Programs that have CLIs are generally easy to automate via scripting, since command-lines, being mere lines of text, are easy to specify in code.ĬLIs are made possible by command-line interpreters or command-line processors, which are programs that read command-lines and carry out the commands.Īlternatives to CLIs include GUIs (most notably desktop metaphors with a mouse pointer, such as Microsoft Windows), text-based user interface menus (such as DOS Shell and IBM AIX SMIT), and keyboard shortcuts.Ĭomparison to graphical user interfaces A graphical user interface with icons and windows ( GEM 1.1 Desktop)Ĭompared with a graphical user interface, a command-line interface requires fewer system resources to implement. Knowledge of CLIs is also useful for writing scripts. However, many programs and operating system utilities lack GUIs, and are intended to be used through CLIs. Today, most users rely on graphical user interfaces ('GUIs') instead of CLIs. Command-line interfaces emerged in the mid-1960s, on computer terminals, as a user-friendly alternative to punched cards. Screenshot of a sample Bash session in GNOME Terminal 3, Fedora 15 Screenshot of Windows PowerShell 1.0, running on Windows VistaĪ command-line interface ( CLI) is a means of interacting with a computer program by inputting lines of text called command-lines.
