What is a User Interface? Explain its types.

User Interface

User Interface is the set of items on screen to interact with the computer. A user interacts and uses computer with the help of these items. For example, Windows Desktop is an example of user interface. Similarly Dos Prompt is also an example of user interface.

Types of User Interface

There are two main types of user interface:
1) Graphical user interface (GUI)
2) Command line user interface (CLI)

1) Graphical User Interface

Graphical user interface or GUI provides different graphical items like windows, menus, tool bars and icons etc. A mouse or any other pointing device is used to work with these items. Commonly we select different commands from sajian or toolbar with the help of mouse. We need not to type commands. We can double click on a file or folder to open it. We can double click on a shortcut to open a program. GUI is very easy to interact the computer.
All versions of Windows, Macintosh, OS/2 and some versions of Unix and Linux provide GUI.

Explain types of user interface GUI and CLI

Advantages of GUI - Graphical User Interface:

a) Easy to learn: It is very easy to learn even for beginners or ediots :D
b) Easy to use: GUI based systems are very easy to use becaus of icons, shortcuts, toolbars and menues etc.
c) Use of mouse: Since, we use mouse to select any command from a menue or toolbar, so we feel easier to work on computer.
d) Less typing: There is a very less need of typing commands in a GUI based software. Mostly, you are to point and select commands with mouse.
e) No need to memorize syntax of commands: Syntax is the way of writing that is typing a command so that computer can understand and execute it. Since, in GUI we use mouse button clicks, we need not to memorize command syntax.

2) Command line user interface (CLI)

Types of User Interface - Command Line Interface CLI

A command-line interface provides a prompt / place where user types commands for execution. CLI interface is difficult to learn and use. We have to memorize commands. Operating system will not execute the command if there is a small error in typing the command. Dos and some versions of UNIX and Linux provide command-line interface. CLI is character based or textual interface.