1.5.4

User Interfaces

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User Interfaces

The user interface allows users to interact with a computer system.

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Command line interfaces

  • A command line interface (CLI) is an environment where the computer is controlled by typing text commands using the keyboard.
  • The computer cannot display graphics, only text.
  • CLIs use less memory than graphical interfaces.
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Graphical user interfaces

  • Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are more modern environments to work in.
  • GUIs are usually based on the window-icon-menu-pointer paradigm or a multi-touch interface.
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WIMP

  • WIMP stands for window-icon-menu-pointer:
    • Applications can be seen in movable, resizable windows.
    • Programs and documents are represented by icons.
    • Options are available via menus.
    • User interaction is through moving a pointer.

Jump to other topics

1Computer Systems

1.1Systems Architecture

1.2Memory & Storage

1.3Computer Networks, Connections & Protocols

1.4Network Security

1.5Systems Software

1.6Ethical, Legal, Cultural & Environmental Concern

2Computational Thinking, Algorithms and Programming

2.1Algorithms

2.2Programming Fundamentals

2.3Producing Robust Programs

2.4Boolean Logic

2.5Programming Languages & IDEs

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