What is a User Interface?

The user interface is the junction between a user and a computer program. An interface is a set of commands or menus through which a user communicates with a program. It is how you interact with the computer.

There are two common user interfaces:

• A command-driven interface is one in which you type in commands to make the computer do something. You have to know the commands and what they do and they have to be typed correctly. DOS and Unix are examples of command-driven interfaces.

• A graphical user interface (GUI) is one in which you select command choices from various menus, buttons and icons using a mouse. It is a user-friendly interface. The Windows and Mac OS are both graphical user interfaces.

Do you think it is easier to click on menus and icons to make the computer do something or to memorize many commands that you have to type without error to make the computer do the same thing?

The graphical representation of commands is much easier for people to understand and use and therefore, is called user-friendly. In 1984, the Apple Company introduced the first GUI computer, the Macintosh. Windows 95/98, NT, ME, 2000 and XP are all GUI operating systems.