Editing Graphical user interface (section)

=== Command-line interfaces ===
[[File:Bash screenshot.png|thumb|A modern Command-Line Interface (CLI)]]
Since the commands available in command line interfaces can be many, complex operations can be performed using a short sequence of words and symbols. Custom functions may be used to facilitate access to frequent actions. 
Command-line interfaces are more [[minimalism (computing)|lightweight]], as they only recall information necessary for a task; for example, no preview thumbnails or graphical rendering of web pages. This allows greater efficiency and productivity once many commands are learned.<ref name="computerhope.com" />  But reaching this level takes some time because the command words may not be easily discoverable or [[mnemonic]]. Also, using the command line can become slow and error-prone when users must enter long commands comprising many parameters or several different filenames at once. However, ''windows, icons, menus, pointer'' ([[WIMP (computing)|WIMP]]) interfaces present users with many [[Widget (GUI)|widgets]] that represent and can trigger some of the system's available commands.

GUIs can be made quite hard when dialogs are buried deep in a system or moved about to different places during redesigns. Also, icons and dialog boxes are usually harder for users to script.

WIMPs extensively use [[mode (user interface)|modes]], as the meaning of all keys and clicks on specific positions on the screen are redefined all the time. Command-line interfaces use modes only in limited forms, such as for current directory and [[environment variable]]s.

Most modern [[operating system]]s provide both a GUI and some level of a CLI, although the GUIs usually receive more attention.