command line interface
    n 1: a user interface in which you type commands instead of
         choosing them from a menu or selecting an icon [syn:
         command line interface, CLI]

command line interface

    A means of communication between a
   program and its user, based solely on textual input and
   output.  Commands are input with the help of a keyboard or
   similar device and are interpreted and executed by the
   program.  Results are output as text or graphics to the
   terminal.

   Command line interfaces usually provide greater flexibility
   than graphical user interfaces, at the cost of being harder
   for the novice to use.  Consequently, some hackers look down
   on GUIs as designed For The Rest Of Them.

   (1996-01-12)