A holographic program being terminated on a holodeck
A holographic program (also called a holosuite program, holodeck program, holo, or holodeck simulation) was an interactive computer program making use of holograms and holo-projections to create three-dimensional simulations within holo-rooms such as holodecks, holosuites, or other holographic systems. Holoprograms were used for entertainment, training, espionage and investigative purposes. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint", "Code of Honor", "A Matter of Perspective", "Identity Crisis", "Schisms"; VOY: "The Killing Game", "Life Line")
Holographic programs were normally designed to be interactive for the user, having holograms with specified behavior and a narrative. Operational data related to the narrative was stored in the program's narrative parameters file. (TNG: "Elementary, Dear Data"; VOY: "Worst Case Scenario") Other holographic programs were holo-recordings, recordings of actual events. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight"; VOY: "Fury"; ENT: "These Are the Voyages...")
Holographic programs could be stored on holodeck databases. (VOY: "Renaissance Man") These databases often contained many stock elements that could be called up by a user to design new holographic programs, such as particular eating establishments, famous cities, and characters. (TNG: "11001001")