An image forming apparatus for executing an application for performing an image forming operation is provided. The apparatus includes an interface library. The interface library includes information about an image forming operation performable by the image forming apparatus, a user interface (UI) configured to provide a UI screen for receiving a request to perform the image forming operation, by referring to the interface library, at least one operation processor configured to call an application programming interface (API) corresponding to the image forming operation, based on the received request to perform the image forming operation, and an operation performer configured to perform the image forming operation requested to be performed, according to the call.