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Command Line Interface (CLI) vs. Graphical User Interface (GUI)


Introduction
Hello Everyone,
Today, we’re going to talk about if a GUI (Graphic User Interface) is better than CLI (Command Line Interface) and vice versa.
Let’s begin…

What is a GUI?
A GUI (Graphic User Interface) is a graphical representation in which the users can interact with software or devices through graphical icons.

What is CLI ?
A CLI (Command Line Interface) is a console or text based representation in which the user types the commands to operate the software or devices.

GUI vs. CLI:

Ease:
If we talk about ease of use, the new users will pick up a GUI much faster than a CLI. In a CLI, new users have some difficulty operating it because they are not familiar with the commands.
Control:
With a GUI, there’s control over files and the operating system – but advanced tasks may still need to use the command line.
With a CLI, users have all the control over file system and operating system, and the tasks become simple. For example, you can copy a file or several with one command.
Speed:
If we talk about speed, in a GUI, using the mouse and the keyboard to control the file system or the operating system is going to be slower than using the command line.
In a CLI, the users only need to utilize the keyboard and may need to execute only few commands to complete the task.
Hacking:
If we talk about hacking, all the vulnerability exploits are done from command line. All the remote access and file manipulation are done from the command line.
Scripting:
One thing I love about command line is that you can create a script that contains few lines of command and it will do the work for you.
Although GUI’s can create shortcuts, tasks or other similar actions, they don’t come close to what command line can do.

Conclusion:
In this article, we talked about Command Line Interface (CLI) Vs. GUI (Graphic User Interface). Although I described how CLI is better than GUI, let me share that it’s my opinion. I like using the CLI because it’s easier, yet in the end, it’s your choice whether to use CLI or GUi or both.

Thanks for reading this. I hope you liked this article.

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