector art is actually a form of graphics that is used to create images in computer graphics. Vector art is created in programs such as Corel Draw, Illustrator and Flash.
Vector graphics using the graphics function to record the color, size and other attributes. Zoom in and out of any object, no image distortion and will reduce quality. Nor will it affect the file size. A clear outline of the performance of vector graphics, commonly used in the production of some of the logo graphics.
Vector and bitmap graphics.Bitmap (or raster) images are stored as a series of tiny dots called pixels. Each pixel is actually a very small square that is assigned a color, and then arranged in a pattern to form the image. When you zoom in on a bitmap image you can see the individual pixels that make up that image. Bitmap graphics can be edited by erasing or changing the color of individual pixels using a program such as Adobe Photoshop.Unlike bitmaps, vector images are not based on pixel patterns, but instead use mathematical formulas to draw lines and curves that can be combined to create an image from geometric objects such as circles and polygons. Vector images are edited by manipulating the lines and curves that make up the image using a program such as Adobe Illustrator.Source: http://etc.usf.edu/techease/win/images/what-is-the-difference-between-bitmap-and-vector-images/
A vector program is software used to create and manipulate vector graphics, which are images defined by mathematical equations rather than pixels. Examples include Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, and Inkscape. These programs are commonly used for creating logos, illustrations, and other scalable graphics.
Adobe Flash uses vector and bitmap to create animations. There are probably others, which I don't know of. I use Adobe Flash and I'm happy with it.