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Comparing GUI and CLI

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Comparing GUI and CLI

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Comparing Graphical User


Interface (GUI) and Command
Line Interface (CLI)
April 6, 2021

The operating system enables the interaction between the user


and the device. It does this by providing two user interfaces: a
command-line interface (CLI) and a graphical user interface
(GUI).

Any device’s operating system is nothing but an interface between the


hardware components and its user. The operating system enables the
interaction between the user and the device. It does this by providing
two user interfaces: a command-line interface (CLI) and a graphical
user interface (GUI).

Users of GUI interact with devices or software through clickable


graphical icons. CLI is a text-based or console representation whereby
users type commands into a terminal to navigate or operate devices or
software.
Deciding whether to use CLI or GUI partially depends on the reason for
computer navigation. GUI is user-friendly and more comfortable to use,
especially because it makes a visual representation of users’ actions on
a computer. Users such as software developers, systems
administrators, and others that require to perform more advanced tasks
use CLI.

This article discusses GUI and CLI and compares the two in terms of
ease of use, multitasking, remote access, scripting, speed, and control.

What is GUI?

A graphical user interface (GUI) is a visual representation of


communication that makes it easy for users to interact with electronic
devices. GUI combines many graphical representations, including
graphic icons such as menus, cursors, tabs, mouse, windows, and scroll
bars.

Communication between the user and the electronic device is


performed by interacting with these graphical icons. This is different
from the usual command-based or text-based communication
associated with the command-line interface (CLI), as we will find out
later in this article.

Graphical user interfaces have become a standard user-centered


design when it comes to software application programming. They
provide users the capacity to interact and operate electronic devices,
more so, computers.

Apple Inc.’s Macintosh and Microsoft operating system are excellent


examples of GUI.
What is CLI?

Command-line interface (CLI) is a command-line program that relies on


text inputs to perform operating system functions. CLI was the standard
way of interacting with computing devices in the early days of
computing. But this has changed since the invention of GUI, which is
seen as a more user-friendly alternative.

Still, system administrators and software developers use CLI to install


software, access features missing in the graphical interface, and
configure computers. Bash shell (for Mac OS and Linux) and MS-DOS
(for Windows) are the most common types of CLIs in use today.

The differences between graphical user


interface (GUI) and command-line interface
(CLI)

Ease of use

GUI is easier to learn and use. This is because of its user-friendly


interface. Users receive immediate visual feedback when dealing with
GUI, while this is not obvious in CLI. It would help if you had a higher
degree of memorization and familiarity to effectively navigate and
operate devices powered by CLI. New users may have more difficulty
operating a CLI than GUI.

Multitasking

CLI offers a great environment for multitasking. While in in a GUI


environment, the ability to perform multiple tasks at once on one
screen is not as efficient.
With GUI, users rely on windows to control, manipulate, view, and
to le through multiple folders and programs with ease. You can, for
example, perform multiple tasks using MS Word.

Remote access

A command-line interface allows users to access and manipulate files


in another device or computer over a network. But this is not such a
straightforward process; you must know the commands to do so, which
might pose a challenge to new users.

A graphical user interface also allows users to access another


computer remotely. Navigating devices remotely in GUIs is more
straightforward and requires little experience, unlike in CLIs. IT
professionals use GUI to manage servers and access user computers
remotely.

Scripting

Users of CLI need to master scripting syntax and commands. New users
may find it difficult to create scripts.

GUI provides the option to create scripts using programming software.


With programming software, one can write scripts or develop other
software without necessarily knowing all the syntax and commands.

Examples of programming software are compilers, interpreters, and


debu ers. A combination of all these software is referred to as
integrated development environments (IDEs).

Speed
CLI is more preferred by professionals looking for performance and
speed. With GUI, one has to navigate through different icons. This
makes GUI slow. But with CLI, one only needs to utilize the keyboard to
navigate through the interface. This results in faster performance.

Modern GUIs have improved their speed, but one still requires to use of
the mouse and the keyboard to type. Considering that CLI requires only
the keyboard, users find taking their hand off the keyboard to move the
mouse pointer slower.

Control

GUI allows control over the operating system and files. But one still
needs CLI to perform advanced tasks. This is because the command
line interface provides total control over the operating system and files.
Furthermore, tasks become simpler with CLI.

One can create a script containing a few command lines and leave it to
perform most of the tasks. Shortcuts in GUI do not fully support
automation or scripting. This way, you find that a user has to manually
repeat each action within the graphical user interface.

Drawbacks of CLI

A large number of commands makes it challenging to use CLI, even


for experienced users.

CLI leaves a small room for error. Mistyped commands may not get
processed correctly.

In case of mistyped instructions, you may need to start from scratch


again.
Drawbacks of GUI

GUI is not resource optimized. The aim is to make a user-friendly


interface, and as such, it uses more computer memory.

Applications based on GUI require more RAM to run than those


based on other interface types.

Users need to use the Help file to find hidden commands.

Compared to other interface types, GUI uses more processing power.

Conclusion

This article has successfully explained how GUI differs from CLI. The
notable difference is that GUI users depend on graphical elements
such as icons, menus, and windows to interact with the operating
system.

CLI relies more on text inputs to perform the operating system


functions. GUI stands out being a user-friendly option, while CLI is
more powerful and advanced.

Happy learning!

References

1. User interfaces

2. What is a graphical user interface (GUI)?

3. What is Command Line Interface (CLI)?

Peer Review Contributions by: Collins Ayuya


EngEd Author Bio

Bridget Mwikali
Bridget is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Information Technology and
Information Systems. She loves technical writing and managing databases.

View author's full profile

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