File:Linux_command-line._Bash._GNOME_Terminal._screenshot.png · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
command-line interface
Sign in to saveAlso known as command line interface, CLI, Character user interface, terminal user inferface, TUI
type of computer interface based on entering text commands and viewing text output
A command-line interface is a way to control a computer by typing text commands and reading text responses, rather than using a mouse to click on buttons and icons. It remains widely used by programmers and system administrators because it offers direct control over computers and can be faster for many technical tasks than graphical interfaces.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Animated GNU Bash Unix Shell Prompt.gif
Show 4 more facts
- Stack Exchange tag
- stackoverflow.com/tags/command-line-interface
- social media followers
- 89719
- Commons category
- Command-line interface
- P13411
- Denmark
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~40 min read
Article
Screenshot of a sample Bash session in GNOME Terminal 3, Fedora 15 Screenshot of Windows PowerShell 1.0, running on Windows Vista
A command-line interface (CLI), also known as a command-line shell, is a means of interacting with software via commands – each formatted as a line of text. The concept of interacting with a computer via text evolved over two decades, transitioning from physical hardware to sophisticated software. Before the CLI, computers were programmed using physical switches or punched cards. The shift toward a "command" style interaction began with the use of Teleprinters (Teletypes). Early systems like the Whirlwind I (1951) at MIT began utilizing typewriter-like inputs for direct control, moving away from batch processing where you'd hand a stack of cards to an operator and wait hours for a result. Devices like the Teletype Model 33, introduced in 1963, allowed operators to type a command and receive a printed response from the computer.