
To give you an idea of the simplicity of a CLI, here is a command to let you know your computer's complete network information. By memorizing only a few keywords and simple syntax, you'll have powerful time-saving commands to save you from all the frustrations of a poorly designed GUI.

But there isn't much reason not to learn a few CLI commands. However, the few times you would need to use a CLI are when it really matters.įor the majority of people sticking to a GUI-only experience should be enough. Indeed, you won't miss a lot from using only a GUI. With the intuitiveness and the non-existent learning curve to using a GUI, most people won't have a problem interacting with their computers. With intuitive illustrations and interactive elements clickable through a mouse, GUIs have allowed all kinds of electronic devices to be used by just about anyone. GUIs have helped make computers as user-friendly as possible. It is a way to control a device through interactive graphical icons, menus, widgets, images, and just about anything you are seeing on your screen right now. In contrast, a GUI is one that everyone is probably using on a day-to-day basis to control their devices.Ī GUI is everything graphical illustrated on your display. As you learned earlier, a CLI commands a device through written commands inside a terminal. Now that you know what a CLI is, let's compare it to GUIs and see if people would ever need to use a command-line interface.Ī command-line interface (CLI) and a graphical user interface (GUI) are two ways people interact with a computer. Depending on your usage, controlling a computer using CLI can be as simple as a one-word command or complex composed of multiple lines of CLI commands known as a script. The shell languages used in a CLI are easier to learn than regular programming languages like C, Java, and Python.
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Windows uses what is known as PowerShell, while Linux and macOS use Bash (Bourne Again Shell) and Zsh, respectively. The programming language used in a CLI is known as a shell language.

The format of these keywords (commands) is called syntax. Today, despite the invention of the mouse and graphical user interface, a CLI is still an important tool used by programmers, network administrators, penetration testers, and power users.Ī command-line interface or CLI controls a computer by giving it a line of structured keywords. This terminal used to control a computer is known as a command-line interface or CLI. This language is then used on a terminal to do everything, from simple tasks to complex automation. For this reason, programmers designed a robust and straightforward shell language that everyone could use to communicate with a computer.

In the earlier days of general-purpose computers, a keyboard was the only thing you could use to control a computer.
